Braided Brioche
Makes 1 loaf
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Large greased bowl
- 9×5“ loaf pan
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Dough
- 155 g bread flour
- 155 g all purpose flour
- 60 g warm tap water
- 60 g honey
- 6 g kosher salt
- 5 g instant yeast
- 3 eggs
- 113 g unsalted butter at room temperature
To bake and Finish
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp hot water
Instructions
Day One
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add bread flour, all purpose flour, water, honey, salt, yeast, and eggs.
- Using a dough hook, mix on low until combined. Increase speed to high and knead the dough for about 12-15 minutes until smooth and the dough holds together when pulled out thin. You may need to hold onto the mixer to stabilize it!
- Next add in the butter. Turn mixer on low to begin incorporating, then increase speed to high. Mix on high for another 7-8 minutes until a smooth dough is formed and the sides of the mixer bowl are clean. Pull the dough out thin to check strength. You want to be able to pull the dough thin enough to almost see through it without the dough tearing (window pane method).
- Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, cover and let rise on the counter 2-3 hours until the dough is about doubled in size.
- Transfer proofed dough, covered, to the fridge to rest overnight.
Day Two
- The next day, transfer cold dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into four equal logs (about 170g each).
- Roll each piece of dough out to a 15 inch long log.
- Place all logs snugly together with the short ends facing you. Braid the loaf using an over, under, over, under method. You want to keep the braids as snug as you can. Tuck each of the open ends of the loaf under itself.
- Place loaf into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise another 2-3 hours until the loaf has nearly doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- While oven preheats, whisk egg and water to create an egg wash.
- Brush loaf with egg wash all over.
- Bake loaf for 30-35 minutes until deeply golden and baked through. Rotate the loaf as necessary to promote even browning.
- While loaf bakes, mix honey and hot water together to form a syrup.
- Remove loaf from oven and immediately brush with honey syrup. Let rest 10 minutes in the pan.
- Remove loaf from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
