Fool-Proof Homemade Brioche (adapted from King Arthur Flour)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
4 Tb sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 Tb yeast
3 large eggs plus 1 yolk (save the egg white!)
1/4 cup lukewarm water
10 Tb butter, room temperature
In a stand mixer or bread machine (programmed for dough), combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed until combined. It'll look more like frosting than dough at this point, that's okay! DON'T add more flour!! Continue beating for 10 minutes, until the dough becomes elastic and shiny, and starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. It will still be very sticky!
Scrape down the sides and switch to the dough hook. Knead for 5-8 more minutes, until the dough is smooth. It still will be VERY loose, and have a very odd texture, but shouldn't stick to your fingers anymore. Plop that dough into a very well-greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an hour, then stick the whole thing in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, take your dough out of the fridge and set it on the counter to warm up a bit. It will be very stiff, no worries! Let it thaw just until it is workable. If you let it thaw too much it will be a gooey mess. Now, what shape do you want your loaf? If you'd like to braid it, divide your dough into three parts, roll each piece out into a rope about 11-12 inches long. Pinch the ends together and braid!
(Your braid will be shorter than mine, I was a little overenthusiastic, hence my resulting lumpy loaf). You can also just divide it into 2 pieces, form each piece into a smooth ball, and plop them (or the braid) in a well-greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Cover your loaf and let it rise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. This is where you'll see your most drastic rise- it should at least reach the rim of your pan.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Beat that saved egg white a little bit and gently brush it on the surface of your loaf. (You can sprinkle with coarse or pearl sugar at this point, if you'd like!)
Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cover with a piece of loosely tented foil and bake for another 20 minutes. The crust should be a rich reddish-golden brown, a little darker than your average bread recipe. Remove from the oven to a wire rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely on the wire rack before cutting. Enjoy!
**There are two versions of this recipe on the King Arthur Flour website, the link I provided with the recipe is to their blog page. This page was incredibly helpful! There are a lot of tips and examples there that are missing from the actual recipe. Step-by-step photos, variations, etc. If my instructions still leave you feeling a bit uncertain, go check it out!**