Analysing the impact of the egg-to-milk ratio in brioche formulas
The formula
The recipe shown below will make two 500g loaves. I chose, however, to make half a batch, yielding to a single loaf, which is something I’ll carry on doing over the next experiments, as the kneading time of a half-recipe takes longer when done in a stand-mixer; more on that to come in part two: the method (ingredient list, pastry chef tips and techniques on brioche).
Brioche #1: Control formula
| quantity | ingredient | BAKERS % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | g | flour | 100% |
| 70 | g | caster sugar | 14% |
| 15 | g | yeast | 3% |
| 8 | g | salt | 2% |
| 180 | g | milk | 36% |
| 180 | g | egg | 36% |
| 150 | g | butter | 30% |
| 1103 | g | total weight |
Notes
I haven’t finished writing about the method and techniques associated with rich doughs, so in the meantime, please refer to this article for detailed instructions on how to make brioche.
I ended up making the control brioche twice: after I baked brioche 2, I was amazed by the differences in between the two batches. So much in fact, that I thought something had gone wrong with the control brioche (I mostly suspected slow yeast or underproofing). So I went ahead and made the control brioche again, only to find out the differences were the result of the formula substitutions; and in no way related to the other ingredients or the method.
The difference in crumb colour on the pictures above is due to lighting (natural versus halogen) as I’ve just gotten an industrial halogen lamp so I would be able to take pictures at night – also known as 2pm here, hehe – and I’m still trying to figure it out.
Results
The oven-spring isn’t tremendous.
The crust is very thin and soft. As the loaf cools down, it wrinkles.
The crumb is light and soft, with a slight moistness to it. It’s has a beautiful texture and a lovely chew, almost reminiscent of a doughnut.
This “generic” brioche turned out amazing. I fell in love with its crumb and soft crust. The loaf stayed beautifully soft on the second day too; as we topped it with a thick layer of hjortronsylt [cloudberry jam].
I’ll definitely be making it again and again.
READ MORE ABOUT THE BRIOCHE STUDY
– Part III: the process – method, techniques and tips
– Recipe: brioche #1, the control – this is where you are.
– Recipe: brioche #2, the almost Chavot-brioche
– Recipe: brioche #3, the pain au lait
– Recipe: brioches #4 and #5
– Part IV: impact of the egg-to-milk ratio in rich doughs
– Ressources: Brioche in literature
Explore the feature: A brioche study and follow our discoveries on instagram: #BRIOCHESTUDY.
FROM THE 2016 ARCHIVES
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