This post is by special request. Karen, one of the (many) lovely volunteers at Smartworks West said my no-knead brioche was the best bread she had ever eaten and asked for the recipe. No baker or author can resist that kind of flattery, so here it is.

The lovely volunteers and staff at Smartworks are enthusiastic test subjects for my baking. The Davinator is very grateful as it is clear that I can bake more than he should eat (note should not could). He could eat it all but it’s not good for his waistline.

This recipe is based on one from Cooks Illustrated – one of the very few cooking websites worth paying for. Some genius at Cooks Illustrated has freed us all from tedious kneading of butter into dough – spoonful by painful spoonful – by deciding to MELT THE BUTTER, cool it and then incorporate it in the batter. Inspiration, sheer inspiration. I’ve adopted this technique into many different recipes and honestly, it almost always works. It simplifies and speeds up recipes.

I’m hoping I’m not done by the advertising standards folks – it’s not genuine ‘no’ knead but it’s very little kneading. I do the kneading it in my Kitchen Aid. If not in a Kitchen Aid then it’s ‘stretch and fold’. Here’s a video to illustrate stretch and fold. It does require more elapsed time although in terms of time invested, but not much more input time than machine kneading.

Some really helpful specialist equipment; a Kitchen Aid, your trusty shower cap and a baking stone. It took me some time to adjust to using a stone and it does take the oven longer to get up to temperature but it makes a difference. I think it evens out the oven temperature. Allow an extra 15 minutes to pre-heat the oven. I know that my Kitchen Aid will knead this heavy dough, exercise caution if using another stand mixer. Dough has burnt out many a mixer motor.

Time warning – this recipe really likes at least an overnight rise in the refrigerator. And it can go for 24 hours if that works with your timing. Start on Saturday morning to have brioche for Sunday brunch.

Time to get baking.

Ingredients

Strong white bread flour – 500 grams

Yeast – 2 1/4 teaspoons

Salt – 1 1/2 teaspoons

3 eggs for dough, 1 egg for glazing

Water, room temperature – 60 mls

Caster sugar – 60 grams

Unsalted butter, melted and cooled – 115 grams

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in the microwave. Put to one side.
2. Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Use your Kitchen Aid bowl if you’re going to machine knead.
3. Whisk the eggs, water and sugar together in another bowl. Whisk in the butter.
4. Add the egg and butter mixture to the dry mixture. Combine well with a wooden spoon until all the dry flour is incorporated and a dough forms. Cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap and leave for ten minutes. Letting it rest helps the gluten develop.
5. Time to ‘knead’. Fit the dough hook to your Kitchen Aid and knead on the lowest setting for 8 minutes. Or undertake the ‘stretch and fold’ process four separate times, leaving 30 minutes between each set of stretching and folding. When complete, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. Yes, hours. Alternatively, you can leave the dough in a cool place for several hours, then refrigerate over night.
6. Flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Divide it in two pieces. Working with the first piece, make it into a disk about 10 cms across. Fold the edges toward the centre of the dough and it will form a ball. Flip the dough ball over. Flour the top lightly, make sure your hands are clean and dry. Dough sticks to dough. Hold your hand flat to the top of the dough ball. Apply as little pressure as possible and make small circular motions on the top of the dough. It should form into a smooth taut ball. Repeat with the second. Cover the completed rounds loosely with plastic and let them rest for five minutes.
7. Get your 900 gram loaf pan ready. (Roughly 21 cms by 11 cms if measuring). I line my pan with parchment paper or a loaf pan liner. You can grease the pan with butter but this can vary your outcome.
8. Flip your dough balls over and the process in step 6. Flatten to a 10 cm round disk, form a ball, flip it over and firm it up with the circular motion. Place the balls, seam side down, in the prepared loaf pan. Cover with a shower cap or loose plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 90 minutes to 2 hours, it should double in size.
9. Preheat your oven to 175C, 30 to 45 minutes before you’re going to bake. I don’t use a fan oven for bread, but if yours only does fan then lower the temperature to 160C and keep a close eye on the top of the bread.
10. Beat the remaining egg with a pinch of salt. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash.
11. Place the loaf in the oven (on the baking stone if using). Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Internal temperature should be 90C and brioche should be golden brown. It’s worth taking a look at the bread fairly frequently – if the top browns quickly, cover loosely with foil.
12. Remove from the oven, tip out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool. Try and let it cool completely before serving. I know it’s hard, the kitchen smells of fresh brioche and you’re staring at the lovely golden loaf…… And enjoy.

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