Braided Christmas Brioche

The preparation step by step

1. Prepare equipment and reserves

   Weigh 400 g of flour, 65 g of sugar, 7 g of yeast and 5 g of salt in separate bowls. Cut the 90 g of soft butter into cubes. Prepare the specified baking tray or mold with baking paper; shaping will be easier if everything is already at hand.

2. Prepare eggs and milk

   Break the 2 eggs of dough one by one into a bowl, check the shells and beat them with a fork. Keep the whole gilding egg apart. Heat the 140 ml of milk to about 30 °C, without making it hot.

3. Gathering the ingredients of paste

   Mix flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl or in the bowl with the hook. If your yeast needs to be rehydrated, use some of the milk already measured, according to its bag. Add the beaten eggs and milk, then salt. Mix until all the flour is moistened.

4. Gives elasticity to the dough

   Kneaded for 8 minutes at a slow speed, or about 12 minutes by hand by stretching and folding the dough. It remains slightly sticky. Scrape the edges when stopped and avoid throwing extra flour: it would make the brioche dry.

5. Fold in butter by small additions

   Add 90 g of butter in three or four times. Wait for the first addition to be absorbed before the next. Continue for 8 to 10 minutes until you get a soft paste that stretches without breaking immediately. If it heats up or becomes oily, take a 10-minute break in the cool.

6. Fragrance without tearing the paste

   Gather the dough in a spatula: this version does not require an incorporated filling. Make a soft ball and place it in a bowl. Cover to prevent the surface from drying out during lifting.

7. Let it rise slowly

   Let stand for about 1 h 30 at 24 °C until the dough almost doubles in volume. Time depends on your room and yeast; watch the swelling rather than the clock alone. If it does not move, do not put it in a hot oven: check the temperature of the room.

8. Shape the planned form

   Gently press the dough to evacuate the large bubbles, then divide it into three portions of the same weight. Roll three 35 cm rods. Weld their extremities on one side, alternately pass the flange on the right and the one on the left on the middle. Finish by pinching the ends and folding them underneath. Put the braid on the plate.

9. Wait for the second rise

   Cover with a light cloth and lets inflate 45 to 60 minutes away from drafts. Parts should look flexible and light. Prevent swelling in the mold or on the plate. Towards the end of this wait, preheat the oven to 175 °C, conventional oven setting (no fan).

10. Dore without falling back

    Break the gilding egg in a bowl and beat it with a fork. Brush a thin layer over the top, without pressing on the puffy dough. Do not let egg wash pool around the base of the pieces: it would brown too quickly.

11. Cuis by monitoring the color

    Bake at mid-height for about 30 minutes. The surface should be golden and the underside cooked. If the top goes fast, cover it loosely with a sheet of baking paper. A probe in the center of a large brioche can aim at 92 to 94 °C; small parts can also be controlled by opening a control part.

12. Cool before serving

    Go out with the oven gloves. Wait 10 minutes before unmolding a large brioche, then place on a wire rack. Allow to cool 1 hour before cutting; for small rooms, 30 to 45 minutes is enough. A still hot crumb gets mugged under the knife and looks wetter than after cooling.