I tried making brioche for the second time and I’m really having a hard time getting the dough to form.
Ingredients (for two loaves):
500g bread flour
55g sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 Tbsp warm water
9 oz (2 1/2 sticks) softened butter
5 eggs room temp
I dissolved the yeast in the warm water and added it to the dry mixture.
Stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium-low to bring together the yeast and dry ingredients
Added the eggs and mixed until it just came together (some flour still on the bottom of the bowl)
change to dough hook.
Added butter in three stages waiting until it was fully incorporated before adding each stage.
At this point I knew things weren’t right. Even after 12 minutes of mixing, the dough looked sticky and wet almost like a paste. It wasn’t pulling away from the bowl at all.
Continued mixing with dough hook on medium low for another 10 minutes with no change in the dough at all.
it was a sticky gloopy mess. I divided into two and tried a first rise. after it doubled (about 2 1/2 hours) I turned it out and it just collapsed into a pile of foamy wetness. Theres just no body to the dough at all.
I was careful with my measurements. I know I didn’t screw up that part. But what am I doing wrong?
I dissolved the yeast in warm water and added it to the dry ingredients.
Good.
Stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium-low to bring everything together.
You can use either the paddle or the dough hook, but I would use the dough hook.
Added the eggs and mixed until it just came together, with a little flour still at the bottom.
Here’s what I'd do:
With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time until a dough starts to form, then stop adding more eggs for the moment. Switch to the dough hook and let it mix to develop the gluten. If the dough feels a bit stiff, add a touch more egg.
As the dough strengthens and becomes more flexible, resume adding a bit more egg while the mixer runs.
If the dough starts sticking to the bowl, add a small amount of butter to help it release.
Once it unsticks, continue adding more egg.
If it sticks again, add a little more butter.
Keep alternating between adding egg and adding butter until everything is fully incorporated.
change to dough hook.Added butter in three stages waiting until it was fully incorporated before adding each stage.Follow the above instructions.
Yippee