Home-made Brioche: Éric Kayser’s recipe

Smell that sweet aroma of freshly baked brioche.
In this video, Éric Kayser invites you to make your own small or large brioches with coarse sugar crystals or small brioches with pink pralines.

The Recipe:
Put the flour into the mixer.
Add the salt, then start the mixer.
Add the sugar.
And the natural sourdough starter if you have it. Sourdough starter offers better fermentation and enhances the flavor of your baked goods. You can also find the video recipe for sourdough starter on our channel.
Add 5 eggs and set the last one aside.
Now add the yeast. This prevents the salt from absorbing it, as would happen if they were added together.
You cannot add the butter until the brioche dough has properly detached from the bottom of the mixing bowl. This is important as the dough needs to gain strength.
At this point, add the 6th egg.
The kneading process takes about 15 minutes. The brioche dough needs to be kneaded thoroughly.

In the meantime, soften the butter by kneading it and add it gradually. It must be completely absorbed by the dough, which can take some time.

Once the mixture is homogeneous, scrape the bottom of your bowl with a dough scraper.
Set the mixer to the lowest speed and add the vanilla seeds extracted from the pod.

At the end, your dough should be soft and beautiful.
To check if the brioche dough is ready, take a small piece and shape it into a ball between your hands. If it’s smooth, clean, and neat, the dough is well-kneaded.

Lightly flour a mixing bowl, fold the dough onto itself, and let it rest for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.
Then, refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours.

Turn your dough upside down onto a floured work surface.
Divide it into 250g portions for large brioches or 60g portions for small brioches.

Pre-shape your brioches into balls. Make sure to flour your work surface and hands well, as the butter can make the dough sticky.
Gently flatten the dough and fold all the edges into the center.
Let it rest for 30 minutes under a cloth if the dough feels dry.

Flour your work surface again.
For small brioches with pink pralines: gently flatten the dough and incorporate the pralines into the center.
Using your thumb in the middle, shape them definitively into small balls. The balls should be perfectly round with a single seam underneath.

Place them in non-stick molds or on parchment paper, ensuring enough space between the brioches.

For small brioches with coarse sugar crystals: gently flatten the dough and, using your thumb in the middle, shape them definitively into small balls. The balls should be perfectly round with a single seam underneath.
Place them in non-stick molds or on parchment paper, ensuring enough space between the brioches.

For large brioches, using molds is preferable. Lightly grease the molds with oil or melted butter.
For shaping, use the same method: gently flatten the dough ball and, using your thumb in the middle, shape it definitively. It should be perfectly round with a single seam underneath.
Once you have one seam, place the dough ball into the mold.
Gently press it to level the surface, ensuring it rises evenly.

Let them rise at room temperature for at least 2 hours, covering them with a cloth.

Beat an egg and brush it over the brioches.
Using scissors, cut a cross on top of the brioches to allow the gas to escape.

Sprinkle your brioches with coarse sugar crystals or pink pralines.

Bake the large brioche for 30 minutes at 180°C.
Bake the small brioches for 18 minutes at 180°C.

Now it’s your turn.
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