I spent an entire autumn working up brioche recipes-trying different methods, consulting with bakers and chefs, thinking and rethinking ways of achieving a perfect all-purpose dough. I hate to think of how many pounds of butter I used, how many dozen eggs, how many packages of yeast, how much oven cleaner! The smell of yeast-risen dough filled my New York apartment. Neighbors sniffed as they passed my door. My children rebelled and demanded "normal bread." But finally (and I say this with my characteristic modesty à la Henry Kissinger), I came up with something that I think is very special because of four unusual things. Actually, none of these things is that unusual in itself-it's the combination that is unique.

1. The lightness and fluffiness of this brioche I attribute to an early nineteenth-century method of initiating the first thrust of the yeast. In this method, known as "sponging," the yeast is mixed with milk, one quarter the total amount of flour, and an egg. This mixture is left to rise under a blanket of the remaining flour for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. This stage may be considered as an extra-long rise.

2. The trouble with a lot of brioche recipes is that they force the rising of the dough with too much yeast and end up sacrificing flavor. As a result, the brioche tastes too "yeasty." No matter how fluffy or buttery or light it is, it doesn't taste "natural." My solution is a long, slow rise using a small amount of yeast; this results in a superb natural flavor and a crumb with a better structure.

3. The buttery quality of brioche has traditionally been the result of a messy workout of the dough in which the butter was cut into the dough with a great deal of effort. If there was anything that turned off home cooks contemplating making their own brioche, it was the anticipation of this laborious task. Food processor to the rescue! We are now able to achieve perfect absorption of the butter with no manual effort and without any mess at all.

4. The classic technique of making brioche always entails the "knocking down" process (or, as the French say, "waking up"), a deflating and folding of the dough mass to redistribute the yeast cells. Too many recipes call for kneading at this stage, and I couldn't disagree more. It's very important that the redistribution be done gently, and you will find precise instructions in my master recipe. This is the key to the explosion of the dough into a light, spongy cake. Bakers tell me that you can do everything correctly up to this point but your brioche may fall short of perfection if you do not properly execute this stage.

Makes 1 1/4 Pounds Dough
Prepare up to 3 days in advance
Active Work: 15 minutes
Unattended Rising Time: 5 to 6 hours

1. Making the sponge: Place milk and yeast in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process on and off to combine. Add 1/3 cup flour and 1 egg. Process 2 to 3 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Sprinkle remaining flour over the mixture; do not mix in. Cover and let stand 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature in the workbowl. (If you need your workbowl, scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl and sprinkle the remaining flour on top.)

2. Kneading the dough: Add 3 tablespoons sugar (4 tablespoons if you are making a dessert), salt, and the 2 remaining eggs to the workbowl. Process 15 seconds. With the machine on, pour in the melted butter in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process 20 seconds longer. If the machine stalls (this happens when the butter is added too quickly), let the machine rest 3 minutes. Meanwhile check that the blade is not clogged.

3. First rise: Scrape the resulting "cream" into a lightly greased 3-quart bowl. Sprinkle the top lightly with flour to prevent a crust from forming. Cover airtight with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature about 5 hours in warm weather, 6 hours in cold weather, or until dough is light, spongy, and almost tripled in bulk. Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes without deflating.

4. Deflating and redistributing the yeast cells: Using a plastic scraper, deflate the dough by stirring it down. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. With floured hands, gently press the dough into a rectangle, then gently fold into thirds. Dust with flour. Wrap well and refrigerate. Allow dough to harden and ripen overnight. Punch down once or twice if necessary. The dough will keep 3 days in the refrigerator if well wrapped and weighted down, or it can be frozen for 1 week. (Dough doesn't freeze well for longer than 1 week.) To defrost, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

© Paula Wolfert
1979 Pleasures of Cooking
1983 Cooking of Southwest France