No Knead Brioche

Why this recipe works Classic brioche has a tender crumb, an appealing golden color, and a buttery flavor that’s richer than that of any other sandwich bread. But achieving these sumptuous results can cause a butter-induced headache. Typically, the process is laborious: Butter, softened to just the right temperature, is kneaded into the dough in increments. And patience is crucial: Only after one portion is fully incorporated is the next added to ensure that the butter is completely combined and doesn’t cause the dough to separate. We wondered if we could avoid this process and use melted butter. Simply streaming melted butter into the stand mixer gave us a greasy, separated dough that lacked structure. That’s when we thought of the technique we used for our Almost No-Knead Bread, in which we combine all the ingredients and let the mixture sit for hours. This allows the dough to stitch itself together into a loaf with only a bit of stirring and a couple of folds or turns. Happily, this method worked with our rich dough, allowing us to simplify the conventional brioche method dramatically. But the bread did need more structure. Switching from the all-purpose flour that’s used in many recipes to bread flour was a big help. In addition, instead of shaping the dough into a single long loaf, we found that we could add even more strength to the dough by dividing it in two and shaping each half into a ball. Placed side by side in the pan, the two balls merged to form a single strong loaf. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, increase the shaped rising time by 20 to 30 minutes and start checking for doneness 10 minutes earlier than advised in the recipe.

MAKES: 1 loaf

RESTING TIME: 15 minutes

RISING TIME: 17½ to 18 hours

BAKING TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 21 to 23 hours, plus 3 hours cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan, pastry brush, instant-read thermometer

INGREDIENTS:

• 1⅔ cups (9⅛ ounces) bread flour
• 1¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup (2 ounces) water, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water and pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, water, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture, scraping up the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl, until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
3. Using a greased bowl scraper or your fingertips, fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and fold the dough again. Repeat this process of turning the bowl and folding the dough 2 more times, for a total of 4 folds.
4. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding and rising process every 30 minutes, 3 more times. After the fourth set of folds, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 16 hours or up to 48 hours.
5. Transfer the dough to a well-floured counter, divide it in half, and cover each piece loosely with greased plastic wrap. Using your well-floured hands, press one piece of dough into a 4-inch round, keeping the remaining piece covered. Working around the circumference of the dough, fold the edges toward the center until a ball forms. Repeat this process with the remaining piece of dough.
6. Flip each dough ball seam side down and, using your cupped hands, drag them in small circles on the counter until the dough feels taut, round, and all seams are secured on the underside. If the dough sticks to your hands, lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Cover the dough rounds loosely with greased plastic wrap and let them rest for 5 minutes.
7. Grease an 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Flip each dough ball seam side up, press it into a 4-inch disk, and repeat the folding and rounding steps.
8. Place the dough rounds seam side down, side by side, into the prepared pan. Gently press the dough into the corners. Cover the pan loosely with greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise until the loaf reaches ½ inch below the lip of the pan and the dough springs back minimally when gently poked with your knuckle. This usually takes 1½ to 2 hours.
9. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently brush the loaf with the egg mixture and bake it until it is deep golden brown and registers 190 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes about 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
10. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack for about 3 hours before serving.