Brioche Basics

February 12, 2008

Golden on the outside, with a feathery, rich-tasting interior, the brioche is a perfect showcase for butter. This particular type of brioche, known as brioche a tete, refers to the confection's shape: a large sphere topped with a smaller one (the "head"); here's how to shape them.
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1. Using the edge of a dough scraper, divide the brioche dough into two sections.Sarah Karnasiewicz
2. Score divided halves of dough into six smaller sections.Sarah Karnasiewicz
3. Using the scraper and score marks as a guide, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.Sarah Karnasiewicz
4. Dust your hands with flour and gently roll the dough into balls.Sarah Karnasiewicz
5. To shape a brioche a tete, place your hand in a "karate chop" position over a dough round.Sarah Karnasiewicz
6. Roll the side of your hand back and forth over the dough, taking care not to press all the way through, until it has formed a small and larger ball.Sarah Karnasiewicz
7. Stop rolling when the dough resembles a bowling pin.Sarah Karnasiewicz
8. Grasp the dough by the small ball, or "head", and place it in a well-oiled brioche mold.Sarah Karnasiewicz
9. Using your fingertips, indent the lower round and center the small ball on top.Sarah Karnasiewicz
10. Repeat with remaining dough and molds.Sarah Karnasiewicz
11. Place the molds on a sheet pan. Brush the top of each brioche with egg wash and bake until deep golden brown, 25–30 minutes.Sarah Karnasiewicz

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