Maple Swirl Brioche Bread
breadbaking.com - Real maple sugar makes all the difference here.
1 1/2 cups warm water
5 teaspoons yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup dry milk powder
1 cup all purpose flour
3-4 cups bread flour
1 cup unsalted butter - softened
8 ounces coarsely ground or chopped hard maple sugar (if you do not have
access to maple sugar, use brown sugar and minced caramels)
Cinnamon swirl (alternate filling)
1 tablespoon (or more) ground cinnamon
1/3 cup granulated sugar (brown sugar makes an interesting variation here
as well)
Generously grease two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans and set aside on a
parchment-lined baking sheet. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk
together water and yeast and let stand 1 minute. Stir in salt, sugar, egg
yolks, milk powder, and most of flour, holding back about 2 cups of the
bread flour. Mix, then knead, adding more flour as required to make a soft,
elastic dough (5 to 8 minutes). Once a soft ball forms and the dough seems
resilient, continue kneading and add chunks of the softened butter until it
is all combined.
Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Insert entire
bowl into a plastic bag (a clean trash bag is fine) and let dough rise for
45 minutes. Gently deflate the dough and divide it into two portions.
Flatten each section into an oval (about 10 by 6 inches). Scatter on chunks
of maple sugar (or cinnamon mixture). Roll up snugly (jellyroll style) and
place in prepared pans. Brush loaves with melted butter and then, using
scissors, make little snips all over loaves (or leave plain). For cinnamon
bread, you may also dust top with additional sugar and cinnamon.
Place both pans in the plastic bag and let loaves rise until quite puffy
(30 to 45 minutes). Preheat oven to 350F. Place loaf pans on baking sheet.
Bake until done (30 to 40 minutes) or until well browned. Cool in pan for
20 minutes before removing.
Rosemary