In Honor of Julia Child: Experimenting with Pete A Brioche: Day 3 of Pastry Project Challenge
Whenever one mentions of Julia Child, baking immediately comes to mind. :)
Well, this was not the case when I first heard her name.
I was completely unaware of how an ultimate legend she is when it comes to baking..
I was completely unaware that...
we share the same passion. *Charaught
For non Filipino readers, charaught is a slang term used whenever you're joking or you think you're saying something silly.
Hope you guys get it! *winks
I first learned about her in my trip to the American History museum wherein I was fortunate enough to meet this super cute old man who seriously looks like the guy in UP.
Here are our pictures way back 2012!!! :)))
He's such a witty man and he shared so much stories that one couldn't get while having a tour in the museum alone. :) And when we talked about baking and sweets and pastries, he told me that I should go and visit Julia Child's kitchen exhibit. :DDD
And I was like, how can I not know Julia Child? Ugh. I should do my assignments more! :DDD
Now let me share with you a few pictures from my visit! :DDDD
All of the things that you can see here are real kitchen equipment from Julia Child's kitchen herself. :)
Sooooo cuuute and fancy and pastel colored plates, pans and ofcourse, Julia Child is not Julia Child without her oven! :DDD
That's why in memory of this amazing woman and despite my busy schedule at work, I decided to bake an original recipe of hers: Pete A Brioche!
I've never appreciated bread from bakeries and panaderias more than ever when I started to bake them. They may look so simple, and one might think, "oh, it's just plain bread, might as well get something more fancy like a cake or a cupcake." But I swear guys, the skill that a baker puts into her craft is something that is really admirable.
It takes so much patience...waiting for the bread to rise...
It takes so much strength...kneading that freaking dough... LOL
and it takes heart, to start and enjoy the whole process...
*blushes
Let me share with you this short video that I made while baking! :)
Oh you guys have no idea! haha! This was the morning of Tuesday last week and I baked these babies after work at around 11 pm until 2 AM! :D
I seriously don't know where I get the energy. And I'm just grateful He provides me with more than what I need. :)
Oh and btw, here's the recipe that I used! :D Feel free to try it guys! I'm making my second batch today! :D
Ingredients:
Sponge
1/3 cup warm whole milk (100- 110 degrees F)
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Dough
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs , lightly beaten, room temp
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (approx)
6 ounces unsalted butter , room temperature
Glaze
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water, for egg wash
Directions:
1) To make the sponge: Put milk, yeast, egg and 1 cup of flour in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer. Mix ingredients together with a rubber spatula, mixing just until everything is blended. Sprinkle remaining cup of flour over sponge, completely covering it. Set sponge aside to rest uncovered for 30-40 minutes. After this resting time, flour coating will crack. That's as it should be.
2) To make dough: Add sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of flour to sponge. Set bowl in mixer, attach dough hook, and mix on low speed for a minute or two, just until ingredients look as if they are about to come together. With mixer still running, sprinkle in 1/2 cup more flour. When flour is incorporated, increase mixer speed to medium and beat for about 15 minutes, stopping to scrape down hook and bowl as needed. During this mixing period, dough should come together, wrap itself around hook and slap sides of bowl. In order to incorporate butter into dough, it must be worked with a scraper or rolling pin until its consistency is like that of dough (You can bash butter into submission with a rolling pin or give it kinder and gentler handling by using a dough scraper to smear it bit by bit across a smooth work surface). When it is ready, butter will be smooth, soft, and still cool - not warm, oily or greasy. With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Do not be alarmed at appearance of dough. It will start to fall apart and that is normal. Continue adding butter. When all of it has been added, raise mixer speed to medium-high for a minute, then reduce speed to medium and beat dough for about 5 minutes, or until you once again hear the dough slapping against the sides of the bowl. Clean sides of bowl frequently as you work; if it looks as though dough is not coming together after 2-3 minutes, add up to 1 tablespoon more flour. When you're finished, dough should feel somewhat cool. It will be soft and still sticky and may cling slightly to sides and bottom of bowl.
3) To finish dough: For first rise, transfer dough to a very large buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2- 2 1/2 hours. For second rise and chill, deflate dough by placing your fingers under it, lifting a section of dough, and then letting it fall back into bowl. Work your way around circumference of dough, lifting and releasing. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough overnight, or for at least 4-6 hours, during which time it will continue to rise and may double in size again. AFTER THIS LONG CHILL,DOUGH IS READY TO USE IN ANY BRIOCHE RECIPE.
4) To shape: Butter 3 large fluted brioche pans, using a pastry brush to make certain
you get into flutes; set aside. Divide dough into thirds. Keep remaining dough covered and refrigerated while you work with one piece at a time. Put one piece of
dough on a lightly floured work surface and, using your dough scraper, cut off a hunk of dough that is scant one third of piece. Work larger piece of dough gently and quickly into a smooth ball. between your hands and against the work surface to form a smooth ball. Place ball into buttered mold. Roll smaller piece of dough into a pear shape. Use fingers to make a depression in center of dough and fit narrow top of pear-shaped piece into depression. Pinch and press dough together as needed to make certain that seam between large and small pieces of dough is sealed. Repeat with the remaining dough.
5) Final Rise: Cover pans with a piece of buttered plastic wrap and allow dough
to rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
6) Baking Têtes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly brush brioche with egg wash, taking care not to let the glaze dribble into the mold (it will impair
the dough’s rise in oven). Working quickly, use ends of a pair of sharp scissors to snip 2 or 3 slits in each larger ball of dough. Bake the brioche for about 30 minutes, or until they are deeply golden. Cool to room temperature on a rack. Yield: 3 Tetes.
Cook's Notes: If you are not going to use or bake the dough after it's second rise, deflate it, wrap it airtight, and store it in freezer. The dough can remain frozen for up to a month. Thaw the dough, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight and use it directly from the refrigerator.
Pretty please let me know how it goes! :)
So much brioche love,
Pastry Princess
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