Sourdough Brioche Bread Ring

 

This is a heart warming version of sourdough brioche bread, with it’s soft center and golden crust, this bread is unique and beautiful. 

What is Brioche?

Brioche is a type of bread that is sweeter and airier thn most bread, if you have ever had a Hawaiian Sweet roll, they are very similar. There is just a little bit a sugar that makes is more of a sweet bread then regular sourdoughs.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sourdough starter (active)
• 3 cups bread flour 
• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 4 eggs 
• 1.5 tsp salt 
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 2 sticks butter room temp 

Eggwash

• 1 egg yolk 
• 1 tablespoon water 

Instructions

1. Feed starter at night before bed. This way when you wake up in the morning, it will be nice and bubbly.
2. In the morning, combine all ingredients in a mixer and knead until smooth and glossy. The dough will be very wet, but after 10-15 minutes in the stand mixer (or by hand), it will come together. Don’t add more flour even though it is tempting, this is a very wet dough. 
3. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, place in a warm spot for 6-8 hours (or until doubled).
4. Refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight) so that dough is nice and stiff for shaping. If you don’t do this part, it will be harder to braid. 
5. Divide into three equal portions. I use my bench scrapper for this.
6. Stretch and elongate into long ropes. 
7. Place the ropes side by side and braid down, stretching the ropes as you go. 
8. Once you the dough is braided as far as it can go, pick up the braid and place onto a piece on parchment paper, moving the braid into a circle and pressing the two ends together. (You May have to re-braid the ends, so that they don’t get to smooshed together.)
9. Cover and allow to rise until doubled, or 2-4 hours. 
10. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
11. Create an egg wash by beating an egg with water. Brush over the loaf. This gives it that golden beautiful color.
12. Bake 25 minutes until the brioche starts to turn golden.

That’s it! If you like for presentation purposes, you could cut some fresh rosemary and/or sage and display throughout the ring. It adds a beautiful flare to your golden brown crust. :)