The festive season is all about rich and flavourful bakes. Plenty of butter, spices, and sweetness to make my new years’ resolutions even more important to stick to. And I will do it I promise, but for new let’s see what delicious treats we can make with brioche dough.

Brioche is the pinnacle of enriched bread with its 40% butter content. Some may not even call it bread because it appears to be made with the ingredient ratios of cake. It not only contains a huge amount of butter, but all the liquid is made up of eggs. The only thing keeping it from being cake is the slightly lower amount of sugar, but we will take care of that when we add the filling during final shaping.

Whenever I make my no-knead brioche I always mix up a double batch so that I can use it for two projects and that is exactly what I’ve done this time around. This recipe used half the dough which makes 6 portions. If you want to use all the dough to make 12, then remember to double the ingredients for the filling.

Head over to the Brioche playlist on my channel where you will find plenty of ideas for the other half of the dough if you want to stick with smaller batches.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

500g (1.1lb) white bread flour

250g (8.8oz) egg

12g (0.42oz) salt

9g (0.32oz) instant dry yeast or 11g (0.38oz) active dry yeast or 27g (0.95oz) fresh yeast

60g (2.1oz) sugar

200g (7oz) softened butter

For the filling –

60g (2.1oz) soft butter

70g (2.5oz) sugar

3g (0.1oz) cinnamon

2g (0.07oz) ground cardamom

Mix to a smooth paste and leave on the counter until needed.

To top –

1 egg for glazing

Pearl sugar

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you will need to let it sit in the egg for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add 8 tablespoons (200g; 7oz) flour and whisk. Add the softened butter and whisk until smooth.
2. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F).
3. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Fold #1.
5. Chill for 30 minutes.
6. Fold #2.
7. Chill for 30 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape into balls. If you are not dividing the dough, give it another fold.
9. Wrap in clingfilm and cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours. After cold bulk fermentation you can use this dough for any project you like.
10. Make the twists. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle. Spread the filling evenly all over. Fold the dough in 3 layers. Roll it out slightly. Trim the edges and slice the dough in 6 long strips. Twist each strip into a tube and then roll it up. Place on a non-stick paper lined baking tray.
11. Cover and proof for 2.5 hours. During the final hour of fermentation pre-heat the oven to 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off.
12. Brush the twists with egg, leave to dry for 5 minutes, and then brush again. Sprinkle with pearl sugar.
13. Bake for 20 minutes.
14. Make a sugar syrup just before the twists come out the oven. Combine 20g (0.7oz) sugar and 20g (0.7oz) water in a small pan and bring up to a boil.
15. Brush the twists with the hot sugar syrup as soon as they come out the oven.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

This tart was inspired by the French Tarte Tropezienne or Saint Tropez Tart. It is a classic cake made from brioche dough that is filled with pastry cream and buttercream. My version is easier to make and no less delicious. Instead of the two creams we will make a simple diplomat cream without gelatine. The brioche will be soaked inside and out with syrup made with fresh orange juice. The resulting tart is light and super flavourful, and it looks great too.

We’ll be using my no-knead brioche dough for this project. Whenever I make my no-knead brioche I always mix up a double batch so that I can use it for two projects and that is exactly what I’ve done this time around. I used the other half for a recipe which I recently posted. You can find that recipe and many more in the Brioche playlist on my channel.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

500g (1.1lb) white bread flour

250g (8.8oz) egg

12g (0.42oz) salt

9g (0.32oz) instant dry yeast or 11g (0.38oz) active dry yeast or 27g (0.95oz) fresh yeast

60g (2.1oz) sugar

200g (7oz) softened butter

To top –

1 egg for glazing

Pearl sugar

For the filling –

200g (7oz) milk

50g (1.75oz) sugar

1 egg (50g; 1.75oz)

The zest of 1 orange

5g (0.17oz) vanilla paste

20g (0.7oz) corn starch

50g (1.75oz) double (heavy) cream to turn the pastry cream into diplomat cream.

For the syrup –

100g (3.5oz) fresh orange juice

100g (3.5oz) sugar

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you will need to let it sit in the egg for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add 8 tablespoons (200g; 7oz) flour and whisk. Add the softened butter and whisk until smooth.
2. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F).
3. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Fold #1.
5. Chill for 30 minutes.
6. Fold #2.
7. Chill for 30 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape into balls. If you are not dividing the dough, give it another fold.
9. Wrap in clingfilm and cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours. After cold bulk fermentation you can use this dough for any project you like.
10. Make the custard. Combine the milk, sugar, egg, orange zest, vanilla paste, and corn starch in a small pan and whisk together. Place on medium-high heat and cook for around 3 minutes or until the custard becomes thick. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
11. Make the tart. Roll out the dough to a flat disc and place it in a tart case. Cover and proof for 2.5 hours. During the final hour of fermentation pre-heat the oven to 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off.
12. Brush the tart with egg, leave to dry for 5 minutes, and then brush again. Sprinkle with pearl sugar.
13. Bake for 20 minutes.
14. Make the syrup just before the brioche comes out the oven. Combine the sugar and orange juice and bring to a boil.
15. Brush the brioche with the syrup as soon as it comes out the oven. Leave to cool down for 30 minutes.
16. Once cooled slice the brioche in half and soak the crumb with the remaining syrup. Leave to cool down completely.
17. Make the diplomat cream. Whisk the double cream until thickened. Whisk the cold custard until it becomes smooth. Finally, whisk together the cream and the custard.
18. Cover the bottom part of the brioche with the filling and place the other half of the brioche on top. Press it down firmly. Leave in the fridge to set the cream.

Slice and serve cold or at room temperature.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Bee sting or ‘Bienenstich’ is a German cake made with sweet dough topped with caramelized almonds and filled with diplomat cream. It’s an amazing treat and it goes down so easily. You should share it with someone because it is way too easy to eat way too much of this delicious treat.

This is not the first bee sting on the channel. I made one a couple years ago back when I used to make my brioche dough with a mixer. It was time to refresh the recipe by turning it into a no-knead brioche and while I was at it, I thought I’d change the shape too.

The recipe makes quite a large batch in a large tray measuring 38cm x 25cm (15in x 10in). If you want to make it in a smaller tray, then simply divide all the ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

500g (1.1lb) white bread flour

250g (8.8oz) egg

12g (0.42oz) salt

9g (0.32oz) instant dry yeast or 11g (0.38oz) active dry yeast or 27g (0.95oz) fresh yeast

60g (2.1oz) sugar

200g (7oz) softened butter

For the pastry cream –

400g (14.1oz) milk

100g (3.5oz) sugar

50g (1.75oz) butter

2 eggs (100g; 2.5oz)

1 orange worth of zest

40g (1.4oz) corn starch

For the diplomat cream –

120g (4.25oz) double (heavy) cream

7g (0.25oz) gelatine

21g (0.75oz) warm water

For the almond topping –

200g (7oz) butter

200g (7oz) sugar

40g (1.4oz) honey

40g (1.4oz) milk

200g (7oz) sliced almonds

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you will need to let it sit in the egg for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add 8 tablespoons (200g; 7oz) flour and whisk. Add the softened butter and whisk until smooth.
2. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 25C (77F). If your dough is at this temperature or higher, then refrigerate it after the first fold. If it’s cooler like the dough in the video, then chill it after the second fold.
3. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
4. Fold #1.
5. Ferment for 30 minutes.
6. Fold #2.
7. Ferment for 30 minutes.
8. Fold #3.
9. Cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours. After cold bulk fermentation you can use this dough for any project you like.
10. Make the pastry cream. Combine the milk, sugar, butter, eggs, orange zest, and corn starch in a pan. Place on medium-high heat and cook whist whisking continuously for around 5 minutes or until the cream has thickened.
11. Pour into a bowl, cover with clingfilm so that it is touching the surface, and refrigerate until needed.
12. Make the almond topping. Combine the butter, sugar, honey, and milk in a pan and set it on high heat. Bring up to a boil and cook until the mix reaches 110C (230F). Take it off the heat and mix in the almonds. Cover and leave to cool down at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
13. Roll out the dough to fit your baking tray. Place it in a tray lined with paper. If the tray is shallow, make sure the paper is high enough to stop the caramel from overflowing when baking.
14. Poke the dough with a fork to prevent large bubbles from forming. Cover and proof for 3 hours.
15. Top the dough with the almond topping. If it has set, you can microwave it for a few seconds to make it more spreadable.
16. Cover and proof for 1 more hour.
17. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on for 30 minutes or until the top has browned nicely all over. Leave to cool down.
18. Once cool, slice the dough in half horizontally. Cut the top into individual portions and leave on the side.
19. Make the diplomat cream. Whisk the double cream until thick and then mix it with the custard.
20. Melt the gelatine in the water over a double boiler. Add the gelatine to the custard and whisk until smooth.
21. Spread the cream onto the bottom part of the dough and top with the portioned pieces. Place in the fridge to set.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Brioche is one of my favourite doughs to work with. It is extremely simple to make and it’s super versatile and that is why I keep coming back to it. The brioche playlist on my channel is full of different recipes savoury and sweet. Sweet ones are usually the more popular ones, so I decided to make this cherry and chocolate filled loaf.

I saw a similar recipe on the King Arthur Baking website and thought I could adapt it to my style and turn it into a nice sliceable loaf. Once again, my USA Pan Pullman tin came in handy. It’s been used quite a lot in the last few months and for good reason. It is one of my favourite pieces of baking equipment. You can use a regular 2lb (900g) tin for this recipe.

The filling can be adjusted to your taste if you keep to the same amounts of ingredients given in the recipe below. Use different chocolate, perhaps some cinnamon, different dried fruits or even nuts. Top with regular sugar instead of pearl sugar.

This recipe requires half of the brioche dough. If you only want to make this loaf, then divide the dough ingredients, and make a smaller batch. I usually double it so I can use it for two projects.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

500g (1.1lb) white bread flour

250g (8.8oz) egg

12g (0.42oz) salt

9g (0.32oz) instant dry yeast or 11g (0.38oz) active dry yeast or 27g (0.95oz) fresh yeast

60g (2.1oz) sugar

200g (7oz) softened butter

For the filling –

50g (1.75oz) sugar

10g (0.35oz) cocoa powder

150g (5.3oz) chocolate chips

150g (5.3oz) dried cherries

To top –

1 egg for glazing

Pearl sugar

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you will need to let it sit in the egg for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add 8 tablespoons (200g; 7oz) flour and whisk. Add the softened butter and whisk until smooth.
2. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 25C (77F). If your dough is at this temperature or higher, then refrigerate it after the first fold. If it’s cooler like the dough in the video, then chill it after the second fold.
3. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
4. Fold #1.
5. Ferment for 30 minutes.
6. Fold #2.
7. Ferment for 30 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into two piece and shape into balls. If you are making half of the recipe, then give the dough another fold.
9. Wrap in clingfilm and cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours. After cold bulk fermentation you can use this dough for any project you like.
10. On the next day roll the dough out to a large rectangle and cut it into 3 equal pieces. Brush each piece with water. Sprinkle with the cocoa sugar and top with cherries and chocolate. Roll the dough up.
11. Braid the three strands together and tuck the ends underneath. Place the loaf in a bread tin.
12. Cover and final proof for 3 – 3.5 hours.
13. Brush with egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
14. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on for 40 minutes.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

No-knead brioche is one of the easiest doughs you can make. And monkey bread is one of the most fun and delicious breads you can bake. So, it’s like they’re made for each other. Bake this delicious treat this Christmas and share it with you friends and family!

As usual I made a double batch of dough and used half for this project and half for another one. If you only want to make this loaf, then divide the dough ingredients in half. Alternatively, you can make two loaves.

I would suggest checking out the brioche playlist on my channel for more awesome brioche recipes that you can use the other half of dough for.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

500g (1.1lb) white bread flour

250g (8.8oz) egg

12g (0.42oz) salt

9g (0.32oz) instant dry yeast or 11g (0.38oz) active dry yeast or 27g (0.95oz) fresh yeast

60g (2.1oz) sugar

200g (7oz) softened butter

For the sugar coating –

100g (3.5oz) melted butter

120g (4.25oz) sugar

7g (0.25oz) ground cinnamon

2g (0.07oz) ground cloves

For the butterscotch sauce –

100g (3.5oz) sugar

50g (1.75oz) butter

70g (2.45oz) double cream or heavy cream

1g (0.035oz) salt

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you will need to let it sit in the egg for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add 8 tablespoons (200g; 7oz) flour and whisk. Add the softened butter and whisk until smooth.
2. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F). If your dough is at this temperature or higher, then refrigerate it after the first fold. If it’s cooler like the dough in the video, then chill it after the second fold.
3. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
4. Fold #1.
5. Ferment for 30 minutes.
6. Fold #2.
7. Ferment for 30 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into two piece and shape into balls. If you are making half of the recipe, then give the dough another fold.
9. Wrap in clingfilm and cold ferment for 16 – 24 hours. After cold bulk fermentation you can use this dough for any project you like.
10. Make the butterscotch sauce. Combine the sugar, butter, salt, and double cream in a small pan. Set on high heat and bring up to a boil. Once it starts boiling vigorously keep it on the heat for exactly one minute. Pour in a bowl and leave on the side.
11. Divide the dough. Flatten the dough into a thin disc. Cut it into strips and then cut the strips into squares. Place the dough pieces in a tray and pour the melted butter over them. Mix.
12. Roll each piece of dough in the spiced sugar.
13. Assemble the loaf. Layer the dough pieces in a baking tin. Run some butterscotch sauce between the layers and some more to top the loaf. Reserve a bit for brushing later.
14. Final proof for 4 hours. If you want it to rise sooner, then place it in a warmer area. During the final hour of fermentation pre-heat the oven to 170C (340F) fan on.
15. Cover the loaf with a lid or with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
16. Remove the cover and bake for 10 more minutes.
17. Leave to set for 15 minutes before removing from the tin.
18. Warm up the remaining butterscotch sauce to make it runny and brush it all over the loaf.

Tuck in!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Brioche is the most versatile dough ever made. It can be used in countless different baking projects from sweet to savoury. There is a whole playlist of brioche recipes on my channel full of great examples.

And since I realized that it can be easily made without kneading it has become an even better dough to work with. No-knead brioche is one of the simplest doughs out there.

As usual I made a double batch of dough and used half for this project and half for another one. If you only want to make these rolls, then divide the dough ingredients in half. Alternatively, you can make double the number of rolls.

It being the festive season I wanted to try my hand at another recipe using this wonderful dough. And that is how we ended up with these delicious cinnamon apple rolls. They’re made by rolling the dough thin, cutting it into strips, filling with apples and jam, and rolling it up. The result is a super soft, sweet, and buttery little treat.

This recipe makes 12 small rolls.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

500g (1.1lb) white bread flour

250g (8.8oz) egg

12g (0.42oz) salt

9g (0.32oz) instant dry yeast or 11g (0.38oz) active dry yeast or 27g (0.95oz) fresh yeast

60g (2.1oz) sugar

200g (7oz) softened butter

To fill –

150g (5.3oz) jam

3 – 4 apples cut into thin slices, no more than 2mm (0.07in) thick.

For the cinnamon sugar –

50g (1.75oz) sugar

4g (0.14oz) cinnamon

For the syrup –

30g (1oz) sugar

20g (0.7oz) water

Combine and bring up to a boil before the rolls come out the oven.

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you will need to let it sit in the egg for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add 8 tablespoons (200g; 7oz) flour and whisk. Add the softened butter and whisk until smooth.
2. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F). If your dough is at this temperature or higher, then refrigerate it after the first fold. If it’s cooler like the dough in the video, then chill it after the second fold.
3. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
4. Fold #1.
5. Ferment for 30 minutes.
6. Fold #2.
7. Ferment for 30 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into two piece and shape into balls. If you are making half of the recipe, then give the dough another fold.
9. Wrap in clingfilm and cold ferment for 16 – 24 hours. After cold bulk fermentation you can use this dough for any project you like.
10. Roll the dough to 60cm (2ft) long. Trim the top, bottom, and one edge. Mark the dough at 5cm (2in) intervals and cut it into strips.
11. Pipe or spoon the jam on to the strips of dough. Place 6 – 8 apple slices on one side. Fold the dough over to seal in the apples. Roll up and place in greased muffin tins.
12. Cover and final proof 4 hours. If you want the dough to rise sooner, then place it in a warmer area. During the final hour of fermentation pre-heat the oven to 160C (320F) fan on.
13. Sprinkle the rolls with cinnamon sugar and bake them for 25 minutes.
14. As soon as the rolls come out the oven brush them with the hot sugar syrup.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Brioche is one of the most versatile doughs ever. You can make pretty much anything out of it. And now that we know how to make no-knead brioche, it has also become a much easier process.

This recipe has been adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman’s ‘Bread: A baker’s book of techniques and recipes’ the 2^nd edition. A great book for any breadmaking enthusiast.

Unlike my previous no-knead brioche dough recipe, this one has double the ingredients, but the cake only requires half of the dough. I decided to make a larger batch and use the other half for another project. You can make half the recipe if you like. The process will be pretty much identical. The only difference is that instead of dividing the dough after refrigerating it following the third fold, you simply give it another fold (#4).

You can use other berries and fruits just make sure they’re not too juicy as the excess liquid may prevent the whole thing from baking properly.

This cake fits perfectly in a 24cm (9.5in) cake ring.

You can use this dough for any of my previous brioche recipes.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

500g (1.1lb) white bread flour

300g (10.6oz) egg, around 6 medium eggs

12g (0.42oz) salt

8g (0.28oz) instant dry yeast or 9.6g (0.33oz) active dry yeast or 24g (0.85oz) fresh yeast

60g (2.1oz) sugar

200g (7oz) soft butter

For the cream cheese layer –

60g cream cheese (2.1oz)

20g (0.7oz) sugar

1 medium egg (around 50g or 1.75oz)

5g (0.17oz) vanilla paste

30g (1oz) flour

Zest of 1 lemon

For the crumble –

100g (3.5oz) flour

50g (1.75oz) sugar

50g (1.75oz) butter

250g (8.8oz) berries or fruits.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the amount of egg. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the egg for 10 minutes before adding the flour or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add 8 tablespoons of the flour and whisk until smooth. This will make it easier to incorporate the softened butter.
2. Add the butter and whisk until smooth.
3. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F).
4. Rest the dough for 20 minutes.
5. Fold #1.
6. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes.
7. Fold #2.
8. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes.
9. Fold #3.
10. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes.
11. Divide the dough in two equal pieces.
12. Cold ferment the dough balls for 24 hours.
13. Make the streusel topping by mixing the flour and sugar, and then crumbling in the butter. Make the cream cheese mix by combining all the ingredients and mixing until smooth.
14. Roll the dough out to a flat disc slightly wider than the cake ring.
15. Place it on a non-stick paper lined tray. Cover and final proof for 2 hours or until it has puffed up and become delicate to the touch. During the final hour of fermentation pre-heat the oven to 180C (355F) fan on or 200C (390F) fan off.
16. Top the dough with the cream cheese layer followed by the berries and finish with the crumble.
17. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes.
18. Leave to set for 15 minutes before removing it from the cake ring.

Cool down and enjoy with a nice coffee!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

As of the time of writing it has been 3 years and 4 months since I started my YouTube channel. For the first 3 years I was a big fan of pre-ferments, and I was really into hand-kneading dough. The whole time I was making videos using the principles that I showed and of course it all worked just fine.

But then I started making my comparison series and discovering new (to me) techniques. One of them being long cold fermentation and the other being the no-knead method. Both of those techniques have changed my breadmaking style forever. I have not kneaded a single dough in 2023 so far and I have very rarely used a pre-ferment. I believe the kneading is a waste of time and energy when it comes to making small batches of dough at home.

And this no-knead brioche recipe is proving my statement even further. See, the thing with brioche up until now (for me) is that it always required a mixer. It was the only dough recipe on my channel that I always used a mixer for and because of the high egg and butter content I never even considered that it could be made properly by hand kneading, and the no-knead method did not ever cross my mind.

There were a couple attempts of me trying to make brioche by hand. It took an extreme amount of time and effort to get the dough together. So much that I would go back to using the mixer afterwards. Brioche had me beat once again. But that was a while ago.

Since I have been exclusively using the no-knead method this year I thought it is time to try it on brioche dough. The thing with gluten is that it develops over time and not by mechanical action. The no-knead method relies on time for gluten development and on folding for gluten strength and tension. It is an extremely simple yet powerful principle that works every time.

And if you are watching this video or reading this post, then it has certainly worked here too. With just a little time and a few folds the brioche dough was nice and glutenous. And it’s not some watered-down version of brioche either. It’s a full-on all egg 40% butter dough. I used cake making principles to incorporate the butter.

You can use this dough for any of my previous brioche recipes. The only difference this time is that I made a smaller batch which was half of what I used to make with the mixer.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

250g (8.8oz) white bread flour

150g (5.3oz) egg, around 3 medium eggs

6g (0.21oz) salt

4g (0.14oz) instant dry yeast or 4.8g (0.17oz) active dry yeast or 12g (0.42oz) fresh yeast

30g (1oz) sugar

100g (3.5oz) soft butter

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the amount of egg. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the liquid for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add 4 tablespoons of the flour and whisk until smooth. This will make it easier to incorporate the softened butter.
2. Add the butter and whisk until smooth.
3. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 23C – 24C (73F – 75F). I went for a lower temperature because I wanted to let the dough sit at room temperature before the first fold.
4. Rest the dough for 20 minutes.
5. Fold #1.
6. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes.
7. Fold #2.
8. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes.
9. Fold #3.
10. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes.
11. Fold #4.
12. Cold ferment the dough for 12 – 24 hours. After this you can use it for any brioche recipe.
13. If you are going to recreate the loaf, then divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and pre-shape.
14. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
15. Roll the dough out and do a three-stand braid.
16. Place in a greased 1.5lb (680g) loaf tin.
17. Final proof for 2 – 2.5 hours.
18. Glaze with egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and bake for 40 minutes at 160C (320F) fan on or 180C (356F) fan off.

I’m sure you can improve and simplify this recipe even further. For now, this is the one I will be using until I come up with something even better.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Brioche is the most versatile dough ever. It can be turned into pretty much anything and you can find great examples for it in the Brioche playlist on my channel.

A whole wheat version had not come into my mind and I’m not sure whether a viewer suggested it, or I finally realized it myself, but here we are. It is totally possible, and the result is awesome.

All it took was swapping the white flour for whole wheat, increasing the hydration a bit, and adding an extra egg into the mix. The method is pretty much the same as my standard brioche.

You can turn this into whatever you like. I think a tin loaf is the best application because this dough is looser and weaker than standard brioche. Hot dog rolls would be a good option too. Or a tear and share bread baked around a wheel of soft cheese like the one in the Christmas playlist.

This recipe makes around 1kg (2.2lb). I usually split my brioche dough in two and use it for separate projects.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

500g (1.1lb) whole wheat flour, chilled

50g (1.75oz) water, chilled

300g (10.6oz) eggs, chilled

13g (0.45oz) salt

40g (1.4oz) sugar

7g (0.24oz) instant dry yeast or 8.4g (0.3oz) active dry yeast or 21g (0.74oz) fresh yeast

200g (7oz) cold butter that has been pressed between baking paper to make it soft

To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

Egg to brush

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. In a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, yeast, sugar, eggs, and flour. Mix until there is no dry flour left. Switch the mixer on 2nd (slow) speed. Mix for 10 minutes. After the first 10 minutes start adding the butter in chunks. Mix for another 5 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl down if need be. Once the butter has mixed into the dough turn the speed up to medium. On my mixer it is the 4^th setting. Mix for around 5 minutes or until the dough stops sticking to the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Turn the speed back down to the 2nd (slow) setting. Keep mixing for another 5 minutes. The total mixing time should not exceed 25 minutes. *Desired dough temperature around 26C (79F).
2. Shape the dough into a ball, place it into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 – 45 minutes.
3. Fold.
4. Refrigerate for 30 – 45 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape into balls. Wrap them in clingfilm and cold proof for 18 – 24 hours.
6. The following day divide the dough into as many pieces as you need.
7. Rest for 30 minutes.
8. Final shaping.
9. The final proof will take around 2.5 – 3 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. *During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven to 160C (320F) fan on.
10. Brush with egg wash and bake. A loaf will take around 45 minutes and buns will take about 25.
11. Leave to cool down and enjoy.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.