Brioche “Hotel” Bread

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, milk powder, sugar, egg yolks, and the yeast and stir with a spatula to mix and dissolve. Then add in the flour and salt and  mix until a shaggy dough begins to form. If you’re using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and mix on low speed for about 5 minutes. 

Now it’s time for the butter! Add the softened butter and mix until the butter is fully incorporated. The dough will be sticky and may seem loose at first, but this is normal.

If you’re kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, incorporating the butter as you go. The goal is to develop gluten, which will help the dough rise and give it structure. If using a stand mixer, continue kneading on low speed for about 10-15 minutes.

Sometimes, you may notice that even after several minutes of kneading, the dough is just too shaggy and wet, you can adjust this by adding one tablespoons of flour in until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl.

To check if your dough is ready, perform the "windowpane test." Take a small piece of dough and stretch it gently. If it stretches thin enough to let light through without tearing, you’re good to go!

Once your dough is ready, form it into a smooth round ball of dough and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel to keep it warm. Let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 to 2 hours. A good trick for creating a warm environment is to place the bowl in an unheated oven with the light on.

After the first rise, gently punch the dough down to release any trapped air. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by tucking the edges under. Leave the balls to rest for 5-10 minutes.

After resting, take each of the balls of dough and roll it out into a long oval. Then fold the sides in and roll out again into a long rectangle, finally roll the rectangle into a cylinder as tight as possible and pinch the ends to close. And nestle each cylinder roll into your loaf tin. They should find snuggly together.

Cover the loaf pan again with plastic wrap or shower cap. Let the loaf rise for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled to almost tripled in size. During this time, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), so it’s ready for your beautiful loaf.

Once the loaf has properly risen, brush the tops generously the egg whites we had left over from making the dough. This will give your bread a lovely, glossy finish.