Free standing, mom and pop style bakeries have been on the decline. Arvada, Colorado is lucky to have La Patisserie Francaise for more than 30 years. Sadie and Randy Russo are the current owners of this popular spot. They also run the Bonbons Cafe and Dessert Bar in Denver.
Today, Russo shares one of her favorites, a Brioche Bread recipe. Hopefully, the shortage of yeast has been replenished so you can try the bakery’s recipe. In a future post, Sadie shares why she opted to set aside her career as an environmental consultant to become a bakery and cafe owner.
We started selling ingredients during the Stay at Home order. These items were scarce at the grocery stores but we had access to them. One of the most popular request was yeast. Everyone I talked to was starting to make their own bread.
Brioche is one of those underestimated breads. It takes time and patience with multiple rest/rise times. The end product is amazing. It can be used for dinner rolls, French toast, croque madame (grilled ham and cheese with white sauce), and sandwich bread. It’s buttery and soft. We use this bread for our French toast specials at Bonbons Cafe and Dessert Bar.
Sadie Russo’s Brioche Helpful Hints
Patience is the key.
Take the butter out of the fridge first. Then it will be soft when it is ready to be added.
Bakers can proof and bake right away. The proof/rise time is dependent on the temperature of the house.
During the final rest stage, make sure to place the dough in a container that has sufficient space for the expansion.
Spray the pan so the bread will come out easily after being baked.
To determine if the baked bread is done, check the top of the loaf to make sure it is dark. Even though it looks well done, it won’t be crunchy when it cools.
La Patisserie Francaise bakes batches of six- 24-ounce loaves. Sadie scaled down the recipe for home use. It yields a one pound loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1/3 cup hot water (not boiling, but warm/hot to the touch)
- 1.75 ounces of high gluten flour + 1/3 pound of high gluten flour (All purpose flour or bread flour can be used but the bread may be a little more dense.)
- 1/8 ounces of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 0-2 TBL of water
- 1/3 tsp of salt
- 3 1⁄2 ounces of butter (cut into small chunks)
Sadie Russo’s Directions for Brioche Bread
Step 1—Proofing and Resting
Put 1 1/3 teaspoon instant dry yeast, 1/3 cup hot water (not boiling, but warm/hot to the touch), and 1.75 ounces of high gluten flour into a bowl.
Mix with a dough hook in a KitchenAide mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes (depends on the temperature of your kitchen, colder = rest longer). Yeast should be happy and bubbly!!
Step 2—Adding Additional Ingredients: Eggs, Sugar and More Flour
Slowly add 1/3 lb of high gluten flour, 1 1/8 ounces of sugar, and two 2 eggs to the bowl.
See how the dough mixes. Start on low speed and as the flour gets integrated, turn the speed to medium.
Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until dough is soft and tacky.
Mix on medium for 7 minutes.
Let rest 15 – 20 minutes. Dough should double in size.
Step 3—Adding Butter and Kneading
Add 1/3 teaspoon of salt and turn on mixer to a low setting.
Add butter chunks one at a time. Turn mixer on medium speed until fully incorporated (approximately 5 minutes.
Step 4—Bread Rising
Take out the dough hook and place the dough in a larger container/bowl and cover with a plastic bag.
Let rest 1-2 hours.
After resting, divide and shape as desired.
Step 5—Preparing for Baking
Next, we let our dough proof/rise in the refrigerator overnight for better flavor incorporation and slower yeast consumption.
Once ready to bake, let rise to at least double in size. Should be soft, warm, and tacky.
Bake 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. The top will b
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BIO
When Sandy isn’t trekking or writing in the Colorado, she is traveling. She has visited more than 40 countries and lived as an international teacher in Bangalore, India. Sandy’s award-winning book, May This Be the Best Year of Your Life, is a resource for people contemplating an expat lifestyle and living outside their comfort zone.
Sandy’s lifestyle and travel experiences are frequently shared with international and domestic online sites and print media. She has contributed stories to Hemispheres, Destinations Magazine, KUHL’s Born in the Mountain blog, Grand Magazine, Wandering Educators, Golden Living, AARP, Hadassah magazine, Localliz, One Travel, Miles Away, Canadian Jewish News, Getting On Travel, Far and Wide, Colorado Parent, Traveler Confidential, Family Circle- Momster, and others.
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