Brioche Dough

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. Measure all the ingredients and have them ready. Add the warm milk, yeast, and honey to the KitchenAid bowl and whisk gently by hand to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to let the yeast activate and turn foamy.
2. Build the dough. Add the eggs and yolk to the bowl and whisk gently by hand to break them up. Add the vanilla, sugar, flour, and sea salt, then fit the dough hook and mix on Speed 2 just until it forms a scraggly, shaggy dough.
3. Knead before the butter. With the dough hook, knead on Speed 2 or 3 for about 3–5 minutes, until the dough comes together into a cohesive mass and starts to pull off the sides of the bowl.
4. Add the butter in stages. Divide the very soft butter into roughly 4 portions. With the mixer running on Speed 2, add the first portion a piece at a time, letting it mix fully into the dough — about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 3 portions, kneading 2–3 minutes after each. Stop the KitchenAid and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. All the butter should be in after about 9–12 minutes.
5. Knead to the window. Once all the butter is in, scrape down the bowl and knead a further 5–15 minutes on Speed 4. Let the KitchenAid rest a minute or two if the motor warms up. The dough is ready when it lifts fairly cleanly off the bottom of the bowl on the hook — very soft and tacky, but not sticking to your fingertips. Go by feel, not the clock.
6. First rise. Flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Lightly flour your hands and the dough, fold the edges into the middle and press them in, then flip it over and shape into a tight ball with the heels of your palms. Return it to the KitchenAid bowl and let it rise in a warm spot (72°F) until doubled, about 1 hour.
7. Deflate and chill overnight. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press gently to deflate. Fold the edges into the middle again, flip seam-side down, and tighten into a smooth, taut ball. Return it to the KitchenAid bowl, cover, and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours. The dough is now ready to shape and bake.

Notes

For the most accurate results, weigh the flour and butter: 17.6 oz (4 cups + 2 tbsp) AP flour and 8.8 oz (1 cup + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter. The cup amounts here are the spoon-and-level equivalents.

Short on eggs? Use 4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks in place of the 5 eggs and 1 yolk — the dough will be very slightly less rich but still excellent.

The butter must be very soft before it goes in, or it won't emulsify into the dough and the brioche will feel greasy rather than tender. Don't shortcut it.

The overnight chill isn't optional — it firms the butter, deepens the flavor, and makes the sticky dough manageable to shape the next day.

This is a wet, high-butter dough that works the KitchenAid hard. Keep it on Speed 2–4, and if the motor heats up, stop and let it rest before carrying on.