Brioche (no-knead)

Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt or 1 tablespoon table salt
• 8 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup honey (this is my all time favorite!)
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
• 7 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 egg (for egg wash day of baking)

Recipe

• 1 in a large lidded (not air tight food container), mix together the yeast, salt; add the eggs, honey, melted butter, and water.
• 2 using a large spoon (or your hands) mix until all the flour is incorporarted.
• 3 note: the dough will be loose but will firm up when it's chilled; you may see lumps in the dough, but they will disappear in the finished product.
• 4 cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses, or flattens on the top, approximately 2 hours.
• 5 refrigerate in the lidded container; may be used as soon as it's chilled.
• 6 use over the next 5 days,.
• 7 dough may be frozen in 1 pound portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. (when using frozen dough, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using; do not thaw at room temperature).
• 8 baking brioche:.
• 9 grease a 9 x 4 x3 inch non-stick loaf pan.
• 10 dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a 1 pound (grape-fruit) size piece.
• 11 dust the dough with more flour and shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
• 12 elongate into an oval and place in the prepared pan.
• 13 cover and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• 14 twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 15 in a small bowl lightly beat an egg and, using a pastry brush, brush the top crust with the egg wash.
• 16 place the bread near the center of the oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes.or until golden brown.
• 17 note: due to the fat in the dough, brioche will not form a hard, crackling crust.
• 18 allow to cool before slicing.