Brioche Success!

 This morning I am writing to report a great culinary success. Yesterday, inspired by watching Rachel Khoo, and Julie & Julia, I got out my French cookbooks and decided to make...Brioche.Assuming it would be half disastrous as a first attempt, I began.

 I used a book that I bought in a French supermarket years ago, and so had to work out the recipe using rather rusty language skills. The recipe also called for fresh yeast, where I used fast action.

First thing was to create a sticky mess with flour and eggs and sugar. It's quite a tough mix and my hand got completely stuck in it!

This needs to be left for half an hour and then a yeast/flour/warm milk mix is added along with lots of butter chopped into small pieces.

 Again, mixing this up was quite a challenge, and tool a little time. In the end all the butter was incorporated and, due to the butter, my hand came free and the bowl was left clean!

I covered the dough with cling film, so it was completely airtight, and left in  warm place for 2 hours.

The dough rose nicely, and was easy to work when I took it out, but I did flour my hands and the surface.

 I made a nice ball, and made a hole in the middle, gradually making it bigger until the hole was quite large. This then had another half hour of rising time, again, in a draft free place (I put the mixing bowl over the top, but it was only just big enough.)

It came out lovely and puffed up, I painted it with a whisked egg yolk, and sprinkled almonds over the top. Hence, pic 1.

It then went into the oven for 20 mins, and cam out as above!

 And we had it, lightly toasted, for breakfast. It was buttery, and light, and delicious.

What a treat!