Bubble-Top Brioche

Brioche is one of those breads that are better consumed than made. Why? Because I know exactly how much butter went into it, so I hesitate to eat it. It's buttery, delicate, and soft. Perfect with some honey or jam.
This recipe doesn't require any kneading whatsoever, but it does take time. The dough has to chill overnight, and there's this tedious task of deflating the dough every half hour for 2 hours. Otherwise, it's pretty simple. And quite delicious. I am thinking of making bread pudding with the leftovers...mm.


Bubble-Top Brioche

Ingredients:
¼ cup water, warm, 110–115F
¼ cup milk, 110–115F
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 ¾ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons butter, (1 1/2 sticks) room temperature
1 egg, beaten, for glaze

Instructions:
Combine warm water and milk in mixer bowl. Sprinkle yeast over and stir to moisten evenly. Let stand until yeast dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 8 min.
Add flour and salt to yeast mixture. Blend at medium low speed until shaggy lumps form, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, 1-2 min. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in sugar. Increase mixer speed to medium; beat until dough is smooth, about 3 min. Reduce speed to low. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition, about 4 min. Dough should be soft and silky. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and climbs paddle, about 8-9 min.
Lightly butter large bowl. Scrape dough into bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 min, to 1.5 hours. Gently deflate dough by lifting around edges, then letting dough fall back into bowl, turning bowl and repeating as needed. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill, deflating dough in same way every 30 min. until dough stops rising, about 2 hours. Chill overnight.
Butter 12 standard muffin cups. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces; cut each piece into thirds. Roll each small piece between palms into ball. Place 3 balls in each prepared cup. Place muffin pan in warm draft-free area; lay sheet of waxed paper over. Let dough rise until light and almost doubled (dough will rise 1/2 in to 1 in above top rim of muffin cups) 50-60 min.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400F. Place muffin pan on rimmed baking sheet. Gently brush egg glaze over risen dough, being careful that glaze does not drip between dough and pan (which can prevent full expansion in oven).
Bake brioches until golden brown, covering with foil if browning too quickly, about 20 min. Transfer pan to rack. Cool 10 min. Remove brioches from pan and serve warm or at room temperature.