Brioche, Plain and Compound

Ingredients

• a butter
• an egg
• a flour
• a sugar
• a milk

Method

1. 1

   Mix the butter and sugar until creamy.

2. 2

   Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.

3. 3

   Gradually add flour and milk, stirring until smooth.

4. 4

   Knead the dough and let it rise until doubled in size.

5. 5

   Shape as desired and bake until golden.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The spirit of cookery (1895) by Johann Ludwig Wilhelm Thudichum, page 251. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

BRIOCHE, PLAIN AND COMPOUND 397 (lough and a hutter-ancl-egg stirred dough, which are mixed and doubled up a great number of times to produce the greatest amount of useful sponginess. When the brioche is intended to serve as a inece dc fond, and be of large size, it should' be baked in a buttered paper case. It is best eaten hot with the early coffee, and should be broken with the fingers or a silver fork. The preparation of the dough, and the adaptation of the shape to the size, and the modes of baking the various sizes, are all evidence of the care and ingenuity which has to be bestowed upon it ; the baking, e.g., has to avoid two extreme faults — namely, that the interior shall not be underbaked, and that the exterior shall not be scorched, and not be burst in the rising. When it is intended to use the brioche as fancy bread, or sell it in definite portions, it may be moulded in diminutive shapes, in conical tins, dariole forms, or fancy shapes, such as twisted masses, rings, twisted rings like the torta of Eome, fingers, and others. For small compoiind fancy brioches for parties some confectioners introduce into the dough dried cherries, candied peel, pineapple, angelica, and some liqueur. Of this compound dough they make a ball as nucleus, and surround it with a shell of dough free from these in- gredients. A recipe for a Brioche with Cheese has been given by Cour-* champs, but it is in parts somewhat obscure in consequence of the overcrowding of expressions. The result of the execution of the recipe will certainly be tasty, but, owing to the large amount of hidden fat, and the general richness of the ingredients, it will call for a vigorous digestion. Dr, Ignotus would have said that it was full of gout. Under the name of Briochines Vertes occur in French works recipes for the dumpilings brought from Saxony to France by Baron Miilbacher, a former Saxon ambassador. We have classified them as what they are, as their fancy name is misleading. 398 THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY Careme, in his ‘ Patissier Eoyal Parisien ’ (i. 34), said of the true brioche : ‘ C’est une bonne chose qu’ane brioche bien faite et mangee chaude.’ K'lUjelhoi^fe is the German counterpart of the French brioche, and passes in French culinary works under the name of cougloff a V alhmande. The best recipe is that given by Careme, who obtained it from Eugen Wolf, cook of Fiirst Schwarzenberg, as producing the best Vienna make, and believed it to be an enrichment of the grand French, national pdtisserie* Variations of Kugelhopfe (also termed Kugellmpf in Austria and Bavaria) are obtained by additions. English recipes add Jordan almonds. A Fvench Parisian Cake is essentially a Kugelhopfe with the addition of pistachios, almonds, or candied orange peel. Another compound Kugelhopfe has been called Victoria Cake, its only peculiarity being dried cherries and cinnamon. A royal cook served this cake hot as a second course remove, with hot sauce made of apricot jam diluted with lemon-juice or with German custard and wine sauce. The Baba is a cake of Polish origin, and, according to the Countess Eisleff, n6e Countess Potoka, and related to King Stanislas Leczinsky, the father-in-law of Louis XV., ought sti’ictly to be made with rye-flour and moistened with sweet wine of Hungary. But it has now been assimilated to the great cakes of the cultured nations, and, like them, is made with wheateu flour. It should whenever practicable be made of sufficient size to be served as a large massive dish, and as entremets, and to be able to figure during several days on the buffet for accidental want. * Careme called his informant ‘ M. Eugene,’ omitting his family name of Wolf. He also disapproved of the crumbing of the mould, as it spoiled the colour. Dumas’s recipe is inexact by the omission of 8 oz. of liquid butter and the premature introduction of sugar.

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.