Brioche Batter Bread

2½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ ounce package active dry yeast (Platinum superior baking yeast recommended)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar

½ cup unsalted butter (not salted variety or margarine)

¼ cup whole milk

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1 egg for wash, well beaten

In the work bowl of a stand mixer whisk together flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Set aside.

In small saucepan melt butter and milk just until combined and warm to touch. Do not over heat or boil. Add liquid and eggs to dry ingredients. With mixer on low speed beat until flour is combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape bowl well. Using hand scraper or plastic spatula, mix dough around bowl by hand for 1 minutes until dough is smooth.

Pour 1½ tablespoons oil in a mixing bowl and work it up and around the sides. Place dough in bowl and turn gently to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or light towel and allow dough to rise in a warm place (such as an oven that has been lightly warmed, then turned off) for about 1 hour. Dough should appear to have doubled in bulk.

With spatula work dough into log shape and place in a well-greased 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Lightly brush with remaining ½ tablespoon oil. Cover with plastic wrap and rise in warm place for 1 hour. Dough should fill pan and rise to the top.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush loaf top generously with egg wash. Bake 35–50 minutes until top of brioche is dark brown. Cool 10 minutes before carefully running spatula around edges to loosen from pan. When fully cooled, wrap well. Store at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated up to 1 week and 2 months in the freezer.

Serves 10.

Baker’s hints: Boost the flavor by adding 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the flour mixture.

Nutritional values per serving: 243 calories; 11 g fat (6 g saturated), 30 carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein, 90 mg cholesterol, 131 mg sodium.