Brioche with brie and some Oscar ranting

The Oscar nominations were announced yesterday and, as usual, there’s something really wrong with them: Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the most talented actors I’ve seen onscreen got ignored once again, since the Academy preferred to pull a Judi Dench circa 1999 and nominate Alan Arkin instead of Leo – don’t get me wrong, I loved “Argo” but I don’t even have to watch “Django Unchained” (it opens here on the 18th) to know that DiCaprio’s performance is a deeper and better one than Arkin’s – and to comment on movies I have seen Javier Bardem’s 007 villain deserves that Best Supporting Actor spot infinitely more than Arkin.

Well, me and my Oscar ranting – that will never change. :) There’s something I could never complain about, though: Paul Hollywood’s recipes – they’re all fabulous. This brioche is so tender and delicious you wouldn’t believe it – and don’t worry if you don’t have brie or any other cheese around to stuff the buns with: this brioche is so fantastic it’s worth making it plain – and you can always spread some jam on it while still warm from the oven, you know. :)

Brioche with brie
slightly adapted from the absolutely wonderful How to Bake (I bought mine here)

500g strong white bread flour + extra for dusting (I used all purpose flour)
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
10g dried yeast
140ml whole milk, warm
5 medium eggs*
250g unsalted butter, very soft
250g brie, cut into 12 equal pieces
1 egg, extra, lightly beaten with a fork, for brushing

Put the flour into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the salt and sugar to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the milk and eggs and mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes, then on a medium speed for a further 6–8 minutes, until you have a soft, glossy, elastic dough. Add the softened butter and continue to mix for a further 4–5 minutes, scraping down the bowl periodically to ensure that the butter is thoroughly incorporated. The dough should be very soft. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 7 hours, until it is firm and you are able to shape it.
Line a very large baking sheet with foil.
Take your brioche dough from the fridge and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead 3-4 four times, then divide it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by placing it into a cage formed by your hand and the table and moving your hand around in a circular motion, rotating the ball rapidly. Make an indentation in each ball and insert a piece of brie, then bring the edges of dough around the cheese to enclose it. Roll the ball in your hand to seal it – try to do the whole process quickly because once the dough starts to come to room temperature it gets really sticky.
Place the balls onto the prepared sheet leaving some room between them for rising. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave to prove for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.
When the brioche is proved, brush the buns with the beaten egg and bake for 15-20 minutes or until brioche is golden brown. Serve warm.

* I only had large eggs at home, so I used 4; noticing that the dough was a bit dry, I added the 5th egg

Makes 12