Make Ahead Raisin Brioche Recipes

RAISIN BRIOCHE PASTRIES (PAINS AUX RAISINS)

Steps:

• Make brioche dough the day before making pastry and chill.
• Just before making pastry cream, soak raisins in boiling-hot water until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain, pressing out excess liquid, and cool to room temperature.
• Make pastry cream:
• Bring milk to a simmer in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl and gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture begins to boil. Simmer, stirring, until thickened and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a clean bowl and stir in vanilla and butter. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature.
• Make pastries:
• Roll out brioche dough on a well-floured surface into an 18- by 11-inch rectangle with a short side toward you. Spread pastry cream evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border at top edge. Sprinkle raisins evenly over cream. Roll up dough, starting from bottom, to make a log 11 inches long and about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Moisten top edge with water and press to seal closed.
• Transfer to a cutting board or baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
• Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Cut chilled log into 11 (1-inch-thick) rounds and arrange about 2 inches apart on 2 buttered baking sheets.
• Let pastries rise in a warm place, uncovered, 1 hour. (They will increase slightly in size and feel very tender to the touch.)
• While pastries are rising, preheat oven to 425°F.
• Bake in batches in middle of oven until tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pastries to a rack.
• Simmer preserves and water, stirring, 1 minute. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids. Brush glaze onto pastries.

MAKE-AHEAD RAISIN BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Mix yeast, water and 2 teaspoons sugar in small bowl; set aside. Place flour, 1/2 cup sugar, the cinnamon and salt in food processor; cover and process until mixed. Add butter; process until well blended.
• Beat milk and 3 eggs into yeast mixture with wire whisk; slowly add to flour mixture and process until well blended. Stir in raisins. (Dough will be sticky.)
• Place dough on well-floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead 1 minute until dough is smooth and springy, adding more flour if necessary. Place dough in greased large bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover tightly and let rise in warm place 40 minutes.
• Grease 12 large muffin cups, 3x1 1/2 inches. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Using about 1/4 cup dough each, make 12 balls; place in muffin cups. Using about 1 tablespoon dough each, make 12 smaller balls; place on top of each large ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove rolls from refrigerator. Let rise covered in warm place 40 to 45 minutes or until almost double.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Brush rolls with beaten egg white. Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm, or cool on wire rack.

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour sugar and salt. Make a well in center of the bowl and mix in the eggs and yeast mixture. Beat well until the dough has pulled together, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
• Flatten the dough and spread it with one third of the butter. Knead this well. Repeat this twice to incorporate the remaining butter. Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes between additions of butter. This process may take 20 minutes or so. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. It needs time to chill in order to become more workable.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, form into loaves and place into prepared pans. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans (see Cook's Note to make rolls). Beat the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water to make a glaze.
• Brush the loaves or rolls with the egg wash. Bake in preheated oven until a deep golden brown. Start checking the loaves for doneness after 25 minutes, and rolls at 10 minutes. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Put the flour in a bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt to one side and sugar to the other. Pour in the yeast to the side with the sugar. Mix each side into the flour with your hands, then mix it all together with the dough hook.
• Heat the milk until warm to the touch, but not hot. Mix into the flour mix until combined. With the dough hook on medium, gradually add the eggs and mix for 10 mins.
• Gradually add the softened butter, one or two cubes at a time, until combined. This will take 5-8 mins. Scrape down the sides, the dough will be very soft.
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave for 1 hr 30 mins-2 hrs until doubled in size and well-risen. Once risen, put in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Line the bottom and sides of a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Portion the dough into seven equal pieces (the easiest way to do this accurately is to weigh it). Lightly dust a work surface with flour, take a piece of dough and pull each corner into the middle to form a circular shape. With a bit of pressure, push down and roll into ball. Repeat with the six remaining pieces.
• Put the balls into the tin, four on one side and three in the gaps on the other side. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30-35 mins until almost doubled in size. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash and bake for 30-35 mins until golden and risen. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, then remove and cool completely.

CINNAMON-RAISIN FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Dip brioche in egg mixture, then arrange in dish, overlapping slightly and sprinkling raisins between slices. Pour remaining egg mixture over brioche and let stand 30 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Bake until puffed and custard is just set in center, 55 to 65 minutes (tent with foil, if browning too quickly). Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.