Brioche (with orange blossom water)

I was intrigued with this recipe from foolishpoolish

http://weightloss-slim.fit/node/7433/brioche-au-levain-recipe%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3Eand also had been poking through my Baking with Julia book and noticed that Julia does her brioche in the mixer. Well if it's good enough for Julia Child, it's good enough for me. I modified the recipe, added Orange Blossom water and it came out great. (A little more orange blossom than I would have liked, it smells like eating flowers,) but the taste is great and the crumb is soft and fluffy, just like it should be. Next time I'll try it the purist way (no flavoring) I think I'll be happier. My 14 month grand daughter couldn't get enough!

Crumb shot:

Starter:

100g AP flour
50G water
50 g active starter (100% Hydration)

Let sit about 5 hours

Mix:

200 g AP flour
80g sugar
7g salt
3 eggs, plus one yolk

to form a shaggy dough, sprinkle with 200g all purpose flour and wait for the top to appear cracked. About 30 minutes.

Mix:
15 g Orange Flower Water
85 g milk
Starter

In the bowl of a stand mixer add starter mixture to dough mixture. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Turn speed up to Medium and let mix for 15 minutes until the dough wraps around the hook and slaps the side of the bowl.

Work 150g butter until it is about the same consistency as the dough. Add the butter to the dough while running at low speed about 2 tbl at a time. When all the butter has been added increase speed to medium and run the mixer until the dough comes back together and slaps the side of the bowl again.

Transfer to a buttered bowl and let it rise until doubled.

Deflate the dough slightly in the bowl and cover tightly and refrigerate overnight

Divide in two, shape each piece into 6 balls and place into loaf pans. Two rows of 3. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with coconut oil (what I have) and cover pans. Let rise until doubled at room temperature. this took about 5 hours for me.

Preheat oven to 375dF
Brush with 1 egg beaten with about a t/l of water, quickly slash tops of the balls with scissors. Bake 375 dF about 30 minutes or internal temp of 200dF.

cfraenkel's Blog
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the brioche I’m familiar with always has orange blossom water. It is a strong flavour so maybe cut back on it. And thank you for the recipe! I am bookmarking this. The crumb looks perfect!

I did the orange blossom water because I was intrigued. I wish someone who knew how strong it should be could taste it. After a few days, I don't notice it as such a strong scent. Maybe it is dissipating as the bread sits? The amount might be ok Danni.

Bernard Clayton has Pogne de Romans it is a spectacular bread that I have been making for several decades . It contains just enough orange flower water and is a brioche type bread made with yeast. I am going to adapt it to my yeast water as the richness of the dough does well with yeast water which likes sugar and butter . Here is a link

https://www.google.com/search?q=brenard+clayton+pogne+de+romans&oq=brenard+clayton+pogne+de+romans&aqs=chrome..69i57.15870j0j7&sourceid=chrome&…