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1
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a mixer bowl. If you bowl is cold warm your milk a littler hotter to compensate. Let your yeast activate and foam (takes about 5-10 minutes), then add the flour. Add the sugar, eggs, flours, salt and butter in this order without mixing. Let the bowl sit for 30 to 45 minutes.
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2
Fit your mixer with a dough hook and mix the dough on slow until it is smooth, stretchy and elastic. (10 or 15 minutes) Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Allow it to sit in a warm area for an hour.
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3
Preheat your oven to as low as it will go. Add a pan with an inch of water to the bottom rack of your oven.
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4
Once the Brioche has risen, divide your dough evenly by the size you'd like it to be. You can round it out with your hands, like I do, or add it to a buttered loaf pan. I usually weigh my dough out on a scale to 100g per roll - or 50g for sliders. If you're making rolls, be sure to put them seam down on a pan with parchment paper.
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5
Turn your oven off. Let your rolls or loaves rest, while you check your oven. Check that the oven is warm and moist. If It's too hot it will start to cook your dough, you don't want that. You want it to proof them nicely. It should be slightly above room temperature, but not toasty. Add the Brioche and proof until it's expanded and sticky - for about 10 or 15 minutes. Don't leave them alone, open up the oven door once in a while to check on it that they aren't baking but that they're expanding nicely.
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6
Once proofed, take your Brioche and pan of water from the oven and preheat the oven to 325*F. Egg wash your bread and sprinkle some Maldon salt (or another one of my favorites: Caraway seeds) on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, they should be golden brown.
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7
Let the rolls or loaves sit for 5 or 10 minutes to cool before you transfer them to a cooling rack. Try not to eat them all at this point, unless that's why you made them. ;)
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8
* If you don't have cake flour, you can make a great substitute. For each cup of cake flour that you need, take 1 cup of all purpose flour, minus 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Works like a charm!
