Brioche

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. This can also be done in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and the water together until completely smooth.
3. Pour the eggs into the flour mixture and, using a dough scraper, spatula or your hands, work the dough until it comes together as a stiff, shaggy dough. Continue to knead until all the flour is hydrated and forms into a smooth dough.
4. Using a rolling pin, pound the cold butter into a soft, pliable, smooth mass, but still cool.
5. Add the butter to the dough and knead it in until there are no streaks or chunks of butter visible. If using a stand mixer, add the butter in pieces slowly and continuously—n​o need to wait for each piece of butter to be incorporated. The dough will be quite soft, sticky and shaggy at this point.
6. Lightly oil or spray a large bowl with vegetable oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place or at warm, room temperature until it has risen just slightly and feels a bit gassy, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight, a maximum of 12 hours.
7. To shape the loaf: Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator and place it on a flour-dusted surface to warm a little and make it more workable. Cover it loosely with the plastic wrap, about 45 minutes.
8. Generously grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with softened butter or baking pan spray.
9. For a loaf: Gently knead the dough and shape into a rough elongated rectangle by folding the long sides into the middle. It should be narrower than the tin. Pat it to flatten it out, then fold into an envelope by bring the bottom third to the middle. Fold the top third down and press to make a long sausage. Roll and work the dough by bringing the top down and rolling and pushing it away from you until you have a sausage that is just about the same length as the tin. Lastly, give the fold another single fold by putting your thumb on the seam and then working across to fold. Place in the pan, seam side down and cover loosely with the plastic wrap. Allow to proof at room temperature until the dough has risen almost to the top of the pan, approximately 1½ hours.
10. Position oven racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F regular or 350°F convection.
11. Using a pastry brush, brush the loaf lightly with egg wash and bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the loaf is golden brown, approximately 40 minutes. If the top of the loaf is browning too much, drop the oven to 350°F regular or 325°F convection.
12. Immediately turn the loaf onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.
13. For the pull-apart rolls: Line a small baking sheet or a 9-by 13-inch pan with parchment paper. Divide the dough (straight from the refrigerator) into sixteen pieces, about 50 grams each.
14. Shape each piece into a round. Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough, fold the edges into the middle and turn to be seam-side down. Roll, tightening the round back and forth between your fingers and thumb and place side-by-side on the parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving a small gap between each roll. Cover loosely with plastic and proof at room temperature for approximately 1 hour.
15. Brush the tops lightly with egg wash. Bake at 375°F regular or 350°F convection, for approximately 25 minutes. Turn pan halfway through the bake.  If the rolls are browning too much, drop the oven to 325°F regular or 300°F convection.
16. The bread or rolls can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for a few days or frozen for up to 1 month. Refrigerating is not recommended.