Brioche with Dulche de Leche

11 October it’s Dulche de Leche Day 

Off course we don’t need a special day to enjoy this delicious creamy stuff. We eat it on ice cream, on cake, on pancakes or we just dip our fingers in it. But, it’s fun to have a special day for such a delicious treat. Last week I had my 50^th birthday and it took me 48 years before I discovered Dulche de Leche. The next 50 years I will enjoy Dulche de Leche.

I also love the idea you can make it yourself and it’s easy. It only takes one (or more) can (s) of sweetened condensed milk, a pan of water, heat and attention. I make 4 jars at once. Just send me an e-mail if you like more instructions on making your own Dulche de Leche. 

Today we have an extra special treat. It’s the first time I bake brioche. It looks like cake but is it cake or is it bread or pastry or ….? Jeffrey Hamelman says it’s: ‘ethereal and light, feathery, delicate, subtle and delectable’. I have to find out for myself.

As there are many people in the world, there are off course many versions of brioche to be found. I kept to the one with 50% of butter, 40% of eggs and 12% of sugar. There are some things you should do in your life; feel brioche dough. It isn't like anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s soft and silky. If I had a big batch of it I would take a dive. Off course I’m kidding, but it feels so smooth! And the best part is we can eat it filled with Dulche de Leche! Lucky us.

A real brioche is shaped into the traditional tête; a kind of chick without beak and eyes. Since I don’t have the special brioche pan I use my muffin tin. I filled the dough with Dulche de Leche, made nice rolls and baked them light brown. I forgot to brush the egg wash for a nice brown golden color.

Brioche is amazingly delicious. It’s not like cake, not like bread, not like pastry, not like... Brioche is creamy and light, moist and dry, warm and cool; it’s just amazingly delicious.    

Just when you are enjoying your first bite of creamy brioche and you open your mouth for the next bite, you feel Dulche de Leche dripping in your mouth. That taste and that smell that’s what I mean.

After baking Dulche de Leche in the dough it became creamier because the sugar crystals dissolved. I can say; ‘Brioche and Dulche de Leche are made for each other’.

Specifics
Name                               Brioche with Dulche de Leche
Adapted from                    Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread
Yields                               8 rolls
Dough temp.                     as cool as possible
Mixing                              2 + 5-7 + 8-10 minutes
Fermentation                    1 hour
Stretch/Fold                      one time after 1 hour
Refrigerator                      overnight
Shape and fill                     30 minutes
Proof at roomtemp.            2 -2.5 hours
Bake 190°C                       10 - 15 minutes

This is what I used:
Dough
Bread flour                       260
High Gluten Flour               80
Water                              31
Eggs (3)                           167
Salt                                 8.5    
Sugar                               41
Yeast                               5.5
Butter                              170

Dulche de Leche                 8 tablespoons
Egg wash

a jar full of creamy Duche de Leche

This is what I did:

The dough: I added all of the ingredients, except butter, in the mixing bowl of a spiral mixer and mixed until all was well combined (2 minutes). I mixed it on second speed for 6 minutes.
In the meantime I took the butter from the refrigerator and pounded it with the wooden rolling pin. When the dough was ready I added the butter while mixing on second speed. I mixed it for 9 minutes. I tested readiness (= full gluten development) with the window pane test.

Bulk Fermentation: At this point the dough is soft as silk. Sieve flour in a plastic bucket and place the dough on top. Cover with a plastic bag and tuck plastic around the dough so no air can enter.
Leave for 1 hour. After 1 hour fold ones, place back in the bucket and put in the refrigerator for the night.

Degas the dough 2 or 3 times and place back in the refrigerator.

Shaping/Filling: I divided the dough into 8 pieces and flattened them. I scooped 1 tablespoon of Dulche de Leche on each piece of dough and closed them like a pouch. I firm but gently closed the seam by rolling them into balls. 

Proofing: Place them in butter/floured muffin tin. Don’t forget, like I did, to brush the brioches with egg wash. Cover with plastic and proof for 1 hour.

Pre heating: I pre heated the oven to 190°C .

Baking: Place the muffin tin in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes. We had an eruption from some of the rolls with Dulche de Leche in the oven.

Bake the rolls until they are nicely brown colored.

Cooling: Let the rolls cool completely. I hope you can resist the smell of Brioche and Dulche de Leche, it’s worth the wait.

I send this to Susan’s YeastSpotting and to Bake Your Own Bread and this month to Dulche de Leche day

What did you bake this month? Don’t forget to show it