Big's Parmesan Cheddar Brioches

Haven't made these for years, got a serious jones for these so dug up the recipe. The "trick" with my recipe is you put grated and CUBED cheddar and parmesan in the dough. When baked you end up with these cheesy pockets in the brioches. I use mini and regular size muffin tins to bake them in. D I S GUSTINGLY GOOD !! Most times I make them I double the recipe and bake off half of the dough one day and then keep the other half refrigerated and a day or so later bake off the rest. Believe me these disappear fast.

Mis en place:

For starter
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup warm milk or water (105°F)
1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)


For dough
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon hot milk or water
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch slices and well softened
1/2 lb parmesan - half of it grated, half in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 lb sharp cheddar - half of it grated, half in 1/2 inch cubesSpecial equipment: a standing electric mixer with whisk and dough-hook attachments

Preparation:
Starter: Stir together sugar and milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir flour into yeast mixture, forming a soft dough, and cut a deep X across top. Let starter rise, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature, 1 hour.


Dough: Combine salt, sugar, and hot milk in a small bowl and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Fit mixer with whisk attachment, then beat 2 eggs at medium-low speed until fluffy. Add sugar mixture and beat until combined well. With motor running, add in order, beating after each addition: 1/2 cup flour, remaining egg, 1/2 cup flour, about one fourth of butter, and remaining 1/2 cup flour. Beat mixture 1 minute.

Remove bowl from mixer and fit mixer with dough-hook attachment. Spread starter onto dough with a rubber spatula and return bowl to mixer. Beat dough at medium-high speed 6 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Add remaining butter, cubed and grated cheeses and beat 1 minute, or until butter and cheeses are incorporated.
Lightly butter a large bowl and scrape dough into bowl with rubber spatula. Lightly dust dough with flour to prevent a crust from forming. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature until more than doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.

Punch down dough and lightly dust with flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough, punching down after first hour, at least 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 425. Place a pie pan on bottom shelf of oven. Butter muffin tins generously. Take a small lump of dough, dust with a little flour and roll in your hands into a ball. Place in muffin tin, dough should come just above rim of muffin tin. Repeat until tins are filled. "Dock" each top with a sharp knife. Cover pan with linen towel and let brioches rise at least 1/2 hour. They will plump up nicely.


Now place muffin tins on middle shelf of oven and spash about 1/2 cup water into pie pan on bottom shelf. This creates steam in oven and helps rising of brioches. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until brioches are golden brown. Remove to wire racks, let cool completely. Enjoy with eggs for breakfast or have with a hearty red wine as a snack... These are quite good.

 

Time to bump this to the top, with Easter coming there's nothing sweeter on the Holiday table than some unexpectedly tasty baked goods.

 

Warm and humid day on tap, we're a little broke, but I have all the stuff to make these divine little jewels in the fridge. Can't wait...

 

Now I cheated with this one. I have a decent store brand 4 Cheese Pizza Blend I used as the grated part of the cheese - and cut tiny cubes of Grana Padano and Irish Cheddar - it's great to hit a pocket of the cubed cheese that has melted. YUMM.
I sorta got a late start on the dough but will refrigerate the dough and then bake one small pan today (8 small ones) and bake the rest off in the morning. The dough can actually rest up to a week, it grows a little in the fridge and sure makes great brioches.'

Do try this some time...

 

Well good timing to have made the dough, overnight temps dropped, hasn't been this cool since Spring, got the furnace on for the first time since early May... Made use of this prime angus filet mignon (roasted on a bed of vegetables) while I was baking a batch of the brioches. Love them once they have cooled and the pockets of cubed cheese that exploded inside during baking firm back up.