A large portion of my family came to visit this past few weeks. It was so nice;-) It had been almost 8 years since someone came from Europe to see me so i was really thrilled to have them all even though they were 6. Of course, i wanted them to feel at home and be treated like kings so i cooked them breakfast, lunches and dinner. Some days, I fixed them the real American treat ( bacon, egg, and hash browns). Other days I fixed them a simple breakfast with fresh bread and croissant. This week-end, I thought I would bake a brioche. They are so yummy when they come out of the oven with some good butter and yummy marmalade or jelly;-) Unfortunately i was a bit overwhelmed with a  few things so I fixed the “quick” brioche because it takes a bit less time and can be made in a mixer whereas the original brioche needs to be mixed and molded by hand. This quick recipe is easy and works every time. Give it a try, the brioche is so good, almost as good as the original!!!

Ingredients for 2 loaves: 1 pack of dry yeast, 1/3 cup of warm water, 4 cups of sifted flour, 3 tbsp of sugar, 1 tsp of salt, 1 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature, 6 eggs lightly beaten, and 1 egg lightly beaten with a tbsp of water for glazing the brioche.

In a small bowl, mix the yeast, warm water and the 1/4 cup of flour. Place the bowl in a bowl filled with hot water. Let the mixture rest until the mixture is starting to make bubbles. Meanwhile mix the flour, the sugar and the salt in another bowl. Cream the butter in an electric mixer until it becomes fluffy. Add the flour to the butter alternating the flour with the eggs, but keep 3/4 cup of flour for later. Once all has been added, beat the mixture at a medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, scrape the dough from the side and try to make a ball. Place the ball into a bowl. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours and let the dough rest in a warm place. The dough should double in size. Remove the plastic wrap, work the dough with your hands, make two balls and place them in two rectangular brioche or bread mold. Cover the mold with a cloth and let them rest for another 6-8 hours or overnight. Glaze the brioche with the egg wash ( 1 egg beaten and 1 tbsp of water) and cook the brioche for 15- 17 minutes at 425. Remove the brioche from the oven. Let them cool a bit, then slice them in 1/2 inches slices and devour with butter and marmalade. YUM;-)

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!