Cheese Brioche

Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups (326g) All-Purpose Flour
• 6 ounces (170g) sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup (28g) milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 3 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, cold from the refrigerator, white reserved for wash (below)
• 1/4 cup (57g) cool water
• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter

Instructions:

• Cut the cheese into chunks
• Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup
• Place the flour and cheese into the work bowl of a food processor
• Process until the cheese is finely ground, and no chunks remain
• Combine the flour/cheese with the remainder of the dough ingredients, mixing to make a rough, sticky dough
• Knead the dough — in a mixer or bread machine — until it's smooth and starting to become shiny
• It can take up to 20 minutes of kneading in a stand mixer to develop, so we don't recommend kneading this by hand
• Form the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour. Refrigerate the covered dough overnight, to make it easier to shape
• Next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator about an hour before you want to shape the buns.
• Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces; each will be about 85g
• Shape each piece into a ball
• Position the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.
• Using the bottom of a measuring cup or other flat surface, flatten the balls to about 3 1/2" diameter
• Cover the buns, and let them rise until they're quite puffy. This may take up to 3 to 4 hours, depending on how warm your rising environment, and how cold the dough.
• Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To make the egg wash: Whisk together the egg white and water until foamy.
• Brush the buns with the egg wash. Bake the buns for 20 minutes; tent loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes, until the buns are golden brown, and a digital thermometer inserted into the center of one reads about 190°F.
• Remove the buns from the oven, and cool them on a rack.