The other day I made brioche. I thought I had never had it before, but I've heard a lot of bloggers (and real people!) say it's delicious. So as part of the Bread Project, I decided to make it. To tell you the truth, even with my KitchenAid it was a pain. I had heard the dough was silky and smooth, and mine seemed sticky to the point that it didn't want to come together in a ball. I was shocked that the recipe had such little flour (2 ¾ cups to make 2 loaves). I added a bit more to see if that would help the sticky problem.
Anyways, when I baked the loaves the next day I left them out to rise for a lot longer than suggested because they were so tiny! They rose a little more, but I think it also made them dry out quite a bit. I was pretty disappointed when I took them out of the oven and they only came halfway up the loaf pans. After taking one bite, I was even more disappointed; they tasted like semi-stale bakery loaves that were nothing special. Is that how they were supposed to turn out? Seeing as I had no point of reference, and that the recipe on King Arthur Flour had gotten rave reviews, I wasn't really sure what had gone wrong. I put the loaves in storage containers for a few days to try to forget about them.
If you've heard of brioche or tried it, you probably know it's popularly used to make french toast. This morning, I woke up sick (again, ugh) and decided not to go to the gym; instead I would try brioche french toast and see if the bread was any better dipped in an eggy batter. I love everything blueberry, and I still had some blueberry jam my mom sent me home with a long time ago, and it reminds me of summer.
When I sat down to eat the french toast my expectations weren't all that high. But as soon as I took a bite, my taste bud memories came rushing back. I had eaten brioche before, I just didn't know it.
Back when I lived in Washington, D.C. for the semester that I went to American University, my grandpa (a very special grandpa) and his wife, Anne, came to visit. I believe my mom had made us a reservation at the Four Seasons in Georgetown to have brunch. All of us ordered a praline french toast and fresh orange juice. I can still taste it and remember the special time with my grandpa. It was definitely brioche. After that we went shopping and touring around Georgetown. What a wonderful memory.
Brioche french toast with a hint of blueberry
Makes about twelve ½-inch thick french toast slices
Ingredients
12 slices (½-inch thick) day-old brioche
1 cup milk (any fat)
2 eggs
2 TBSP (or more if you like) blueberry jam or preserves of your choice
Pinch of salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon, optional
Additional sugar, optional
Butter for the pan
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, jam, salt and cinnamon and additional sugar if using (I didn't use additional sugar; use it if you like a sweeter french toast).
Dip each slice of bread into the mixture and submerge for a few seconds on each side. Cook on each side in greased skillet for a few minutes, until golden and slightly crispy on the outside. Watch to make sure the blueberries from the jam don't burn. Serve hot with the toppings of your choice.
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