Brioche dough won't rise

I just took a bread baking class and learned to make brioche dough. Well, my first attempt at doing it on my own has failed. ARGH! My yeast looked great and I followed the directions to the letter. The only thing that seemed different was the stickiness of the dough. In class, the dough pulled away from the walls of the food pro but mine did not. I suspect I needed more flour. Is this dough a lost cause??!!

pianogirl
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3 Comments

boulangere
boulangere March 10, 2013
I'd suggest growing a bit of patience so to see how long it takes to rise at home, given your slightly different method. Brioche is a tricky one to proof (rise) relative to other breads, given its weighty ingredients - all that butter and eggs. It definitely takes longer than practically anything else. I typically allow it to proof at room temp until it is clearly beginning to move, which can take a few hours. When it has risen approximately 50%, I transfer it to the refrigerator overnight. By the time it cools (which takes a while - remember its density), it has finished rising, and the next day it can be shaped much more easily because it has firmed up. Otherwise, it's a lot like trying to shape bubble gum. Warm bubble gum. Persevere!
 
Stephanie B.
Stephanie B. March 10, 2013
Because of the high fat content in brioche, it can take quite a lot of kneading until the dough develops enough gluten to pull-away from the sides. Using a different machine at home than in class may mean that you need to mix for a longer time.

If the bread isn't rising, your yeast may also be past it primes. I would do a test my mixing some in water with a pinch of sugar and seeing if it starts making bubbles and foam after about 10 minutes. If it doesn't get foamy, you should try with new yeast.
 
pianogirl
pianogirl March 10, 2013
Thanks for your response. The yeast seemed to do it's magic. At this point, do I toss it or can it be salvaged?
 
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