Carolina Gold Rice Bread, Brioche-Style
Developed by Kay Rentschler for the Carolina Gold Rice FoundationShaping the dough with rice flour provides extra crispness to the crust. The overnight fermentation is important for flavor development. This bread makes exceptional toast and croutons.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons instant yeast
15 ounces (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus up to 5 tablespoons additional, if necessary
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk, warmed
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
5 ounces (1 cup) whole grain Carolina Gold rice flour, plus more for shaping dough
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Vegetable spray
Directions
1. Whisk yeast and 1 /2 cup flour together in stand mixer bowl. Add 1/2 cup warm water and whisk until smooth. Let mixture stand until puffy, about 20 minutes.
2. Whisk 2 eggs, milk and salt into yeast slurry until eggs are well incorporated. Add remaining all-purpose flour and mix on low speed using hook attachment. Add rice flour and mix--dough will be sticky and rough. With machine running on low speed, add butter one tablespoon at a time. Continue kneading with dough hook until dough is supple and shiny - softer than a standard bread dough, but not batter like (about 10 minutes). If dough is extremely soft, sprinkle with additional flour and mix to incorporate. Remove bowl from mixer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature until light and airy, about 4 hours. (To make by hand, stir dough together with wooden spoon, then turn onto work surface. Work butter into dough with fingers, one tablespoon at a time, using short pulling and slapping movements of dough against counter. Scrape into large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature until light and airy, about 4 hours.)
3. Spray a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan with vegetable spray. Sprinkle work surface lightly with rice flour. Press fist gently into center of dough to deflate it and turn dough onto floured surface. Flour hands and press into rectangle, 8 inches wide by 10 inches long. (Dough will be very soft—work quickly and do not over-flour.) Shape to fit pan by rolling dough into cylinder and pressing ends together. Lift gently and ease into pan. Cover the pan flush with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. Adjust shelves to lower middle positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove loaf from refrigerator. Crack remaining egg into bowl and whisk well. Brush onto surface of loaf. Place loaf in oven and reduce temperature to 350. Bake until nicely risen and deep golden brown, turning pan once during baking, 30 minutes total. Remove bread from oven, turn out of pan and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
Makes one 2-pound loaf.