Klecko's Recipe for Love & Pumpkin Brioche

I don't care if its uncool, I'll come out and say it straight out......

Danny Klecko has an insatiable need to be loved.

In todays fast paced world, often times its easy to forget our wiring, our basic needs.

Instead of listening to cupid (who sits on the shoulder oppisite of your Guardian Angel), we listen to concepts that have been marketed at us through movies, music and 1000 other information catapults.

You are strong - you can make it on your own - you are cool.

As much as I hate to give props to John Lennon, I will have to agree with his quote that.....

"Only the fool plays it cool."

Why?

Well....I guess I'll have to finish it with another quote, but this time from Julia Roberts.

Remember in the movie "Pretty Woman" when Richard Gere was outsourcing Julia's love for a week?

Some kinda chemistry happened, and Gere was too much of a wuss to just flat out share his feelings that he had fallen in love with an escort.

So what does he do? He trys to continue to buy love.

Pretty Woman didn't fall for it though, because she too had feelings, she didn't want to compromise.

That's when she states what I believe is the obvious. That's when she sheeplishy said what I know everybody's heart screams out.........

"I want the fairytale!"

I can't believe that anybody would ever settle for less.

Well, now that I've lost 220 street cred points for quoting Lennon & Julia Roberts, I'll just segue back into this posts theme.

Just the other day was mine and Sue McGleno's wedding annaversary.

I really wanted to give her something that she would love.

So I asked myself, what is the one thing Sue McGleno covets? I mean does this earth hold one tangible item that she would trade her soul for?

Duh......French Toast.

And that's when I decided I would go "Escoffier" and design her - her own personal Pumpkin Brioche.

The following isn't the "Secret Loaf of Love" but it is a tested recipe that you can play with.

SPONGE

1/4 CUP WHOLE MILK (ROOM TEMP)
2 1/2 TSP ACTIVE YEAST
1 CUP PUMKIN PUREE
1/3 CUP SUGAR
1 CUP BREAD FLOUR

REMIX

5 CUP BREAD FLOUR
2 TSP SALT
6 LARGE EGGS
1/2 POUND (2 STICKS) BUTTER

For the sponge,combine the ingredients and if using a Kitchen Aid, use your paddle. Just mix a couple of minutes until all the ingredients become incorperated. it will have a mud like consistancy.

Place the slur into a lightly greased tub and cover, then place into a "warm" area.

Remix

When the slur doubles and gets tacky (usually a couple of hours on a moderate weather day, scrape it into your mixing bowl.

Then add your flour. salt, eggs and mix. Once again...if you are using a Kitchen Aid, switch over to the dough hook.

While the ingredients are mixing, toss in your butter in small chunks, one piece at a time.

Brioche is tricky, often times it's consistancy is DRAMATICALLY altered by humidity. So just watch the remix. Basically at about the 5 minute mark you want the dough to come together.

if it is still tacky, by all means put more flour in one small handful at a time untill it picks up.

when the dough is mixed. I don't give it any fermentation time, or resting time. I scale it, shape it, and put it directly into its form and start the proofing process.

Additional Tips -

BASE RECIPE

Many people will tweek this recipe and add spices to it...w/e, but if you are not a complete savage, you will try it clean just this one time. That way you will understand your base.

SUGAR

Often times people will put their sugar in during the sponge, and then there is another camp that thinks it should go in on the remix instead. i guess I don't believe in one way strong enough to put up a fight.

Oh yeah....there is a 3rd camp that subsitutes sugar for honey.

FLOUR

If you want to become a complete Brioche geek, you might want to try mixing your sponge with a patant flour (or flour of a lower protien level), just this small adjustment will turn your final interior into angel feathers.

Good Luck