Last week was croissant bread, where we kept the butter cold and separate so it could make layers. This week we flip it completely. We’re melting the butter all the way in for the softest, richest crumb you’ve ever pulled out of a loaf pan. The bread is brioche. Buttery, golden, tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. But we’re not making it the ordinary way. Here’s the twist. We’re starting with a tangzhong, that little cooked flour and milk paste that lets bread stay soft for days. And instead of beating the butter in later, we’re melting it right into the tangzhong while it’s still warm and cooling. Why does that matter? The tangzhong pre-cooks the starch so the dough can hold more moisture. Folding the butter in at that stage carries the richness deep into the crumb from the very first step. You end up with a softer, more evenly buttery loaf that stays fresh longer. Same ingredient as last week. Completely different job. Cold butter builds layers. Melted butter builds softness. That’s the whole lesson. I’m baking mine today and I’ll bring you the results. Recipe details are coming this week, and we bake together Saturday. So tell me: who’s ready to go from flaky to pillowy soft this week? Perfection is not required. Progress is. Henry ⭐🔥

Brioche scares people. It looks fancy, it's French, and everybody assumes it's the hardest bread on the board. It's not. In the ways that usually trip you up, it's easier than sourdough. There's just one thing nobody warns you about, and it isn't the fermentation. The new video overview lays it out: why brioche's easier than sourdough and harder than you think, why the butter goes in last, and the two ways this bread can fall apart before it ever hits the oven. Watch it, then come bake it with us Saturday. The recipe's already in the Pantry. https://skoo.ly/brioche Hamburger buns: https://skoo.ly/buns-brioche

Here it is so you can look it over: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/classic-brioche-bread (Remember there's a yeast and sourdough version) Brioche isn't a grab-and-go bread. The dough needs a long cold rest in the fridge, at least 8 hours, before you ever shape it. That rest firms the butter back up so the dough's easy to handle, and it deepens the flavor while you sleep. So look at your weekend and pick your path. Path one: start Friday night. Mix your dough, let it do its first rise, then tuck it in the fridge overnight. Saturday morning you pull it out, shape it, let it proof, and bake. This is the one I'd pick. You wake up already halfway home and ready to bake with the group. Path two: start early Saturday. Just know that the minute you mix, that dough's going in the fridge for at least 8 hours before it's ready to shape. So an early Saturday mix means an evening bake. Nothing wrong with that, you just want to plan your day around it. And here's the one thing nobody warns you about. Somewhere while you're working the butter in, the dough's gonna look slick and sloppy and flat-out wrong. That's the broken phase. Don't quit on it. Keep going and it comes right back together. So tell me below. Which path are you running, Friday night or Saturday morning? And have you baked brioche before, or is this your first go? Let's get everybody set before Saturday. Henry⭐🔥

I decided to make an artisan loaf with a twist…. Literally! Here’s my 3 strand braid sourdough artisan loaf. Each strand has different inclusions. Strand One: Pepperoni, Roasted Garlic & Mozzarella Strand Two: Jalapeno, Cheddar & Bacon Strand Three: Prosciutto, Roasted Garlic & Swiss It is absolutely delicious!!! It has that classic sourdough artisan loaf taste and chew and each bite offers a different taste and texture of inclusion. It’s a flavor explosion in your mouth. @Henry Hunter as you can see there’s areas where there are gaps between the crust and the filling. Why did that happen? Did I not roll the strand tight enough? Is it because this loaf has no score? Tia for answering and teaching me how to resolve this on future bakes. Thank you to @Gaylord Foreman for always being so encouraging and giving me teachable moments. I took his advice to get one bread recipe and stick with it until I perfect it. I’m definitely working on that. The bread recipe here is the one I’ve begun making over and over. Thank you Gaylord!!

I was a Walmart today and I purchased Dark Rye flour, your recipe in the Recipe Pantry calls for medium Rye flour. Will the dark flour work? Do I need to make adjustments? Thank You!