Brioche bread is made of a rich dough with milk, eggs and butter. It is slightly sweetened and goes well with savory burgers. It can actually be eaten on its own as it is soft and buttery. I made them into French toast and OMG ! it is the best keto French toast I have ever eaten. It’s kind of hard to find the right keto bread to make French toast but let me tell you that these are the best as they are soft and able to soak up the eggs.
The key to a good rise is to use egg whites as the protein helps substantially with the rise. I tried with whole eggs and they did not rise as much as the fats from yolks actually hinders the rise. It is like how the protein in gluten helps the bread to rise. So it doesn’t mean that when we use yeast for keto bread, it will rise very well. Without gluten and the lack of protein, using yeast for keto bread will not rise as much as regular gluten bread. The pea milk also has high protein so it helps with the rise as well. I highly recommend that you use eggs whites. I used 2 of the egg yolks for brushing and added 2 egg yolks to the 2 whole eggs for making the French toast.
The recipe can be viewed and printed at this link;
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v7DCOKndgGYfcJnLzEaSpowoAzAWVxvKM8VjesULB7k/edit?usp=sharing
NUTRITION INFO
[ Total Servings = 8 ]
Per serving ;
Total Carb = 8.7 g
Dietary Fiber = 6.6 g
Net Carb = 2.1 g
Calories = 220
Total Fat = 17.8 g
Protein = 5.9 g
INGREDIENTS
DRY INGREDIENTS ;
Coconut flour = 90 g / 3/4 cup
Golden Flaxseed = 90 g / 3/4 cup (Note : Must be grounded until powdery)
Psyllium Husk = 26 g / 3 tbsp (Finely Grounded)
Baking Powder = 12 g / 3 tsp (If using double acting baking powder, reduce amount by half)
Erythritol = 100 g / 1/2 cup
Salt = 8 g / 2 tsp
Instant or Rapid Yeast = 12 g / 3 tsp
WET INGREDIENTS
Pea Milk or Almond Milk (Unsweetened) = 240 ml / 1 cup
Eggs = 8 large egg whites (285 g) or 4 whole large eggs (Note: The protein from egg whites will help to boost the rise substantially whereas the fat from egg yolks will hinder the rise. So the buns will not rise as much if using whole eggs)
Butter (softened) = 113 g or 1/2 cup
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 212F or 100C and leave the heat on throughout the 1 hour proofing process.
2. Warm the milk in the microwave at high heat for about 1 1/2 min. The temperature of the milk should be between 104 to 122F or 40 to 50 C. The warmer the better as it will wake the yeast up.
3. To test whether your yeast is alive, you can mix it into the warm milk with a pinch of sugar but this is optional. I did not put any sugar and I can still see the yeast bubbling. If you are confident that your yeast is good then just mix it into the dry ingredients. Set aside the milk and yeast mixture.
4. As an option, you can also proof the dough at a very warm place in the house. In this case, sprinkle some coconut flour on top of the buns before covering with towel so that the dough would not stick to the towel. I have tried this method but it does not rise as much as using the oven.
5. In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients until well combined.
6. Add the wet ingredients (except the butter) and mix until a dough is formed.
7. Add the softened butter and mix to combine.
8. Portion the dough into 80 g each. This recipe makes about 8 to 12 x 80 g buns.
9. Wet your hands for easier handling. Shape the dough into a ball and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
10. As the dough is soft and moist, it tends to spread sideways during proofing so the buns end up looking big but flat. To overcome this, I used aluminum foil to make rings. Fold the foil into 1 1/2″ height and make the ring slightly bigger than the dough. Seal the edges with staples.
11. Cover the dough with a towel and proof in the oven for 1 hour with the heat turned on at 212F or 100C the entire time. Place a baking dish with boiling water below the tray with dough. Close the oven door and try not to open it during the proofing process. The humidity and warmth creates a very conducive environment for the yeast to thrive.
12. After 1 hour, remove the tray with dough and the water.
13. Remove the foil and brush with 2 egg yolks mixed with 1 tbsp of water.
14. Top with white sesame seeds.
15. Return to oven and increase the heat to 350F or 180C. Bake for about 15 to 20 mins or until golden brown. These buns cooks very quickly and the bottom browns very fast due to the butter so be careful not to burn the bottom.
16. These buns can be reheated by steaming or toasting.
17. These buns can be kept for 1 to 2 days at room temperature if you have a cool and dry climate. Otherwise, it’s best to refrigerate them earlier. They can be refrigerated up to 1 week and frozen for months.