One of my Twitter buddies, Michelle over at Big Black Dog, has been waxing poetic about the new book by Dr. Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe François, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Their previous book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, introduced a different way to bake bread that, in the long run, saves a lot of the time and effort in the process of baking bread at home. AB in 5 (for short) became a sensation and still enjoys enormous popularity. Heck, I bought a copy of it, myself.
HB in 5 (see how I picked up the lingo?) is dedicated to making healthier breads, using multigrains, fruits, and even vegetables, and using the same methods and principles that made the first book such a phenomenon.
So when Michelle put out the word that she was putting together an internet group with the idea of baking its way through Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I was intrigued and decided to join in.
Although we won’t officially begin our “Bread Braid” until January, we’ve been assigned a bread that’s perfect for autumn to get started, a Pumpkin Pie Brioche. If you don’t already own HB in 5, click here to get the recipe, and join in!
This is my first experience with this type of bread baking, i.e., mixing a wet dough that is never kneaded, is stored in the fridge, and that you basically just scoop out, let rest, and bake. And even though the dough is supposed to be “wet”, I think this particular recipe was even wetter because of the addition of the pumpkin.
I was really unprepared for just how wet and sticky it really was. So the first loaf I made was pretty fugly. Actually, the second loaf was only a little better. I also decided to break in the little mini-brioche molds I bought about 5 years ago, but never had the guts to use. If you decide to make this, keep the bench flour close and keep your hands well-floured at all times.
Without further ado, I bring you my lumpy Pumpkin Pie Brioche and mini-brioches! Looks are deceiving, though. It tastes delicious!
If you’d like to join in and try baking healthy breads in a whole new way, click here to visit Big Black Dog and learn about our monthly “Bread Braid”.
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20 Comments
Great job! Love the mini brioches!
LMAO @ fugly!!! (haven't heard that in ages) I love your mini brioches!! everything looks great.
Oh don't be so hard on yourself Renee! Your bread looks wonderful and the little brioches are adorable! I'm got to get one of those mini brioche pans soon.BTW, I wear surgical gloves when I make bread. You can buy a whole box for like $8. If you keep the gloves wet the dough will not stick at all.
Renee, you rock! This is a difficult dough, especially for the first time doing the no knead method! Great job!
I think they look great! Good job!
It was sticky but I loved getting my hands in there and mixing in the last bit of flour. Your basket full of brioche looks great!
They look awesome! Good enough to eat
Your bread looks great. My mini brioche were lumpy too. Let's just say they are suppose to be that way. If we stick together on our story, no one will be the wiser!
Your bread looks great. My mini brioche were lumpy too. Let's just say they are suppose to be that way. If we stick together on our story, no one will be the wiser!
Oh my these are perfect!!! No splits……hope I can do this as good!!! Thanks for sharing. Nancy
*drools* That looks amazing.
I love the basket of bread! They look delicious. I also get in there with my hands in the sticky mess
Having no previous experience with bread, I didn't know just how wet the dough was in comparison to other recipes. Your breads look great though!
I think your bread looks terrific! Great job.
Oh, the minis are great! I need to find a brioche pan of some sort. They look delish to me
Looks good to me!!
Terrific job! They look good enough to eat to me!
Taste is my biggest criteria! I've ditched plenty of recipes that didn't turn out taste-wise, but never one that didn't turn out "pretty" if it tasted good. And your bread definitely looks good for eating. I like your little mini brioches–very cute!~Jenny~
These look great! I need some little brioche tins, yours are darling.
I am finally about to order Artisan Bread in 5 mins a day. I have another no knead recipe a friend gave me and I love it! Your Pumpkin Pie Brioche look fabs! I'l bet it tasted great!