Another Paris Moment (isn't it about time?)

     Haven't booked that winter get-away yet to Paris?  I know... after the record snow, ice and cold most of us have been experiencing recently, we're thinking the tropics in February, not Paris. 

     But if you want (or need as I do), to briefly feel like you have been in Paris, and love having your kitchen smell like a French patisserie, make these buttery Brioche Rolls for breakfast.  I mixed the bread dough yesterday and thanks to my French Bulldog Pipi, and her desire to eat a biscuit at 4 a.m., I was up and able to form the rolls for their last rise, put them in the oven to bake, and have them on the table at 7 a.m., just in time for breakfast.

     The only thing I changed in this recipe was to  sprinkle Hagel Zucker (German coarse sugar) on top of the brushed egg-and-cream glaze before baking, instead of the suggested fleur de sel. 

           Make a Café Crème or  Chocolat Chaud, close your eyes, and dream of being in Paris!

                                             BRIOCHE ROLLS
       recipe from Studio Restaurant, Laguna Beach | via Bon Appetit, December 2010

  It is necessary to make the dough a day ahead, since it needs to chill overnight

• 1/3 cup warm water (105˚F to 115˚F)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• Pinch of sugar plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/4 cups bread flour, divided
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted European-style butter (such as Plugrá), room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, whisked to blend with 1 tablespoon heavy cream (for glaze).
• Coarse sugar (recipe calls for fleur de sel)
1.  Pour 1/3 cup warm water into large bowl of heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.  Sprinkle with yeast and pinch of sugar; stir to blend.  Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture is slightly foamy, about 10 minutes.
2.  Meanwhile, whisk 2 cups bread flour, all-purpose flour, coarse salt, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl to blend.  Sift flour mixture over yeast mixture in bowl of stand mixer.  Mix on low speed 1 minute (mixture will be dry and crumbly and resemble old-fashioned oats).  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating 30 seconds on medium speed after each addition, then beat mixture 10 minutes (mixture will be very sticky and cling to sides of bowl but will begin to mass around paddle during last 2 to 3 minutes of beating, with some dough still clinging to sides of bowl).  With machine running on medium speed, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more, about 7 minutes total.  Continue to beat dough 4 to 5 minutes longer (dough will be soft, smooth, and shiny but still sticky and will begin to pull away from sides of bowl and climb up paddle attachment).
3.  Turn dough out onto generously floured work surface.  Knead 1/4 cup more bread flour into dough by tablespoonfuls (dough will still be quite sticky but do not add any more flour).  Butter large bowl.  Transfer dough to bowl; turn to coat with butter.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel.  Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. (I must have a cold house.  My dough always takes double the recommended time to rise.)  Punch dough down.  Cover dough again with plastic wrap and kitchen towel and refrigerate dough overnight.
4.  Butter 12 standard (1/3 cup) muffin cups.  Divide cold dough into 12 equal portions.  Divide each portion into 3 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into smooth ball (each about 1 to 1 1/4-inches in diameter).  Place 3 dough balls in each prepared muffin cup, preferably side by side, forming triangle.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel.  Let rolls rise in warm draft-free area until puffed and extending slightly above sides of muffin cups, about 1 hour.
5.  Meanwhile, position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400˚F.
6.  Brush tops of rolls with egg glaze; sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake rolls until deep golden on top, 15 to 16 minutes.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer rolls to rack and cool completely.

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