No. 1321 Brioche.
Put four pounds of flour upon a marble slab, one pound of which place upon one side, with an ounce of German yeast dissolved in a gill of warm water in the centre, mix the yeast well with your fingers, add a little more water, and mix the flour into a stiffish but delicate paste, which roll up in the shape of a ball, cut an incision across it with a knife, place it in a basin well floured and put it into a warmish place for ten minutes or longer, until becoming very light, make a large hole in the centre of the remainder of the flour, in which put half an ounce of salt, half a gill of water, two pounds and a half of fresh butter, and sixteen eggs, mix the eggs and butter well together, and work in the flour by degrees, if too stiff add more eggs, the paste must be kept rather softish, press it out with, your hands by degrees, lay the leaven upon it, which spread over, bring the ends over with your knife, press it out again and fold over until well mixed, sprinkle some flour upon a clean cloth, fold the paste in it and let remain all night; when ready to use throw some flour upon your pastry slab, turn your paste out upon it and work it up together with your hands, then cut a piece, which mould into a ball with the hands, place it upon a piece of buttered paper on a baking-sheet, make an impression with your hand in the centre, mould another ball of the paste two thirds the size of the former, wet the former ball with a little water, fix the other upon it, press gently, egg over with a paste-brush, make a few incisions round with a knife, and put it in a moderate oven, (it will require about two hours baking, to try when done run a thin wooden skewer into it, if done it will come out perfectly dry,) bake of a nice gold colour. Many small cakes, rissoles, &c., are made from this paste. By buttering a middle-sized stewpan, putting a band of paper four inches in height round, and baking the paste in it, it will of itself make a remove, but of course requiring longer baking.