Just realized everyone's overproofing their brioche dough now

Back when I started at a bakery in Portland, we'd proof brioche for maybe 90 minutes max before shaping. Now I see recipes online saying to let it go for 3 or 4 hours. That's way too long. The butter starts to leak out and you lose that tight, rich crumb. I tested it last month, and the longer proof made the final loaf 15% heavier and greasy. It's a texture thing, not just looks. Anyone else notice this trend or am I just old school?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_scott9d ago

Cold butter right from the fridge fixed this for me.

colemartinez2mo ago

You mentioned the butter leaking out. Is that happening during the bulk ferment at room temp, or are you seeing it more during the final proof after shaping?

vals382mo ago

Used to blame the final proof, but watching it happen changed my mind. Saw butter pooling in the folds during bulk last week, clear as day. The dough was just too warm from the start. @colemartinez, that's when the fat really gives up, long before shaping. Keeping everything cooler from the mix fixed it for me.