Instructions: Note: Because brioche dough is made with more eggs, butter, and sugar than any other dough, it takes longer to rise before baking than ordinary bread. The dough is also particularly sticky, so shaping it will be a formidable task; use lightly floured hands and a light, easy touch. Since there is so much butter in brioche, be sure to use the highest-quality butter available. And finally, dont allow the dough to rise more than the recommended amount, as doing so will weaken the breads overall structure. The entire process for this recipe takes at least fifteen hours and will present some challenges best suited to the advanced baker.

For the sponge: Pour 1/3 cup warm water into a medium bowl; sprinkle yeast over surface. Stir with a fork until dissolved. Let stand until creamy-looking, about 5 minutes.

Add 2 ounces bread flour; stir until well combined. Cover with a dry towel; let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk and bubbles appear on surface, about 1 hour.

Place remaining 7 ounces bread flour, the pastry flour, butter, 4 eggs, the sugar, and powdered milk in bowl of electric mixer fitted with dough hook. Beat on low speed until well combined, about 5 minutes. Add sponge; beat on low speed for 5 minutes more. Increase speed to medium; beat for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle in salt; beat on medium speed for 5 minutes more, until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap; immediately place in freezer for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer; punch dough down in bowl. Turn out onto plastic wrap. Working quickly, use fingers to press dough out into a 1/2-inch-thick disk. Wrap well, place on a tray, and chill at least 8 hours or up to overnight.

Remove disk of dough from refrigerator. Weigh out five pieces of dough. The dough balls for brioche will vary in weight according to pan size: An 8 1/2- by 4-inch loaf pan takes five balls at 5 1/2 ounces each; a 7-inch nonstick brioche tin takes five balls at 3 ounces each. Adjust ball size for slightly larger or smaller pans. Return unused dough to refrigerator.

On a lightly floured wooden surface, roll each piece of dough into a ball with the floured palm of your cupped hand, using slight pressure. Roll the ball quickly in a circular motion until it is smooth. Add as little extra flour as possible. Next, shape each ball into a teardrop shape.

Arrange four teardrop shapes around the sides of buttered pan, leaving a hole in the center. Use forefingers to press and smear dough together a bit on bottom of pan, leaving only a little pan showing. (This will help balls bake cohesively so baked loaf wont fall apart.) For a loaf shape, roll four 5 1/2-ounce balls into log shapes, and place in pan side by side. You may also split the same amount of dough into eight balls and place two rows of four balls in pan.

Using thumbs, press lightly on middle part of dough balls while turning pan, nudging balls together and creating a slight bulge.

Beat the remaining egg, and lightly brush inside of partially formed loaf with beaten egg.

Drop in last ball of dough, letting it rest higher than others. Cover each loaf with a bowl or a container large enough to give dough ample room to double. The bowl should not touch the rising loaves. Set aside in a warm, non-drafty place until more than fully doubled in bulk, 1 to 3 hours. About 30 minutes before the dough has doubled in bulk, preheat the oven to 375 degrees for the loaf or 7-inch brioche tin.

Brush loaves gently but generously with beaten egg. Bake until they sound hollow when the bottom is tapped (medium loaves 40 to 45 minutes, large loaves for 45 minutes). Remove from pan immediately, and cool on a wire rack.

For individual brioches: Remove disk of dough from refrigerator, and weigh out 1 1/2-ounce pieces of dough. Return all but a few pieces of dough to the refrigerator. On a lightly floured wooden surface, roll each piece of dough into a ball with the palm of your cupped hand, exerting only slight pressure. You may need to flour your hand or the surface during the shaping process, but use as little extra flour as possible.

Using the edge of your hand, roll back and forth to create a "neck" for the classic "head" or tete of the brioche. Do not separate this ball of dough. It should be about 1/6 of the total ball of dough (marble-size).

Pick up dough by the head, and lower into the buttered 3-inch pan. Using your lightly floured forefinger, nudge the dough up to create a slight bulge while rotating the tin. You are deepening the space in which the head will sit. You should be able to press the head gently into the space you have created without flattening it too much. The head should be level with the rest of the dough.

Cover each loaf with a bowl or container large enough to give ample room to double. The bowl should not touch the loaves as they rise. Set aside in a warm, non-drafty place until fully doubled in bulk. This could take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. About 30 minutes before the dough has doubled in bulk, preheat the oven to 400 degrees for the individual brioche tins.

Brush gently but generously with beaten egg. Bake until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, 8 to 12 minutes. The timing will vary, depending on your oven. Do not overbake. Immediately remove from tins, and cool on a wire rack.

This recipe yields 2 medium loaves or 1 large loaf and 4 individual brioches or 1 rectangular loaf and 8 individual brioches.

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