Luscious Butterscotch Filled Brioches

Ingredients for 12 brioches:

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose or cake flour

1½ oz. fresh yeast

2 quarts and 2 tablespoons warm water (40°C)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 or 3 tablespoons milk

Enough butterscotch chips for the filling

For the egg-wash glaze:

1 egg yolk

1 or tablespoons water or milk

1. Make a well with ¼ of the flour and crumble the yeast into it. Mix the flour and crumbled yeast with 2 tablespoons of warm water until you obtain a paste.
2. Shape the paste into a soft ball, snip a cross in the top and drop the ball of dough (or starter) into the rest of the warm water.
3. Let the starter rise to the surface and double in volume for 8-10 mns. Make sure that the water is not over a burner to prevent any extra heat from killing the yeast. Also, make sure to keep the water warm to allow the yeast to develop.
4. Once doubled in volume, the starter must be drained on a cheesecloth or paper towel and covered.
5. While waiting for the starter to grow, mix the rest of the flour with the sugar and the salt and form another well. Break the eggs into its center and add the milk.
6. With one hand only, mix them in by drawing the flour for the sides of the well and work the dough until you form a cohesive, sticky mass.
7. Gather as much as possible with the sticky mass and throw it back hard onto the floured board. Repeat this throwing process several times over 15 mns to allow the gluten to develop, giving a glistening, smooth and elastic dough which should not stick to your hands.
8. Work the soft butter into the dough then the drained starter.
9. Gather the resulting paste into a ball, put it in a floured or buttered bowl, and chill in the fridge for 1 hr.
10. Butter your muffins tins.
11. Once the dough has chilled, it should be easy to handle. Flour your hands and knead the chilled dough.
12. For each brioche, roll the dough into 1/8 cup- and 1 tablespoon balls. Fill the center of the 1/8 cup ball with ½ teaspoon of butterscotch chips. Make a slit into the larger ball, and 3 smaller cuts radiating out from the center. Firmly place the smaller ball at the center.
13. Allow the brioches to rise in the muffin tins for 20 mns or until they double in size. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
14. Prepare the egg wash by diluting the egg yolk with the milk and glaze the brioches with a brush.
15. Bake the brioches for 10 mns or until the glazed portions are golden brown. (If the egg-washed parts brown too rapidly, protect the brioches with foil).

Bon appetit!