Cream Cheese Brioche (Loaf and Muffins)

Do you know that some of my friends make fun of me saying I should sell the ingredients to them from the huge bags that I buy. If you see the storage in my basement, you will probably think I am nuts. I have a very good memory particularly when it comes to prices. When I see a steal, I buy not one but many. I have God only know how many packs of Sugar, flour in the basement. I won't let anything go bad. I guess I can justify my buying because of that. I buy enough for the whole year when the sale comes for a throw away price. I stocked up flour at 99 cents per 5 pound pack. It is cheaper than buying from costco.
Long story short, I had to use up a block of cream cheese and quite a few eggs. So, I made a cream cheese brioche. Recipe is not adapted from anywhere, just an experiment. An awesome one if I may say so myself.

One year back -  Sweet Ricotta Loaf, Quinoa salad
Ingredients: (Makes two 9 X 5 loaves)
Cream Cheese - One 8 Oz block at room temperature
Eggs - 4 large (at room temperature)
Warm water - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 5 - 5 1/2 cups (Start with 5 cups)
Instant yeast - 2 1/4 tsp or 1 packet
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla - 2 tsp (optional)

For brushing before baking:
1 egg whisked with 1 TBSP of water or milk

For the Muffins / Mini Cakes: (optional)
Mini chocolate chips - 1/2 cup

Method:
I used the bread machine to make the dough. Place cream cheese, eggs, water, sugar, salt, flour, yeast in the given order and turn on the machine on dough setting. Check the dough for consistency after 5 minutes and add another 1/2 cup flour if needed. Let it complete the dough cycle in the machine. When the cycle finishes, proceed with shaping and baking.

To make the dough by hand:
Take a mixer and beat the cream cheese, eggs, sugar. Add the warm water and yeast and continue to beat. Add salt, flour little by little. When the mixer starts resisting to move, switch off and start kneading the flour by hand. Once all the dough is added, knead it for 10 minutes or till elastic. This dough is a bit tacky, but feels like silk. Let it rise in a greased, covered bowl for an hour to hour and a half or till doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough and divide into two parts. Grease the hands and the surface if the dough is sticking. Don't try to add more flour. Shape the dough into loaf and place in well greased 9 X 5 pan.

I made half the dough into a loaf and the rest into 12 muffins. I added chocolate chips to the dough that I shaped into muffins. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. Don't let the dough rise too much above the rim of the loaf pan. It continues to rise in the oven really well. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush the dough with egg wash. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes and the loaf for 45 - 50 minutes or until a dark golden. If you have the thermometer, it should register 200 - 210 F when inserted in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert on to the wire rack right side up and let it cool completely. Slice when completely cool.

If you don't want the muffin shaped rolls, you can shape them into rolls and place them on a baking sheet and bake to get bun shaped rolls.

This is my entry to Susan's yeastspotting.

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