Brioche Buttons

Balthazar restaurant in New York have a bakery that sell these little brioches and I always thought they were really adorable, so I decided to make my own version of the little buttons.
I baked them using a mini muffin pan, so they turned out to be approximately 2 1/2 inches tall.

I made chocolate brioche buttons with half of the recipe and the other half I kept plain, I love them both.

If you want them fresh for breakfast, wrap the dough in plastic wrap the night before (after rising) and bake them in the morning. Make sure that you take the dough out at least 30-40 minutes before baking so that it is at room temperature.
Brioche Buttons
(Makes approx 36)

• 9 fluid ounces lukewarm milk
• 1 packet dry active yeast (7g)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 3/4 cup cooled melted butter (plus more for brushing on top)
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• Semi sweet chocolate chips (for the chocolate brioche)
• Mini muffin pan

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a hollow hole in the center of the flour and pour in the lukewarm milk (I just warmed the milk in the microwave for 1 minute).

Then add the yeast to the milk with 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Let this sit for 5 minutes until it's bubbly.

Then mix the milky yeast and the flour together.

Then add the beaten eggs, lemon zest, salt, cooled melted butter and sugar.

Mix the dough together very well and then begin to knead (you can do this with your hands or with a mixer).

If the dough is too sticky then add a some extra sifted flour.

Once kneaded well, cover the bowl in plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm room for 1 hour.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down and begin to knead again with your hands for 2 minutes.

Place the dough on a floured surface to rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Start to roll the dough into little balls to fit inside the mini muffin holes.

For the chocolate ones place a couple of chocolate chips in each dough ball and pinch tight to close them inside.

Brush each of the buttons with melted butter before baking.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes per batch at 400F.

Take them out of the oven when they are beginning to turn golden.

As soon as you take them out brush them again with melted butter.

They can be eaten straight out of the oven or after they have cooled down.

Cute little things!

Perfect petite brioche buttons for breakfast :)