Put the flour into the mixer bowl. Put the salt and sugar on one side of the bowl and the yeast in the opposite side. Then add the eggs and milk. Mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes, before switching up to a medium speed for another 6 minutes. You should now have a soft smooth dough.

Cut the butter into about 8 pieces. It should press in easily with the finger. If the butter is at room temperature, you may need to soften it by putting it in the microwave for 15 seconds. Add the softened butter and continue to mix for a further 5 minutes. The butter may rise up the side of the bowl and so you should stop the mixer and push the butter back down with a spatula. The resulting dough will have the butter totally mixed in and the dough will be very soft.

Scrape the dough into a plastic bowl with a plastic lid and put in the fridge to chill overnight. The dough will then be firm and you will be able to work with it

Grease a 20cm round deep cake tin. Alternatively (as in the photo above) use loaf tin(s) and fill with a similar method. Take the dough from the fridge and empty it onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten it gently, knocking the air our and fold it a few times as you before shaping it into a cylinder. Use the metal scraper to cut it into 7 pieces the same size.

Shape each piece into a ball by curling your hand around it and moving your hand round and round the dough. Put 6 balls of dough around the outside of the cake tin and one in the centre. Cover with cloth and leave about 2 hours or until the dough has visibly risen. Meanwhile heat your oven to 190°C. (Convection)/180°C. (Fan Oven).

Mix the egg and water for the glaze and brush over the surface.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The sugar and butter in the dough will be browning before it is fully baked.

Remove the brioche from the tin and cool on a wire rack.