Brioche: adding butter to a developed dough

Useful to know

In King Arthur’s brioche recipe, the dough is developed before butter is added in portions. Chilling follows the first rise and makes shaping easier. [1]

This is a particular method for an egg- and butter-rich dough, not a universal rule for bread. Avoid adding excessive flour simply because an early mixture feels soft. Follow the intermediate textures described by the recipe. Small buns and a large loaf can need different finishing steps even when they begin with the same dough.