Ingredients :

• Fresh yeast — 25g in a small cube, not the dry stuff in sachets. Fresh yeast is found in the bakery or dairy aisle. It provides a more consistent rise and a finer texture. Just check the date. If you only have active dry yeast, use 8g and rehydrate it the same way.
• Butter — 180g, and really soft — out of the fridge for at least 2 hours. This is what gives the wealth and that stringy quality we look for in a good brioche. A decent unsalted butter is fine, no need for premium vintage. Don’t try it with margarine.
• Raisins — Classic sultanas work perfectly. The idea: soak them in warm orange juice, or simply in water. Dry, they turn out hard after baking. Plumped up, they melt into the crumb. This detail changes everything.
• The Kougelhopf mold — An enameled terracotta mold is ideal. It diffuses heat differently than aluminum — the crust is more even. If you don’t have one, a metal Bundt cake pan works, but grease it very generously, twice rather than once.