to slice the end off my freshly baked brioche loaf.....

[LifeIsButtercream]

...... spread it liberally with butter and devour? Even though it means that the steam will escape from the loaf, the end will shrivel and the loaf will dry out as it cools?

Help me, I am in a dilema!

Yabu, you'll ruin it and the rest won't taste as good!

Ps, can I have your recipe?

Its a bread machine recipe, I can give you the quantities Buzz, but I dont know much kneading etc it would need..... will just go grab book!

To make a 1kg loaf, on 'cake' setting of bread machine:
260ml milk
2 eggs
180g melted butter
600g white flour
1.5 tsp salt
80g sugar
2tsp dried yeast (fast acting)

I hope that is useful!

Is it bread flour or plain?

would have to be bread flour for a brioche.

Thanks, I will try that. My recipe has more liquid, which could be why its too sticky (I make by hand).

Mine was quite a sticky mix in the bread machine, even after proving, but it baked up ok, maybe it has more of a cake-batter-y texture than a dough....?

Am suddenly amused by the concept of cake battery....

Mine is in the breadmaker as we speak. Eggs courtesy of jack and Sheila. 1.25 hour to go and looking like a nice dough - thanks buttercream!