Brioche Bread

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This soft & fluffy same-day brioche bread recipe makes two buttery and rich perfect loaves. One for enjoying now, and one for later as French toast!

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Rising Time3

Total Time4 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: servings

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

1/2 cup (113g) milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon (6g) instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons (9g) salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3 3/4 cups (529g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) salted butter
egg wash for brushing the dough

Instructions

Heat milk for about 45 seconds in a microwave safe bowl until it is between 90℉ and 120℉.
In a bowl, combine the warm milk, sugar, yeast, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup of the flour. Beat using the paddle attachment until smooth and combined.
1/2 cup (113g) milk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon (6g) instant yeast, 1 1/4 teaspoons (9g) salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Add remaining flour, about 1 cup at a time.
4 large eggs, 3 3/4 cups (529g) all-purpose flour
Once all of the flour has been added, start adding the butter about 2 tablespoons at a time while mixing on medium speed. Mix between each addition until the butter is incorporated before adding the next chunk of butter. Once all of the butter has been added, beat for 6-8 minutes. The dough should be very soft and sticky but clear the bottom and sides of the bowl. Stop to scrape the bowl once or twice while mixing.
1/2 cup (113g) salted butter
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled boil, then cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. Keep in mind that enriched doughs are heavier and take longer to rise, especially if the room temperature is cooler. If your house is around 68℉ or cooler it can take up to 3 hours to double in size. At this point, you can transfer the dough to the fridge to chill overnight, if desired.
SHAPING OPTION 1 (Braided Loaf): Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 6 equal portions and shape into ropes that are about 6-8 inches longer than your bread pan. Braid three of the strands together, then pinch the ends together and tuck the ends under before placing in a 8.5x4.5-inch buttered loaf pan. Cover and let rise until the dough reaches the rim, filling the pan.
SHAPING OPTION 2 (Double-hump Loaf): Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 4 equal portions and shape into balls. Place two balls of dough side-by-side into each 8.5x4.5-inch buttered loaf pan. Cover and let rise until the dough reaches the rim, filling the pan and creating a 2-humped brioche loaf with a seam in the middle.
Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until puffy and above the rim of the loaf pans. If you chilled the dough in the fridge overnight, this second rise is likely to take more like 3 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Before baking, beat an egg in a small bowl and gently brush it on the top of the loaves with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with Swedish sugar pearls, if desired for a sweet brioche loaf. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown on top and an instant digital thermometer reads 190℉ when you test the bread. The bread will also sound hollow when thumped.
egg wash
Remove the loaves from the pans immediately after removing them from the oven and let them cool on a wire cooling rack for 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Notes

Alternate Shaping Methods: There are lots of ways to shape brioche loaves. You can pat it into a large rectangle and roll it up for a standard sandwich-style loaf, do a 3-strand braid, divide the dough into 2, 4, or 8 balls and arrange them in your loaf pan so they rise into a loaf with a beautiful appearance.
Storage: Brioche bread is best served fresh the day it is made, but it will keep for about 5-7 days on the counter at room temperature. Store it covered in an airtight container or with plastic wrap. We like it for sandwiches for 1-2 days, then as toast or French toast beyond that.
Freezing: You can freeze brioche bread for up 2-3 months. Wrap it well with plastic wrap to protect it and keep it stored in an airtight container in the freezer.
Active Dry Yeast: If using active dry yeast, the recipe stays the same, but you need to proof the yeast with the warm milk and 1 teaspoon of the sugar for 5-10 minutes in a bowl until foamy to wake it up before proceeding with the recipe.
Sweeter Brioche: I tested this recipe with up to 1/2 cup of sugar (double the amount above) and it made a delicious, noticeably sweeter brioche that we loved. It was a little too much for sandwiches, but great for a treat or shaped into rolls with sugar pearls sprinkled on top.
Richer Brioche: I also tried this recipe using 1 full cup of butter (double the amount above) and 5 eggs instead of 4 and it worked great too. The main difference with this approach was that I definitely needed to chill the dough for at least 3-4 hours after the initial rise so it was workable before shaping so the butter could solidify and make the dough easier to handle. While we also enjoyed this richer version, it ultimately didn't make the cut for our favorite brioche (and is more expensive to make because of the extra butter and eggs!).

Nutrition

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