This brioche bread is ultra soft, rich, and buttery! Not only delicious to eat, but easy to make too! Perfect for sandwiches, French toast and just to eat on its own. Now you can make Brioche Burger Buns or Brioche Cinnamon Rolls too!
Learn how to make authentic brioche bread with this step by step recipe!
A few weeks ago, I was able to live one of my life-long dreams! Granted, it’s only a small part of my dream, but it was still an amazing, fun experience! A short course in Viennoiseries at Le Cordon Bleu was everything I dreamed it would be, and more!
- Living a dream
- Why this is the best brioche bread recipe!
- Professional recipe vs my brioche recipe
- Understanding dough
- Can I make brioche bread without a stand mixer?
- So let’s make brioche!
- What to do if your brioche was over-proofed?
- Egg wash or not?
- How to enjoy brioche bread
- What to do with leftover brioche?
- Brioche; Frequently Asked Questions
JUMP TO RECIPE
Living a dream
Going to Le Cordon Bleu had been a dream since I realized there was a profession called “pastry chef”. After I completed my bachelors, I was itching to enroll at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, Australia for a grand diploma, but had to change my plans because my parents didn’t approve of that career path. I should’ve stuck to my guns in hindsight, but hindsight is 20/20 as they say. So I chose my next love for grad school – science. I still have regrets about not living out that dream, but there still may be an opportunity on the horizon for me. Especially, if I get chances to do short courses like this at the Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa from time to time! 🙂 So if you’re reading this, and contemplating about your dreams, it’s never too late, and don’t compromise on a dream that you’re passionate about.
Learning the techniques, tips and tricks for making viennoiseries was a fantastic experience! And today, I’ll be sharing all of that with you, so you can make the best brioche bread at home too!
What is brioche?
Brioche bread is a French bread, and a cross between a pastry and bread.
This is because the bread is enriched with butter and eggs. It belongs to the family of viennoisseries (think croissants, Danish pastries, sweet rolls etc.). It’s a very buttery, soft and delicious bread and can be made into sweet brioche or savory brioche.
Why this is the best brioche bread recipe!
- This is a tried and true brioche dough recipe from Le Cordon Bleu, but adapted it for home bakers.
- I’ll be sharing step by step instructions, so you know what to look for at each step.
- Details on how to tell when the brioche is ready after kneading and proofing, so you won’t get gluey and under-baked brioche, or dry and crumbly brioche.
- Three shaping techniques for your brioche loaf are also included here.
Professional recipe vs my brioche recipe
Here, I’ll be sharing my recipe for making amazing brioche dough at home! I had to make some changes to the recipe I tried at Le Cordon Bleu, in order to make it more accessible and convenient for home bakers, but still maintain the authentic richness and taste of classic brioche dough.
The biggest challenge was that the orignal recipe didn’t use any water or milk, and used fresh yeast. Here’s the problem with that,
- While fresh yeast doesn’t need liquid to dissolve, fresh yeast also isn’t very accessible to a home baker.
- And to use any other kind of yeast, the dough will need liquid to dissolve the yeast, and that has a big impact on the recipe too.
So to fix this issue, we will be,
- Using active dry yeast instead of fresh yeast – since active dry yeast is concentrated, you will only have to use about 1/2 the amount by weight. Active dry yeast will require liquid to be activated and dissolved in.
- Substituting some of the egg with milk. Eggs play a big role in adding richness to brioche – especially egg yolks. So, instead of removing a whole egg, I’m removing ONE EGG WHITE, and substituting it with warm milk instead. This will allow the yeast to properly dissolve, while still keeping the richness of the dough.
Yeast dissolved in milk Yeast activated & frothy in the milk
Understanding dough
Gluten and yeast are what make bread. Gluten gives bread the structure it needs. The gluten in the flour develops in the presence of a liquid like water, and that gluten development is faster when the dough is kneaded. The yeast in the dough will emit CO2 as it multiplies, and the gluten matrix will in turn expand as it traps more and more CO2.
Gluten develops well in water, but fat hinders gluten development. With an enriched dough like brioche, all the fat from the yolks and butter works against its gluten development. However, it also keeps the dough super soft and rich in flavor giving it an almost cake-like texture!
That is why brioche dough needs to be kneaded for much longer for good gluten development. Since the dough will be quite slack and sticky, a stand mixer is highly recommended to knead the dough until smooth and velvety.
Can I make brioche bread without a stand mixer?
The brioche dough is generally harder to work with due to the soft consistency, so a stand mixer is highly recommended. However, you can knead the dough by hand, but you will need a very clean working surface and patience to really work the sticky, wet dough until you get the right consistency. Do NOT use a hand mixer with the dough hook – it will be too much of a strain on the motor.
So let’s make brioche!
Prep the ingredients
First, have all the ingredients measured and ready to go.
Almost all of the ingredients should be at room temperature. The exception is milk, where we want it to be very slightly warm (like tepid water – about 100°F). You can use warm water instead if you want, but milk adds more richness.
Make sure to use softened butter. The consistency of the butter is really important, so that it incorporates into the dough quickly and well. On a winter day, you may need to keep it somewhere warm to give the butter a chance to really soften (to 73 – 75°F).
If you press the butter with your finger, you would easily be able to leave a mark, with no resistance. But the butter has NOT melted. This is the consistency you want with your butter.
Softened butter Roughly divide the butter into four portions
Activate the yeast
First, activate the yeast. Since we’re using active dry yeast, the yeast needs to be dissolved and activated. This will ensure the yeast incorporates evenly into the dough. Place the milk and honey in the mixer bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Gently whisk to mix the yeast, and let it sit for about 15 minutes. In that time the yeast should become frothy and bubbly.
Make the base dough
Add the vanilla, sugar, large eggs and egg yolk, and just break up the yolks.
Add the flour, and finally, add the salt over the flour (this is important! Do NOT add the salt directly to the yeast mix).
Using the hook of your mixer, or a dough whisk, mix all the ingredients in the mixing bowl to form a scraggly dough.
Place the bowl on your mixer with the dough hook attached. Start kneading the dough on speed 2 – 3 (low – medium low speed) for about 1 minute.
Adding the butter
Then add the butter in four additions, with about 2 minutes of mixing time between each addition. Each portion is added one tablespoon at a time, to make sure the butter is completely incorporated every time. Make sure to use a dough scraper (or bowl scraper) to scrape the sides as you go.
The dough will be very slack and sticky after the butter is added. However, as you knead the dough, it will turn into a smooth, shiny dough that’s a little tacky, but doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl.
Developing the gluten
Once the butter is added (a total of about 8 – 10 minutes), increase the speed to 5 – 6 (medium speed). Knead the dough for a further 10 minutes or so, until you get the right consistency.
This is where the gluten development occurs. As the gluten matrix forms in the dough, it will become satiny and smooth. It will stick less to the sides of the mixer bowl. And if you use the dough hook to lift the dough from the bowl, it should lift cleanly from the bowl, while still being really soft.
The time it takes for the dough to be properly kneaded will vary. It can take as little as 8 minutes or as much as 15 minutes. It depends on the speed of the mixer, the type of mixer and other environmental factors too. Look for the signs to make sure it’s done. The whole mixing time from start to finish can be between 20 – 30 minutes.
The dough is still not smooth and satiny, and needs to be kneaded longer The dough is now smooth and satiny because the gluten has formed. The dough is ready at this point.
First proofing
This first proofing is very important. As the yeast multiplies and emits CO2, the dough will expand, further developing the gluten matrix.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape the dough into a smooth ball of dough. Since the dough will be really soft, make sure your hands are lightly floured too.
Place the shaped dough back in the bowl or a different large bowl (you don’t have to butter it, since brioche is so rich it shouldn’t stick to the bowl). Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough at least double in size in a warm place.
If you’re living in a colder climate like me, it’d be hard to find a place that’s warm enough in the kitchen in winter. So what I do is, I turn the light on in my oven, and keep the bowl in the oven. The oven warms up when I cook on the stove too, so it helps the dough proof.
Depending on the temperature, the brioche dough will proof in 1 hour, but it can take up to 2 – 2.5 hours too.
The first proofing is complete when the dough has AT LEAST doubled in size, or even tripled!
Before first proof After first proof
Retard proofing the dough
This is the name for letting the dough proof in the fridge. This low temperature proofing is a much longer process, and helps develop the flavor of the dough. In a more practical sense, it makes the dough far easier to handle when it’s time to shape the loaves, plus it allows the dough to rest.
After the first proof, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, shape the dough again, and form a dough ball with a smooth, taut surface. Transfer the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.
This dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours (maybe even 48 for a stronger flavor).
Place the dough in a bowl and refrigerate, covered. After 12 hours
Shaping the bread loaves
When the dough is nice and chilled, it can be divided and shaped. You can either bake them in a loaf pan, or even a cake pan. In the case of the braided loaf, you can bake that on a baking tray too.
With this recipe, you can make TWO bread loaves. You can shape them in one of three ways (there are more ways, but I’m only going to talk about 3 here).
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently flatten the dough into a circle. This will also help release any gas in the dough. Weigh and divide the dough into two portions.
Simple loaf – easiest way to shape the dough
This is the easiest way to shape the loaf. It’s a standard loaf shape with no patterns.
This is very similar to how I shaped my white bread loaf which you can find here.
Braided brioche loaf
This is a classic braided loaf that can be either baked in the loaf pan, OR baked as is on a baking tray.
This is made by dividing the dough into 3 equal portions, then shaping each portion into a long “rope”, then forming a braid with the 3 “ropes”.
Nantaise brioche loaf
This is also a very classic way of shaping brioche dough. I call it a faux-braided loaf, because it looks braided, but it’s not. The dough balls can also be cleanly pulled apart from the dough with this loaf.
The dough is divided into 8 equal pieces, and each portion is shaped into a small, smooth ball. The balls are then placed in a zig-zag pattern in the loaf pan as shown below.
Final proofing and baking
Cover the shaped dough in loaf pans with plastic wrap and allow it to double in size before baking. This will be the final proof. This proofing can also take 2 hours at cooler room temperature, so make sure to keep it in the oven with the light on, or the warmest place in your house.
When the dough doubles in size and reaches the top of the loaf pan, it should be properly proofed. Do the finger test to find out if the dough is properly proofed. To do this, gently press the side of the loaf with your lightly floured finger. This leaves an indentation. If this indentation remains, OR if it bounces back halfway, then the loaf is ready to be baked.
If the indentation bounces back completely, then it’s under-proofed and needs more time to proof.
Proofed nantaise loaf Proofed braided loaf
What to do if your brioche was over-proofed?
If the indentation causes the loaf to deflate, that means it was over-proofed!
If your loaf deflates after proofing, then you have to reshape the dough and start again. Otherwise, baking an over-proofed dough can cause the loaf to overflow, or deflate once baked. So make sure to check on the dough periodically, especially when it has nearly doubled in size.
Egg wash or not?
I prefer an egg wash on my plain brioche bread loaves. It gives it a beautiful, shiny crust!
You can alternatively brush the loaf with simple syrup once out of the oven too. But I prefer this option for sweeter brioche bread recipes (like cinnamon rolls or babka).
Brush the surface well with an egg wash. You can sprinkle the top with small pearl sugar (Swedish pearl sugar, not the Belgian kind) if you like, for that extra crunch!
Preheat the oven while you prep the loaves for baking. Bake the loaves in the preheated oven until the loaf is a beautiful deep golden brown in color, and the internal temperature is about 180° – 190°F when checked with an instant read thermometer. Because this dough is enriched, it doesn’t need to reach 205°F like other types of lean dough.
Once baked, turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
How to enjoy brioche bread
Brioche toast is an incredibly delicious way to enjoy brioche bread. It doesn’t even need any butter because of how rich it is (but it won’t hurt of course!).
Slather some jam on your brioche bread, or any kind of spread – like my fig jam, strawberry jam, grape jelly, or spiced plum jam).
Make cinnamon toast with the brioche bread. The caramelized crunchy cinnamon on top is a great textural contrast with the soft bread.
You can slice the brioche loaf while it’s still a little warm. A freshly baked, warm piece of brioche dough is one of life’s simple pleasures, indeed! 🙂
You can use the brioche dough to make brioche burger buns, or large cinnamon rolls too!
What to do with leftover brioche?
- French toast
- Bread pudding
- Croutons
- Bread crumbs
- Bostock
- Stuffing
Brioche; Frequently Asked Questions
AP flour has protein content of about 10%, while bread flour has 12%. So bread flour will develop more gluten due to the extra protein, which will result in a chewier bread.
So you can use bread flour, but just keep in mind that the texture might be different. It’ll still be soft, buttery and delicious though.
I wouldn’t recommend it. Salted butter has more water than unsalted butter, and of course, it has salt too. Even if you remove the extra salt in the recipe, you might end up with a salty bread loaf because of the large amount of butter you’re adding in this recipe.
The extra salt may inhibit yeast growth too.
Yes, you can. However, the more sugar you add, the more slack the dough will be. For every 50 g of sugar added, remove an equal amount of egg whites. I wouldn’t recommend adding more than 120 – 150 g sugar.
Ooh boy. It is do-able, especially if you like a good arm workout.
Hand kneading generally takes about twice as long. However with brioche, it might take even longer because you have to incorporate the butter in small additions.
I recommend only making ONE loaf (half the recipe), and expect a really good upper body workout. You’re welcome!
Personally, I don’t like making just one loaf in my KitchenAid artisan mixer. This dough is wet, and the kneading hook will have trouble grabbing the dough as well as it should. This can lead to a much longer kneading time.
But you can manually make one brioche loaf with hand kneading if you prefer (see FAQ above).
Yes, you can freeze brioche. With two loaves, you can easily freeze one for later. I have frozen whole loaves and sliced loaves with equal success.
Store in an air-tight container, OR wrap it well with plastic wrap and foil to avoid freezer burn.
Then let it thaw out at room temperature, or toast while frozen.
It’s meant to be. This is an ENRICHED dough. It has A LOT of butter and eggs that make the dough VERY soft. The consistency of this dough after you add the butter will be similar to CAKE BATTER. You have to keep kneading it to help the gluten develop. This can take as little as 15 minutes, but with temperature / humidity changes, it can take as long as 30 minutes as well.
What should the kneaded dough feel like?
When you try to lift the dough from the bowl with the dough hook, the entire dough should come off the bowl WITHOUT breaking. It will be VERY wet and droop down, but it should come off cleanly from the bottom of the bowl.
The dough should also be shiny and smooth. And when you try to form it into a ball, it will feel more like a water balloon (think high hydration dough), than a taught, firm dough.
Have you been kneading the dough for at least 30 minutes, and the dough doesn’t look shiny and smooth?
I don’t personally like to add more flour, because the more flour you add the less soft the dough is going to be. But if you absolutely must, add just a little bit of flour. But MAKE SURE YOU KNEAD until the gluten has developed; or you will end up with a crumbly brioche dough.
I use a KitchenAid artisan mixer. I use speed 5 – 6. It might seem like this would strain your mixer, but I make this dough very regularly. I also like to keep my hand on top of my KitchenAid head during the kneading process.
The overnight proof develops more flavor, and also chills the dough so that it’s easier to handle and shape it the next day.
IF you have done the room temperature proof, then you can skip the overnight proof in theory. However you still need to chill the dough so that you can shape it.
Flatten and place the dough on a baking sheet pan (lined with silpat or parchment paper), and wrap it with plastic wrap. Place the pan in the freezer for a few hours to chill the dough quicker. Then you can shape and bake the bread according to the recipe.
I like doing the first proof at room temperature because it helps with gluten development as well as flavor. However, if you forget and put it in the fridge instead, you may need to proof it longer before baking.
I also prefer to let the dough proof in the fridge longer. If I knew I wanted to keep the dough in the fridge for 48 hours, then I would skip the room temperature proof.
If you live in a high humidity, high temperature area, this can happen. Brioche is like a croissant dough because of the large amount of butter in it. When the dough reaches a temperature of 30°C / 86°F the butter will be too soft and will separate into oils. This will make your brioche oily as the butterfat seeps out of the dough (just like with croissants).
So if you live in a hot tropical climate or your kitchen is very warm, then you may need to chill the dough between kneading to make sure the dough is at least below 30°C / 86°F.
Brioche SHOULD have a lovely depth of flavor if you proofed it overnight.
However, if you over-proof the dough (the first or last proofing), the bread will have an unpleasant beer-like taste.
So make sure to only proof the dough until needed; so don’t necessarily go by time, go by the appearance of the dough.
Yes you can! I’ve shared a recipe specifically for brioche buns. The recipe is the same, but the dough shaping technique is different. Plus, I’ve included different weight variations for different sizes of burgers. From large buns to regular buns, and even slider buns too.
Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Brioche Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- ½ cup warm milk
- 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast about 9 g
- 2 tsp honey
- 5 large eggs You can also use 4 large eggs
- 1 yolk from a large egg. Use 2 egg yolks if using 4 large eggs.
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2.1 oz granulated white sugar 5 tbsp
- 17.6 oz AP flour 4 cups + 2 tbsp (Spoon and leveled)
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt fine grind
- 8.8 oz unsalted butter very soft, roughly divided into four portions (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
Instructions:
DAY ONE
Making the dough
- Measure all the ingredients.
- Add the milk, yeast and honey into the mixing bowl and whisk gently to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
- Add the eggs and yolks, and whisk gently to break the egg yolks.
- Add the vanilla, sugar, flour and sea salt, and mix to form a scraggly dough.
- With the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on speed 2 or 3 for about 3 - 5 minutes.
- Add the first portion of butter, in increments, after the first 5 minutes of kneading. Allow the butter to be mixed well into the dough. This should take about 2 minutes.
- Repeat with the other 3 portions of butter, kneading the dough for about 2 minutes after each addition. Make sure to stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl (and the bottom if needed) between kneading as well. You will have incorporated all the butter in about 9 - 10 minutes of kneading time.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl (and bottom if needed), and knead the dough for a further 5 - 15 minutes on speed 5 or 6.
- The dough will have been kneaded enough when it can be lifted fairly cleanly off the bottom of the bowl when picked up with the dough hook. It will be very soft and tacky to the touch, but shouldn’t stick to your fingertips. Rather than going by time, knead the dough until you have reached this consistency.
- Flour your work surface, and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Lightly flour your hands and the surface of the dough to prevent the dough from sticking to your palms.
- Fold in the edges of the dough towards the middle and gently press them into the dough (see pictures in the post for more information). Carefully flip the dough over, and then with the heel of your palms, shape the dough to form a tight ball.
- Carefully pick up the dough ball and place it back in the mixer bowl (or another large bowl).
- Let it rise until it has doubled in size, in a warm place (72°F), for about 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and press down gently to deflate the dough with your hands. Fold in the edges again as before towards the middle and press them in. Carefully flip the dough over (seam side down now). Tighten the dough into a ball with a smooth, taut surface (using the edges of your palms). Transfer the dough into the mixer bowl again.
- Cover and let it chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
DAY TWO
Shaping and baking the bread
- Remove the chilled dough from the fridge. The dough will be much easier to work with now.
- Butter and dust two 8.5 x 4 inch, standard loaf pans with flour. (You can also use 9 x 5 inch loaf pans).
- Keep a bowl of flour, a pastry brush and a dough scraper/cutter ready as well.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Deflate the dough by flattening it lightly. Measure the weight of the dough, and then divide it into two EQUAL portions, using the dough cutter or a sharp knife.
- Now you've got two dough portions to make two brioche bread loaves.
Shaping the loaves
Nantaise brioche loaf
- Weigh one portion of the loaf and divide it into 8 equal portions.
- For each portion (with the smooth side down), fold in the edges towards the middle as before. Carefully flip the dough over, and using a cupped palm, roll the dough portion on your work surface until you have a smooth dough ball (see pictures in the post for more details). Repeat with the other dough portions to get 8 smooth dough balls.
- Place the dough balls in the loaf pan in a zig-zag manner. This will likely be a fairly snug fit.
- After arranging the dough balls in the loaf pan, flatten them slightly. Then cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside.
Braided brioche loaf
- Divide one portion of the dough into 3 equal portions.
- Flatten each portion into a small rectangle. Then tightly roll up the rectangle to form a tube. Using your palms, and a back and forth motion, roll out the dough into a 14 inch long bread rope. Apply light but even pressure to get a bread rope with even width.
- Repeat with the other two portions.
- Now you have three 14 inch long bread ropes. Bring the ends of the three ropes together and pinch to seal. Braid the dough, while being careful to avoid any loose folds and to not stretch the dough ropes at the same time. Once braided, the bread loaf should be a little longer than the length of the pan (about 9 - 10 inches).
- Pinch to seal the other end. Using your palms, press down the ends of the bread to flatten them against the work surface. Tuck the flattened ends to get a lovely, rounded loaf.
- Carefully transfer this to the buttered and floured bread pan. Flatten slightly to fit the loaf pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Regular bread loaf
- Follow the same shaping instructions as for my white bread loaf in this recipe to form a regular bread loaf shape.
Proofing the bread before baking
- Proof the bread in the covered loaf pans for about 2 hours at room temperature, or until doubled in size, and almost reaching the top of the pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F/163°C before baking the loaves.
- Once doubled in size, brush the tops with an egg wash. Optionally, you can also sprinkle some Swedish sugar pearls on top for a sweet crunch.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top and the internal temperature registers 190°F/88°C. This can take about 35 - 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the bread loaf cool slightly - about 5 minutes.
- Carefully flip the bread loaf out of the pan, onto a cooling rack. Let it cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.
Tips & Tricks
- If you have access to fresh yeast, use 18 g of fresh yeast.
- If you have access to instant yeast, use 4.5 g of instant yeast.
- If you make a small indentation in the dough with your fingertip and it bounces back slightly, then it's ready to be baked.
- If the indentation stays, it's starting to over-proof, so bake it as soon as possible.
- If the bread deflates when poked with a finger, then it has over-proofed.
JILL HANSEN says
Just made your brioche bread and I don’t think I’ll ever eat any other bread! The crumb is absolutely delicious and so tender, like a delicate sugar cookie. I think my butter was a little too soft, but it worked. I’d post a picture if I could.
Brett says
Wow, this is a great recipe. Turned out perfectly. Tastes just as good as from the expensive French bakery in my town.
Great post about how and why to do everything. Followed recipe exactly.
Made 2 braided loafs, the 2nd one was much prettier.
Next time will be making slider buns for smash burgers and a cinnamon raisin loaf
Thank you 🙂
Sela says
I chanced this as the first thing I’d make with my new standing mixer. As a first time bread maker (because it’s.. THE TIMES), I was a little worried that I may totally mess this up. In fact, I though I HAD many times because what I had didn’t look exactly like the image. But I have just finished the first piece of this bread and I am VERY happy with the outcome. I mad one loaf (in a two big pan) one bun and three slider buns. I’m pretty excited to try my best to not devour the whole loaf this weekend!
Rhyme says
I used this recipe to make brioche for the first time and it came out great! The pictures were so helpful as were the explanations at each step. The end result was perfectly buttery and soft just the way I love my brioche. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Rhyme! I’m so glad the recipe turned out just the way you like it! 🙂
Rebecca says
I would like to try your brioche recipe. Can I make the dough using my bread machine instead of kneading it manually or with a mixer?
Dini says
Hi Rebecca
I don’t know if a bread maker will work. I haven’t personally tried to make it in a bread maker either.
This is a very soft, and wet dough and I don’t know if a bread maker will be capable of kneading it properly.
If you wanted to give it a go, you could try kneading for just one loaf (1/2 the recipe) and see if it works in your breadmaker.
I hope that works for you!
Cynthia says
My dough came out like slime even after kneading for 30mins on speed 5 to 6. I added more flour but i just couldn’t shape it into a dough. I followed the measurements and steps to a T. What am i doing wrong? 🙁
Dini says
Hi Cynthia
I’m not sure what you mean by slimy.
If the butter has separated from the dough and causing the dough to be oily, then I have recommended (in the FAQ section) placing the bowl in the fridge for a bit to cool the dough down and resume with kneading.
I hope that helps
Rita Zelig says
Recipe was fairly straightforward. I used it to combine with my favorite Challah Bread recipe to make a Brioche Style Challah Bread! It was an EXCELLENT SUCCESS! I would submit photos, but there is no way to do that here. Sorry about that!
Ann K says
I love this recipe
Effy says
Best recipe ever with good explanation for each step. Liked the description on why we do it, in lieu to only giving an instruction. On the side note my hand mixer did pretty well 🙂
Joelle says
Very nice outcome and very detailed explanation. Thank you so much!
Don says
Very few people are capable of writing recipes with this much detail and that is much appreciated. The two loaves of Brioche turned out perfectly and easy to accomplish. This deserved all five stars I rated it.
Congratulations
Ginger says
Would it be possible to roll or pat this dough out to make cinnamon bread for toast or French toast? Thank you.
Dini says
Hi Ginger!
You can roll out the dough while it’s still chilled, sprinkle cinnamon, and roll it back to form a loaf to make a cinnamon swirl bread. You can also add cinnamon to the dough while kneading the dough to make cinnamon bread too.
I hope this helps
Danica says
Absolutely amazing. I’m a self-taught, 12 yo baker, and this was so easy and fun to make. The dough was super soft and fun to work with, and the finished bread was ABSOLUTELY soft and delicious. Just a slight butter taste. I made one braided loaf, and 8 buns. The hardest part was definitely waiting the 24 hours. I did it with the egg wash of course, but would omitting it make a difference? I don’t wanna waste an entire egg just for two loaves.
Melanie says
Love, love, love this recipe, turned out perfect! I am totally clueless on baking, but I love bread. Working from home gave me a bit more time to do things at home. So in my spare time browsing the internet, there are tons of baking tutorials. Hmm, why not try. So here I am, loving this baking thing. This is actually the second brioche recipe I’ve tried, and I like this a lot better. The first try, my son said was yeasty, no clue why. So this one I followed every tiny tips, thank you!, also the braid and nantaise shape. The house smells so good while baking, I let the bread sit in the cooling rack for 5 mins, sliced it, spread strawberry jam, and enjoyed it with coffee. Awesomely (is this correct? Oh well) delicious!! Morning craving satisfied .
Vina Jonson says
First time making this was amazing
Rita Zelig says
2 things of note: I cut back on salt to 3/4 tspn & I used Coconut Rum in place of vanilla. But…for proofing purposes; I used a tried & true method… large pot filled 1/2 way with boiling water placed in bottom of cold oven. Place bowl containing dough on top of cookie sheet on a rack just above it & close oven door. It proofs any type of dough with heat lasting from 1-2 hours depending upon proofing time. I actually made this to be used as a braided round Raisin Challah for Jewish New Year. Once braided, I placed it into a rounded shape, tucked in end underneath & placed in a cake tin, to ensure perfection of rounded shape. WORKS PERFECTLY! And if keeping totally KOSHER…substitute COUNTRY CROCK ALMOND OR OLIVE OIL “BUTTER” for regular butter, & defrosted RICH’S COFFEE RICH PAREVE CREAMER in place of milk. FANTASTIC RESULTS! WONDERFUL RECIPE! Thank You! Shana Tova!
Chai Nimmagadda says
I actually just got a stand mixer recently. This is one of the best uses for it I’ve found. The recipe turned out awesome, even if my bread looks strange from lack of braiding skills.
Deborah says
I only have salted butter right now and I’m wondering if I use salted butter how it will effect the recipe. I’m so excited to try the recipe!
Dini says
Hi Deborah
As noted in the post, I prefer not to make this with salted butter because this is such a butter heavy bread dough.
This is what I have written in my FAQ section – “I wouldn’t recommend it. Salted butter has more water than unsalted butter, and of course, it has salt too. Even if you remove the extra salt in the recipe, you might end up with a salty bread loaf because of the large amount of butter you’re adding in this recipe.
The extra salt may inhibit yeast growth too.”
If that is what you have, you can give it go if you like, but there is a chance that the bread might be saltier than the original (depending on the salt level in your butter).
I hope that helps!
Claudia Campagna says
I made it again and again. Fabulous
JK Lopez says
Amazing recipe! First time I made a bread. When I printed this recipe, it says if halving, use 2 eggs + 2 yolks but going back to the site, it now says 1 yolk and I just finished making it. Will that be ok? Also, the top always splits, any suggestion? Thanks again for this amazing recipe.
Dini says
Hi JK!
That is absolutely OK! 2 egg yolks will just make the bread richer in taste 🙂
I’m sorry about the 2 egg yolk correction, I miscalculated it initially. But I promise that it won’t have an impact on the final result (Just would have made the dough more softer to handle though!)
The bread usually splits because it is under proofed and the oven spring caused it to split. You may need to let it proof a little longer.
I hope that helps!
Teri Wolfe says
I have never made brioche before and even with a couple small mistakes, this bread turned out amazing. I can’t believe how light it is. It’s just like you said…a cross between a bread and a croissant! I will definitely be making this again.
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Teri! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Rebecca says
Amazing! Definitely a long recipe, but your instructions made it so easy! I made an attempt at a braid and it didn’t come out as nice as yours. But the other shape with the small rolls came out perfectly. One loaf lasted a week on the counter. I froze the other one by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then aluminum. and when I defrosted it at room temp it lasted a week and was still delicious! Thank you!
Hana says
In the post itself, you talked about being able to bake the bread as a beautiful without a pan, but in the actual recipe you don’t talk about how to do that. Can you tell us how that works too? Is there a 1-2 hour proofing with a pan free bread after shaping?
Dini says
Hi Hana
This is what I have written in the post
“When the dough is nice and chilled, it can be divided and shaped. You can either bake them in a loaf pan, or even a cake pan. In the case of the braided loaf, you can bake that on a baking tray too.”
So if you shape the dough as a braided loaf, you can tuck in the sides and just transfer the braided loaf onto a baking tray and bake it in the oven. You will absolutely have to proof bread dough after shaping it, or other wise you will have a dense loaf.
I hope that helps.
Hana says
Dini,
I was in the middle of proofing this recipe when I asked that question. I’ve since finished it, bread pans and all, and I’m astounded at how wonderfully this bread turned out. Thank you for the response to my question, and for the amazing, detailed recipe. It took me a very long time to develop gluten because I was afraid of burning my motor out, but once I got over that, and it developed, it was bliss to work with the satiny dough and eventually to eat it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Elin Wee says
Hi Dini, Thank you so much for writing this recipe in detail. It was my first attempt at making brioche and it was a great success!! I am enjoying a freshly baked warm bun with a coffee as Im typing this comment. I started the dough in mixer and had to take it out halfway cos it needed so much kneading that my mixer was burning up. I turned it out on my board and thought that it was going to be a disaster because it had barely come together. Anyway, I washed my hands, rolled up my sleeves and started to knead. Half an hour later, it held together a nice soft dough. It was a great learning process to feel the dough come together under my hands. I cold-proofed it overnight in the fridge, took it out at lunch time and baked it for afternoon tea. Thank you.
Jiraporn says
I only have a convection oven. Any tips for this?
Dini says
Hi Jiraporn
With a convection oven you can either bake at the same temperature, but the loaf may bake faster.
Or you can reduce the oven temperature by 25F and bake it for about the same amount of time. It depends on how hot your convection oven runs as well.
The best way to tell if the bread is baked through is with a temperature probe that can give you the internal temperature of the bread.
I hope that helps!
Sarah says
Thank you for such detailed and easy to follow instructions. My loaves turned out really great and so tasty – everybody just loved them!! If I want to double the recipe, do I just double the ingredients or is there something I should adjust? Thanks again for sharing – this recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Dini says
Hi Sarah
Did you want to make 4 loaves?
My only concern with doubling the amount of dough is how a regular home mixer will be able to handle it. The amount of dough and the length of kneading will be too much for my KitchenAid Artisan mixer (5 qt bowl).
However, I think a KitchenAid Pro Line Series would have a more sturdy motor to handle that amount of dough and kneading.
Sarah says
Definitely 5-star
Olivia Houlihan says
This recipe looks amazing. With the world right now it has been pretty hard finding yeast. The only type that I have been able to find is fast rise yeast. Could this recipe still be made, and what changes would you recommend if so??
Dini says
Hi Olivia
Fast rise yeast is instant yeast. I have included measurements for instant yeast in the recipe notes as well. Instant yeast doesn’t usually need to be activated, so you don’t need to let it activate before kneading the dough.
I hope that helps!
Rebecca says
do you still use the milk and honey then if using instant yeast?
Dini says
Hi Rebecca
You still need to use the milk and honey for the recipe. But you don’t need to activate the yeast and can add it straight to the mixer will other ingredients.
I hope that helps
Bobbi says
Recipe turned out wonderfully. Do you have any recommendations for doubling the recipe?
Dini says
Hi Bobbi!
I’m so glad that you had success with this recipe.
As for doubling the recipe, this already does make two loaves. But if you’re looking to make 4 loaves, it might be difficult with a standard home mixer. That amount of dough would be too much for a standard home mixer and cause some strain. If you do have a larger mixer with a better motor (like the larger kitchen aid professional range), this is more do-able.
Harriet says
my dough will not rise, I used instant yeast but otherwise I followed the recipe precisely any idea why?
Dini says
Hi Harriet
If the bread didn’t rise, this is because of the yeast. If the yeast isn’t active, this can lead to bread not rising.
I hope that helps
Mao says
Hi! Can I make this with instant yeast?
Dini says
Hi Mao
The instructions for making this bread with instant yeast is already provided in the post and the recipe.
I hope that helps!
Jessica says
My loaves turned out amazing!! I left the dough to chill proof for almost 36hrs. My oven was also smaller than others so i tented the top of my loaves after 25min. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis 🙂 Thank you!
MIGUEL L. SANCHEZ says
Thanks for the recipe! My family really loves it!
Question I want to turn one loaf into cinnamon raisin roll as you suggested in other comments, and other half into buns.
How should I go about the buns? Size, proofing?
Dini says
Hi Miguel
I’m glad that your family loved this recipe 🙂
You can roll out the dough, and sprinkle a thin layer of cinnamon and raisins, then roll it up and place it in the loaf pan and proceed with the recipe to make cinnamon raisin loafs. To make buns, you can follow this recipe.
J says
It looks great but came out a little dry. Any tips on what might have gone wrong. Baked for 35 minutes. I halved the recipe and used 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
Dini says
Hi J
There can be a few reasons why the bread can end up being dry.
1 ) using a cup to measure the flour instead of weight measurements – by using volume measurements, there is a risk of adding more flour than recommended and this can lead to a dry loaf.
2 ) not kneading the dough enough – If the gluten is not developed, the resulting dough can be very crumbly, which can seem like it’s dry.
3 ) over baking the bread dough – If it’s over baked even just a few degrees above the recommended internal temperature it can result is starting to dry out the crumb in the loaf.
I hope this information helped.
Tess says
I have a question, this is my third time making brioche with your recipe, and I love it. However, its much warmer where I live now so my dough is more wet, though rising well. I put it in the fridge about 4 hours ago for its second proof. Its in my Kitchen Aid mixer bowl, and it has already reached the top of the bowl. Is it ok to transfer it into a larger (wider) bowl to continue proving, or should I just let it remain in the the mixer bowl. I don’t want the dough to overflow the bowl nor to keep it from rising.
Dini says
Hi Tess!
I use a 5qt kitchen aid bowl, and during summer I find that my dough does reach the top of the bowl, but it never overflows. I do keep the dough in the coldest part of my fridge. And as the dough cools down, it proofs less as well.
You can deflate the dough a little and cover it and let it continue to proof in the fridge, or transfer it to a bigger bowl if you like too! 🙂 Either of these options should work.
I hope that helps!
Krystal says
I followed all of the steps but my dough will not form a ball. Any ideas why?
Dini says
Hi Krystal
This dough is a very soft dough. It doesn’t form a ball of dough like other lean doughs. The dough starts off looking like cake batter and then forms gluten to become smooth, but still very soft. Please refer to the recipe and the notes and photos in the post for how the dough will change when the gluten is developed (i.e. being able to lift the dough cleanly off the bowl using the dough hook). You can also perform the window pane test as well.
I hope that helps
Taylor says
I love this recipe! My family now demands brioche like every weekend for different brunch options since we can’t really go out.
I do have a question: is there a possibility of over-kneading? I live in the south and it’s always storming and ALWAYS hot! The dough would not come together, so I kept kneading for about 45 minutes even after the butter was incorporated. I eventually found your note about putting it in the refrigerator, but I think it may have been too late. It’s been proofing in the fridge for about 12 hours and hasn’t doubled in size. When I do the indentation test, my finger shape holds in the dough – I would assume it’s ready to bake. Hopefully I can save it, but I’m prepared to start over if necessary.
Dini says
Hi Taylor
I’m so glad that your family loves this brioche recipe! 🙂
While you can overknead the dough, if the gluten didn’t develop until after 45 minutes, then it couldn’t have overkneaded. The longest my dough has taken to knead properly (after adding butter) is about 25 minutes. Overkneading only happens if you keep kneading the dough after the gluten has properly developed.
The dough will also not always double in size in the fridge. If your fridge is very cold, the dough may not double and that’s OK. The dough will double in size when proofing at room temperature, and it might take a little longer depending on the weather. And the indentation test ONLY works for dough that is proofing at room temperature. This is why I use the indentation test to check how much the dough has proofed, after shaping the dough and allowing it to proof at room temperature BEFORE baking. Not while the dough is chilling in the fridge, or while still cold. When the dough is cold, the indentation will always remain because the dough is chilled and doesn’t have any elasticity.
I hope that helps!
Taylor says
Thank you so much! I went ahead and baked the loaves and they came out perfect.
Matt says
I haven’t tried this yet, but I really appreciate you going into the chemistry. I did not know that fat hinders gluten development and I think that will help me with my challah dough too. Thank you!
Stephanie says
Omg. AMAZING. THANK YOU! MY KIDS LOVE THIS! WE ALL DO. Great for grilled cheese, french toast, ham and swiss, all kinds of yummy sandwiches.
Sheena says
Hi! Is your baking temp based on conventional or convection (fan) oven? I have a conventional oven that usually runs low but I do have an oven thermometer. Just like to confirm if I need to bake at a higher temp if it’s 325F fan. Thanks! 🙂
Jerri Moore says
Excellent recipe! I used to work in a French patisserie and enjoyed the brioche there. This rivals that recipe. I have made it 3 times now and it always comes out perfectly! The last time I made it, we just moved and I forgot I had no honey. I used Agave syrup and the bread came out great. I usually NEVER substitute and then rate a recipe, but wanted to share how great and thorough your directions were. Thank you!
Harmony Bond says
Hi, can I use a bread maker for this recipe?
Dini says
Hi Harmony
I don’t know if a bread maker will work. I haven’t personally tried to make it in a bread maker either.
This is a very soft, and wet dough and I don’t know if a bread maker will be capable of kneading it properly.
If you wanted to give it a go, you could try kneading for just one loaf (1/2 the recipe) and see if it works in your breadmaker.
I hope that works for you!
Kenna says
Could I use maple syrup instead of honey, I’m making this for frecnhtoast.
Dini says
Hi Kenna
The honey in the recipe doesn’t flavor the bread. Honey is an invert sugar that yeast finds easier to feed on.
You can use maple syrup instead of the honey, but it won’t really flavor the final result.
I hope that helps!
Michael says
Hi Dini
A quick question … when you say vanilla … is this vanilla essesence/extract (comes in a little bottle) ?
Thanks
Michael
Dini says
Hi Michael
I use vanilla extract. You can also use a similar amount of vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean if you like too. I don’t like vanilla essence because it is synthetic and can taste bitter.
I hope that helps
frank says
i hand knead it. after shaping and proofing, the butter melts. can i freeze it and put it into the oven straight from the fridge?
Dini says
Hi Frank
As mentioned in the post and the recipe, I recommend shaping the dough AFTER keeping it in the fridge. This is because it’s VERY hard to shape it into a loaf when at room temperature. The more you work the dough and the warmer it is that day, the warmer the dough becomes, which risks the butter melting.
It’s not clear at which point you want to freeze the dough, and what your kneading and shaping process was from your comment. If you decide to freeze the dough, it would need to be defrosted or thawed out before working with it.
However, it is also not recommended that you bake straight from the fridge as the dough has had no time for a final proof. You may end up with a dough that is dense, or underdone. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have other questions or need more clarification.
Roda says
Hello, Loved the recipe it looks so well done.
i would like to ask if possible to use bread flour ? do you recommend it ?
Definitely will try the recipe soon !!
Dini says
Hi Roda!
As noted in the post, you can use bread flour, but you may find slight differences in the texture.
I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Angela says
Hi i’m trying this recipe and I’m now up to the retarding in the fridge step. However, I notice my dough beginning to rise almost double even inside the fridge for 1 hour now. Should I deflate, reshape and chill again in the fridge? My plan was to bake it the next day. Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Angela
You can deflate the dough a little while it’s in the bowl and let it continue to slow proof in the fridge. You don’t have to reshape it.
This happens if the dough is warm and the yeast stays active until the dough chills. I use my 5 qt mixer bowl for the overnight proof and the dough usually reaches the top of the bowl overnight. The growth of the dough will slow down as it chills.
You can still proceed with the recipe the next day 🙂
I hope that helps!
Angela says
Yes you’re right. The dough was still warm when I popped it into the fridge. Now after 5 hours elapsed, it seems to have slowed down. Hope it will turn out nicely tomorrow! Thanks for the reply!