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.
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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.
Priya S says
perfect. plan on blowing my commitment to healthy eating by making more this coming week.
Patrick A says
I saw the note about using 4.5g if using instant yeast a little late and used 9g. Dough is in the fridge. Is there any way to save it at this point?
Dini says
Hi Patrick
It will be fine! The bread may rise much faster than stated in the recipe, so you may need to cut down on the proofing time (go by visuals, rather than time). The bread may have a slightly more yeasted flavor, but otherwise it will be fine!
Hope that helps!
Carol says
I left a question a couple of days ago, but I have not have submitted it correctly. Could you advise a weight for a large egg (as used in this recipe) without the shell, please?
I looked on your conversions page, but it only lists shell-on weights. I live in Scotland, and the eggshells seem to be quite a bit thicker than the ones I used to get in the States. And of course, the weight ratings don’t match, either – we get small, medium, large, and extra-large eggs here. I usually try to buy the medium size because I’ve heard that’s kinder to the hens, but I don’t know how a medium egg in Scotland compares in weight to a large egg in the USA / Canada.
Thank you!
Dini says
Hi Carol
Sorry for the late reply!
A large egg without the shell here in Canada (would be similar in the US too from what I remember) is about 48 g. There could be slight variations between eggs, but I think it would average between 46 – 49 g.
I hope that helps!
Carol says
Thank you, Dini! You have no idea how long I’ve been searching for this info. Thank you very much.
Annisa says
Hello, my dough is now in the fridge and i will be cooking it tomorrow, howsver i got confused with the number 1 and 3 before baking as it says you have to preheat the oven in 163 degrees C until brown then in number 3. It needs to cook in 88 degrees C for 35 to 45 mins..so please enlighten me, how long do i have to cook it in 163 degrees? Thank you so much!
Dini says
Hi Annisa
The oven temperature is 163 C. The 88 C is not the oven temperature, but what the internal temperature of the bread should be when it’s done baking.
Hope that helps.
Carol says
I am very eager to try this recipe. Could you advise, please, the weight (without the shell) of a large egg in grams? I looked in your measurement conversions page, but it gives the weight of an unshelled egg. I live in Scotland, and the eggshells here are usually a lot thicker than the ones in the USA. Plus the size gradings are different, so I’m always in a quandry about how many eggs to use.
Thank you for your time and the work you put into your recipes and website!
MJ says
Any way you can share your professional recipe? Did you make your own fresh yeast, if so, are you able to share the recipe for that as well?
Dini says
Hi MJ
This recipe yields the same results as the professional recipe.
If you have access to fresh cake yeast (not sourdough starter), then you can use 20g of the fresh cake yeast instead of the active dry. And replace the egg yolks with whole eggs and no milk/water is used.
Hope that helps
Lovey says
Hi your recipe is wonderful! Can I check with you if it’s necessary to reach windowpane test after kneading this dough?
Dini says
Hi Lovey
I do get a successful window pane test after kneading the dough. Once the dough is smooth, satiny and can be lifted up using the dough hook, you will find that it can create a windowpane as well.
Hope that helps!
Aslan Balaur says
Love the sound of a good brioche, BUT I just recently learned that I have a mild egg allergy. Doctor says for the foreseeable future at least, no eggs. Is there any way to make an eggless brioche?
Dini says
Hi Aslan!
There should be vegan brioche recipes on the internet that use no eggs in the dough. I do think that a true brioche, uses eggs to give the dough the richness and softness that egg yolks provide. However a vegan brioche recipe could be just as soft!
Another great, soft bread recipe is this Japanese milk bread recipe that is truly wonderful! The recipe does use 1 egg, but it can be replaced with 1/4 cup of milk instead.
I hope that helps!
Clarise says
I used this recipe to make a base for my King Cake and it came out perfectly!!! The best flakiness, soft on the inside, and just sweet enough on its own that I didn’t even need to add the typical cinnamon sugar to it. I would say this recipe is extremely easy if you’re an experienced home baker, and fairly easy for a beginner who’s taking this on. It just takes time and patience really! I’m going to use this recipe to make plain brioche loaves later on as well, but overall this is the perfect base for a king cake if anybody is looking for one! I use a cream cheese frosting on mine and I just dyed some regular granulated sugar. I would rate this ten stars if I could. ❤️❤️
Antoinette says
I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was so delicious! Thank you for the details instructions and photos as this really helped!!
Rosie says
I have used this recipe multiple times now. It is delicious. For me the dough comes out very loose. It does not come up in one mass with the hook. I knead it for about 30 minutes. Anyway, it’s my go to brioche recipe. My kids love it. Thanks
Jane says
Thank you so much for the recipe and detailed information! It turned out perfect the first time I made it… last week and I’ve just popped my third batch in the fridge to do the 2 day cold proofing! Also made the Japanese milk bread and it’s in the fridge getting ready for baking tomorrow. Can’t wait to see how that turns out! Since we’re all at home my kids and husband are very happy to have fresh bread each day!
Aimee says
Just popped it in the oven. I am so excited and hope it turns out . If I wanted to try a cinnamon loaf how would you incorporate the cinnamon in? Thanks so much for your great detailed post.
Dini says
Hi Aimee!
You can add cinnamon straight into the dough, while kneading if you like. Alternatively, while the dough is chilled (after the overnight proof), roll out the dough into a rectangle (as I have indicated in this post) and sprinkle some cinnamon and roll it up and shape it into a loaf.
I have also made brioche cinnamon rolls here too!
I hope the loaf turns out well 🙂
Ron Anderson says
This recipe was great. Even when I tweaked a little bit to make different things, they all turned out terrific. I have cut it into 3 equal portions and made 1 regular, 1 chocolate chip and one cinnamon raisin loaf. Also made two smaller loaves and 12 rolls (6 chocolate, 6 Apple Cinnamon) Thanks for the great recipe.
Daniel Arendzen says
I don’t have a mixer (yes, I’m an amateur hahahaha) but a breadmaker instead (see! real amateur!!)…. Nah, I also can bake bread by hand.
Anyway, I thought I was smart to use the breadmaker to knead the dough, but, of course, it jammed. Too heavy I guess!
So. There I was, putting it in a glass bowl and kneading the dough by hand! It took me an hour!! Obviously, the full recipe, not the one loaf version!
Now it is proofing and the dough is rising! Tomorrow I know more as I let it in the fridge over night.
It’s a hell of an experience to end the year well 😀
Inah says
My dough never pulled away from the sides and came up as one mass with the hook during the kneading phase even though I had the stand mixer going for about 30 mins. Any thoughts as to why?
Dini says
Hi Inah
As mentioned in the post, you are looking for the dough to come up in one mass with the hook when it’s lifted.
The dough has been kneaded enough at this stage.
Ann says
I love love this recipe. Instead of making two loaves, I cut the other into pieces abs either used Nutella or stuffed with cheese and the rolls were amazing. I can’t thank you enough!
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Ann! Those Nutella / cheese stuffed rolls sound delicious! 🙂
Patti says
Help. My first rise has been in turned off, lit oven for 1 hour and 45 mins and it’s not doubling. Do I need to start over???
Dini says
Hi Patti
You need to go by the consistency of the dough as well as the size. As mentioned in the post, you can do the finger test to check if the loaf has proofed properly even if it doesn’t double in size.
Hope that helps
Patti Embry says
Yes thank you so much. I’ve read it several times but totally missed the finger test. Thank you for answering so quickly. Merry Christmas!!
Forgetfulness says
Ummmm…so I tend to forget things that aren’t on my mind and I kinda let my dough rise for about 32 hours I remembered half way thru work today….what does this do to the dough and will it just be a slightly different taste???
Dini says
Hi!
It happens to the best of us! 🙂
After proofing for that long, the dough will be overproofed and will have a stronger yeasty flavor. There’s a chance that the dough might be a little dense depending on how much “life” is left in the yeast as well!
I hope it was still delicious!
VC says
Love the recipe last time I made it but was wondering can I add dry fruit and if so at what point in the recipe and how much should be added? Thanks!
Dini says
Hi VC
You can add dried fruit towards the end of the kneading time. Maybe during the last 5 – 10 minutes of kneading time. Allowing the fruit to disperse evenly through the dough.
I hope that helps!
Ms. Gutman says
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast? If so, it will not need to be activated in milk. Can I just add all wet ingredients and dry ones and can start kneading the dough and then start adding butter?
And what is the purpose of honey in this recipe? Can I skip adding honey?
Dini says
Hi Ms Gutman
You can use instant yeast and add it directly to the dry ingredients (without activating it). You can process with the recipe, with this change in ingredients without a problem.
I prefer to use honey because it helps the yeast activate better (yeast feeds on honey better than sugar), but if you wanted to you can leave it out if you want.
Hope that helps
Surj Parhar says
I’ve been wanting to make brioche bread for a while. Very detailed, which is great. The most time consuming part is weighing the ingredients exactly using a digital scale and the time to make the dough at the beginning. I would not attempt this unless you have a mixer. A lot of time to knead even with the mixer. The rest of the steps are fairly straightforward. The bread is cooling right now. Sooo excited to eat it! And of course in the spirit of giving I am sharing one loaf with my 2 sisters who get half each! We get to keep a whole one.
Connie Mei Ledford says
This is my first time baking brioche! I love it. Thank you for such a detail blog to be successful in making it!
Jasper Atrens says
I just baked this this morning and it is very delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
Rachel says
My dough is doing it’s first proof right now but rereading through the detailed instructions, it says that the salt needs to be added on top of the flour (I was using the regular recipe instructions during this step so I missed it) and I don’t think I did this
Is my bread ruined now? What will happen to it?
Dini says
Hi Rachel
Making sure that the salt doesn’t touch the yeast is so that it doesn’t hinder the activity of the yeast. It may not make a big impact on the final result depending on how the salt was mixed. If it was added directly to the activated yeast, there is a possibility that it could kill some of the yeast. If the salt was mixed in with the flour and then added, then the likelihood of it having an impact is less.
I hope that helps!
Rachel says
It all ended up working out.. maybe a little too well because now this bread is in high demand! I’m making 2 batches of the brioche buns for dinner rolls (some for my family and some for my friends) and the loaves for our Christmas morning French toast casserole
Thanks for the great recipe and your help!!!
Alice L Shockley says
Sorry I just keep commenting, but first time, like I said. It’s done. It’s been tried, and it’s AMAZING! Soft, buttery, and wonderful.
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe and your website in general. Such great instructions! I’ll definitely be trying some more!
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Alice, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and it worked well for you! 🙂
Alice L Shockley says
So far so good. It’s in the fridge for the second rise and after just 2 hours I had to move it from my 4 quart pyrex bowl into the 5 1/2 quart bowl from my mixer because it was already touching the wrap.
I was worried because it never really pulled away from the mixer bowl like it should but I let it knead 20 minutes and it looked smooth so I went for it. It all came out in one piece, but there was a lot of residue in the bowl. Wish I could show you a picture. Could it have been because I really didnt scrape the sides well during the butter portion?
It rose just fine and feels soft and silky and wonderful. I cant wait for tomorrow! I’ve never baked anything but a basic white bread, mostly no-knead, so fingers crossed!
Alice L Shockley says
I’m making this today…or rather making today, baking tomorrow. I only need one loaf right away. Can I freeze the second? Either before or after baking?
Alice L Shockley says
Oh my goodness, how did I mis the comment from November? Sorry to ask the same question twice!
Dini says
Hi Alice
You can absolutely freeze the second loaf for later. I prefer to freeze it after baking, because once thawed, it will still be fresh.
If you want to freeze it before baking, you can freeze it BEFORE shaping the dough into the loaf pan. Otherwise the loaf will thaw and proof unevenly before baking.
I hope that helps!
pipie says
hi! love your very clear step-by-step explanation for the recipe! i do have 1 question, if i were to make my bun less chewy, should i omit the egg? and if i did, can i replace it with milk? does the egg works as binder or leavening or just for flavor?
i’m sorry for my many many many questions ^_^ i’m a newbie on baking hahaha
Dini says
Hi Pipie
The eggs are there to add richness and make the bread soft. Brioche is a cross between a cake and bread. The chewyness comes from the gluten in the flour. This bread is not chewy unless you use bread flour – so with AP flour, the bread shouldn’t be chewy.
I don’t recommend not adding eggs because the eggs are important for brioche and without it it wouldn’t taste as rich and cake like.
I hope that helps!
Sunn Umraow says
This recipe came out perfect!!!!
Janet says
Hi Dini,
Just made the brioche and had it this morning as breakfast. It was so delicious, crispy outside, soft, moist and buttery inside. Everyone in my family loves it. Thanks very much for sharing this yummy recipe.
Ros says
Hi Dini! Thank you very much for your selfless sharing! I love how much details you have put in order to let us understand on each and every steps! One question! If I am using a kefir starter to make this …can I know roughly how much kefir starter should I introduce in this recipe of yours please. Cos my girl is allergic to commercial yeast. As such, I would very much love to give your delicious recipe a try! Thank you in advance!
Dini says
Hi Ros
Unfortunately I’m not very familiar with kefir starters so I wouldn’t be able to provide you with reliable advice on how to substitute the yeast with a starter.
I’m sorry for not being able to help you!
Maybe a sourdough brioche recipe will be able to give you a better place to start off?
Elyse says
Hoping to start this dough tonight! Is there a point in the process where I could freeze one of the loaves to bake later in the week?
Dini says
Hi Elyse
I have frozen my dough instead of leaving it in the fridge overnight for a proof. I flatten the dough portion I want to freeze (gently with my hands), and place it on a quarter sheet pan and wrap it well with plastic wrap. Once frozen, I would transfer it to a freezer bag and leave it in the freezer until I need it. Let the frozen dough thaw out (at least overnight) in the fridge before you need it. Then once thawed, it can be shaped, proofed and baked as stated in recipe.
My preferred method is to bake the bread and freeze the baked bread. Once it thawed it’s almost (if not, just as good) as good as freshly baked.
I hope that helps!
C says
Hi! Made the dough and it turned out well after a long kneading in the mixer. I think having experience with sourdough, which is also a “wet” dough, helped a lot with handling it. I’m planning on baking it tomorrow, and my oven has a steam function. Will it work on brioche? Should I alter the temperature if using steam?
Dini says
Hi C
I’m glad the brioche came out well.
I currently own a conventional oven, so convection and/or convection steam ovens may either need a temperature adjustment or a time adjustment. I’m not sure if additional steam will need any baking adjustments because I haven’t used steam for brioche before. I do use steam of sourdough, but never thought of using steam for brioche. Let me know know if you do try it and how it comes out!
C says
Thank you! I will keep you updated.
One more thing, the recipe calls for 9 grams of instant yeast, but in your “notes on yeast”, you write 4.5 grams – is 9 grams correct?
Dini says
Hi C
The recipe states 9 g of active dry yeast. This is different from instant yeast.
I hope that helps!
Lise W. says
I like the recipe, it’s very well explained. Just eating my first slice, it was good, really good. But I find there is a strong yeast taste, stronger than expected. Could be because of overproofing the dough… the brioche was very soft inside, but maybe a little dense (still very good and so close to the brioches I’m used to eating back in France). Thank you for the recipe, I will do it again.
Dini says
Hi Lise, I’m glad you liked the recipe! If it had a strong yeast taste AND was a little dense, then yes, it does sound like it was over-proofed. I hope that helps for next time!
Emily B says
This was incredible. I made monkey bread/pull apart bread and a braided loaf. So amazing. I was comfortable with the slackness of the dough because I bake sourdough often. The buttery vanilla flavor of this was just incredible. Thank you for the recipe and detailed instructions! This was my first attempt at brioche and it’s perfect! (Aside from my lackluster braiding skills )
Dini says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Emily, and that it came out well on your first attempt! 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know.
Alisha says
I just made this recipe for the second time and I love it. But this time it came out a bit more dense than the first. On my first try it was more light and fluffy. Did I overknead or not let it proof long enough?
Dini says
Hi Alisha
It could be either of those things. Since the brioche does require a long kneading time, you only risk over kneading if you knead it much longer after the right texture has been reached.
Over proofing or under proofing can also lead to a dense loaf, and it’s more likely with a brioche.
I hope that helps!
Keli Hansen says
Thank you SO much for this. I hadn’t made a yeasted bread for a couple decades, but the brioche loaf I made using your recipe turned out even more delicious than I’d hoped. I might have to try your croissants next!
A says
Hello.
I measured the ingredients using a scale but the dough does seem extremely “wet”. I know you said it is a slack dough but did I do something wrong ? Thanks
Dini says
Hi A
As mentioned in the post, it is indeed a wet dough.
It requires a lot of kneading for the gluten to develop, and even after that, it’ll be a very soft / wet dough.
All the information that is required for this bread is noted in the post. I do strongly recommend reading the post thoroughly. The dough has high moisture and fat content and is soft and slack. But it’ll be less sticky after it has been kneaded.
I hope that helps!
Linda says
Q: If using French T55 flour, do I need to increase or decrease the quantity?
Dini says
Hi Linda
From what I found online, T55 flour is similar to bread flour in protein content?
If that is the case, you shouldn’t have to change the amount but the texture may change slightly (chewier). I have made this with bread flour, but not T55 flour.
Please refer to this section in the post for more information.
I hope that helps.
Andreea says
OMG… Done Brioche Bread for the first time and I’ve followed your recipe. It turned out so great ♥️. Was really easy to follow the steps. Thank you so much!
Dini says
I’m so happy to hear that Andreea, thank you so much for letting me know!
Tori says
I have a sourdough starter that I would like to use for my yeast. It’s a very liquidy starter and I usually add 1 cup of starter (1 cup water, 3 tbsp potato flakes, 1/2 cup sugar), to my bread. How would you recommend I modify the recipe for that much liquid?
Dini says
Hi Tori
I haven’t made this recipe with sourdough starter. Because of the high fat content, you may need to use more sourdough than regular bread, because the high fat can hinder the yeast activity.
I recommend following a sourdough brioche recipe that has been tested with a starter, so you don’t need to do any guesswork as to how much starter you would need to get good results!
I hope that helps!
Jam C says
Hi made the dough yesterday and baked it today and it turned out perfectly! My only question is is it normal for the bread to smell a little alcohol but the taste is okay? Ive never made this kind of bread before..Thanks
Dini says
Hi Jam C
I’m glad that it came out well! 🙂
With an overnight proof there can be more fermentation of the dough. While it makes the bread smell more pronounced, it doesn’t give a strong alcohol smell.
It could also be that the bread overproofed during the last proofing stage?
If you prefer less fermentation in the dough, I recommend cutting down the time of the overnight proof (just proof it until the dough is chilled, rather than overnight). Or making sure the dough doesn’t overproof before baking.
I hope that helps!
Julia says
Please help – I really appreciate all the details and pictures, but it has only clarified how wrong mine went.
Followed your instructions to the letter, but the “scraggly” dough and post-butter added dough looked WAY wetter than your picture. After 25-30 minutes (!) of the stand mixer at level 5, my dough stopped sticking to the sides but was still really… floppy? Any ideas on what I could have done wrong? It’s my first brioche so i’m expecting to make mistakes, but since I weighed everything out and was careful to follow your instructions, I’m just at a loss. Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks again for all the work that went into these instructions!
Dini says
Hi Julia
This is normal. As I mentioned in the post, this is a very slack dough.
I hope that helps
Blanca Boulden says
I have not made the bread yet…but I wanted let you know. I saved the recipe because of your wonderful detailed instructions. I’m not a baker but your meticulous instructions may turn me into one
Jag Sekh says
I was nervous making this recipe… and thought I messed up when adding the butter, but I kept going back to the recipe, or scrolling up at the photos… and yup my dough turned out right! I had to have faith in my standmixer to knead for that long.
I ended up leaving the dough in the fridge for almost 48 hours (oops – i couldnt bake it at the 24 hour mark), no regrets, it turned out great!!!
I’m excited to try it again now that your recipe has built the confidence to bake brioche.