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.
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.
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.
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!
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).
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.
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!
Since I don’t own a bread machine, I can’t be sure how well it would work. This dough is very soft (starts of like a cake batter), and needs to be kneaded for at least 20 minutes (at medium and medium high speed). I am not sure a bread machine will be able to handle such a soft dough. One of my readers did try this, and confirmed that the dough was too soft and it was harder to knead especially when adding the butter.
If you do decide to try it, please remember to halve this recipe, as this is for TWO loaves, and usually bread machines can only knead enough for 1 loaf.
There are recipes that can be made in a bread machine, but these bread machine brioche recipes have less butter and eggs and therefore is less rich and buttery than classic brioche recipes like this.
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.
If the kitchen is very hot, or you live in a hot climate, you may have to chill the dough halfway through the kneading process. This is because the butter is too oily and isn’t mixing in the with the dough properly.
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:
- 120 mL warm milk
- 9 g active dry yeast about 9 g
- 10 mL honey
- 5 large eggs You can also use 4 large eggs
- 1 large yolk from a large egg. Use 2 egg yolks if using 4 large eggs.
- 10 mL vanilla
- 60 g granulated white sugar 5 tbsp
- 500 g AP flour 4 cups + 2 tbsp (measured by spoon and level method)
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt fine grind
- 250 g unsalted butter very soft, roughly divided into four portions (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
Instructions:
DAY ONE
Making the dough
- Measure all the ingredients and have them ready.
- 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.120 mL warm milk, 9 g active dry yeast, 10 mL honey
- Add the eggs and yolks, and whisk gently to break the egg yolks.5 large eggs, 1 large yolk
- Add the vanilla, sugar, flour and sea salt, and mix to form a scraggly dough.10 mL vanilla, 60 g granulated white sugar, 500 g AP flour, 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- With the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on speed 2 or 3 for about 3 - 5 minutes.
- Divide the butter into roughly 4 portions. 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.250 g unsalted butter
- Repeat with the other 3 portions of butter, kneading the dough for about 2 -3 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 - 12 minutes of kneading time.250 g unsalted butter
- 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. This could take up to 20 - 30 minutes if your mixer is on low speed.
- 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 strictly 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.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Mona says
This makes fabulous brioche. It’s as good as the loaves I fell in love with in Paris.
Bee says
hi, may i know if it is possible to replace the unsalted butter with salted butter?
Do I need to reduce the salt quantity?
Do I need to adjust the sequence of placing the ingredients?
How does it affect the taste and texture of the bread?
Thank you so much.
Dini says
Hi Bee
Salted butter has more water content than unsalted butter, so theoretically substituting salted butter for unsalted may make the dough more “liquid” and reduce richness.
But I don’t know if it will make a marked difference since I haven’t made that substitution. For me personally, I don’t like using salted butter because I can’t control the salt levels.
You can either reduce the amount of salt you add the beginning, and then add the salted butter later (the sequence doesn’t change if you’re using salted butter). Hopefully it won’t be too salty.
OR you can omit the salt added at the start altogether, and hope that the salt from the butter would be enough for the loaf. I do not recommend adding salt later after adding the butter because the salt crystals won’t have a chance to dissolve and mix properly.
I hope that helps!
Rosann says
The bread turned out great! Thanks to your detailed instructions especially the pictures. Some steps took longer than noted to achieve the right consistency. I refrigerated it for about 30 hrs. and the crumb and texture are flaky and chewy, just wonderful.
Tanaya Gupta says
I made this recipe and followed each and every step as explained. This was the best brioche we ever ate. It turned much better than the ones we buy from the bakeries and stores. Thankyou so much
Jack says
Can this dough recipe be used to make New England Style hot dog buns? What should the baking temperature/time be?
Dini says
Hi Jack
I haven’t made this into New England style hot dog buns, but it is possible. You will be able to fill at least 2 trays of hot dog buns though (as this recipe make enough for 2 loaves).
I have a recipe for New England style hot dog buns that you can use as a reference. I would still bake them at 350, but the time will change according to how big the buns are. Usually will be between 15 – 30 minutes.
I hope that helps!
Candice says
Question about the instant yeast. Since it doesn’t need to be activated like active yeast, can I go straight into making the dough without setting it aside for 10 min?
Dini says
Hi Candice
Yes you can skip the activating step and go straight into mixing the dough! I would still avoid direct contact between the yeast and salt (add salt after the flour).
Just to let you know however, I haven’t made this recipe with instant yeast myself. The amount recommended here is based on the advice from a Le cordon bleu chef.
I hope that helps!
Candice says
Good to know. Thank you so much!
AdriF says
Absolutely loved your post and recipe!!
All of the people who tried what I baked also loved it!! Definitely part of my go to recipes now!!
Karina says
Hi Dini,
Could I freeze one of the Brioches?
Im going to try to make your recipe now 🙂
Dini says
Hi Karina
I slice and freeze my extra brioche loaf all the time. That way I can take what I need and let it defrost and the rest stays fresh for longer! Make sure its wrapped well with plastic wrap and a layer of foil too!
I hope that helps!
Maggie says
I followed this recipe exactly by weight but I had a more batter-like consistency. I added flour (maybe another half cup) until it wasn’t so wet. It still wouldn’t hold its shape when I tried to form it. Any idea what went wrong?
Dini says
Hi Maggie
A brioche is a hybrid between a cake and bread, so the dough is VERY slack and wet.
It needs to be kneaded for quite a long time and it becomes smooth and shiny on the surface, but still a VERY soft dough.
If you feel like the dough didn’t become smooth and shiny, and didn’t easily come off the sides after kneading, it’s probably because it needed to be kneaded for longer. See the photos that show the dough before being kneaded long enough, and once it’s done kneading. No extra flour was added between these two images.
It is very hard to shape because it’s a soft dough. That’s why I recommend refrigerating it overnight to make it easier to manage, after first proof. However, eventhough the dough is soft, it doesn’t stick to your hands like cake batter would, IF the dough was kneaded enough. You can add more flour if you like and you will still get good results. However the bread probably won’t be as soft as it could be.
I hope that helps!
Ashul Agrasyn says
I am an aspiring home chef, and in these times I have more time to indulge.
Your recipe was simply and easy to follow. My brioche is waiting for the final proof before going to the oven. I love the way you laid out your instructions in clear concise steps. brioche is daunting for most, however you made simple as cake. Marie Antoinette would be so proud!!
Gena says
This is a great recipe but I seem to have really active yeast. This is my 3rd time making this and every time I try to do the refrigerator proofing for at least 8 hours, my dough is coming out of the covered bowl and I end up baking the same day. Tonight I moved the dough to a larger bowl hoping it will work until morning at least. Any ideas what I could do about this?
Dini says
Hi Gena!
Are you using active dry yeast or instant yeast?
I haven’t had this issue when making this bread because I always place the dough in the mixer bowl that I use to knead the dough. Even if the dough doubles in size, there’s still plenty of room left in the bowl to accommodate it.
If you proofed the dough in a very warm room, then it can also continue to proof in the fridge until the dough has cooled down in the middle too. If this is something that happens often, then I recommend shortening the first proof time (until it has proofed to about 1 1/2 times) and then deflate, reshape and let it rest in the fridge.
I hope that helps!
Lauren says
Thank you so much for your detailed and comprehensive recipe! The pictures and descriptions are super helpful. My dough is in the fridge retarding, but it seems to have more-than-doubled in the last 5 hours…and is almost filling the bowl it’s in. I’m thinking I may not have punched/folded it down enough before putting it in? Should I deflate/fold it down again? Thanks for your help!
Dini says
Hi Lauren
if you proofed the dough in a very warm place, then the dough can remain warm in the center for longer even in the fridge. This could contribute to the dough proofing too fast in the fridge. Sometimes, it could also mean that there’s a little too much yeast (if you measure with teaspoons, this can happen unfortunately).
I always use the same bowl I mixed the dough in to proof it in. Which can accommodate the dough at 4 times the size.
You can deflate the dough a little if you like. I’ve never done it, so I don’t know what the impact of that would be.
What I recommend for next time, is to only allow the dough to proof until it’s about 1 1/2 times larger, deflate, reshape and then let it rest in the fridge overnight.
I hope that helps!
Kern says
So delicious! This bread is totally worth the time, effort, and all the eggs. I started it yesterday and had my doubts this morning when I pulled the dough out of the fridge, and even more doubts when I formed it into loaves. My shaping skills may be a work in progress, but oh my goodness, the final product may be some of the best bread I’ve ever eaten. It’s certainly the best I’ve ever made.
Thank you for the recipe and for the beautifully detailed and clear notes which made it possible for a not very experienced baker like me to turn out such a happy-making result.
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Kern. I’m so glad the recipe turned out a happy-making result, I love that phrase! 🙂
Anise M. says
Loved this recipe! Just clarifying, but the croissant picture above is not made from this brioche recipe, right?
Dini says
Thank you Anise!
I’m glad you liked this recipe 🙂
And yes, the croissant isn’t made with this brioche recipe… but I am in the process of making a detailed post on how to make croissants!
Tabitha B says
Can I substitute the honey for Organic Maple Syrup? I need to sub the honey out as my son cannot eat honey because he has Fructose Malabsorption. This sounds delicious!
Dini says
Hi Tabitha!
You can use any other natural sweetener instead of the honey! Maple syrup is great! You could even use corn syrup or molasses or even just replace with sugar.
Honey, maple syrup, molasses and corn syrup are inverted sugar sources that is easier for the yeast to feed on. They can still feed on regular sugar too. So feel free to use any of these instead of the honey 🙂
I hope that helps!