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.
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 (measured by spoon and level method)
- 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 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.½ cup warm milk, 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast, 2 tsp honey
- Add the eggs and yolks, and whisk gently to break the egg yolks.5 large eggs, 1 yolk
- Add the vanilla, sugar, flour and sea salt, and mix to form a scraggly dough.2 tsp vanilla, 2.1 oz granulated white sugar, 17.6 oz 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.8.8 oz 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.8.8 oz 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.”
MMM says
The instructions do not say when do add the activated yeast mixture to the rest of the ingredients
Dini says
Hi MMM
As per the instructions, the yeast is activated in the mixer bowl.
Shawna Williams says
I loved all the tips and tricks on this page! The bread came out just like the pics! And it was sooooo deliscious and soft, I will use this recipe again for sure!
dimitra theo says
I was mixing my dough as noted and it was starting to form but it was still sticking to the bottom. I decided to keep beating and found that it was starting to separate and stick.
I decided to knead it by hand and gather it into a ball.
It tripled in size but didn’t rise in the fridge.
It was soft but not like holding a watered balloon. What did I do wrong.
Dini says
Hi Dimitra
It sounds like the dough overproofed. Once a dough overproofs the yeast activity reduces. It feels like a water balloon after the first rise, since the dough is extremely soft. After the cold proofing, the dough should rise in the fridge at least somewhat, but it will be chilled and not soft while cold.
Dimitra Theo says
How do you avoid over-proofing.
However, despite the issues I encountered it raised nicely whilst cooking and the final product was so extremely soft and tasty?
I will definitely keep using your recipe.
Thank you for replying.
Dimitra says
How do you avoid over-proofing.
However, despite the issues I encountered it raised nicely whilst cooking and the final product was so extremely soft and tasty?
I will definitely keep using your recipe.
Dini says
Hi Dimitra
As noted in the recipe, I only let the dough rise till it’s doubled in size. Proofing longer is over-proofing.
I have also indicated how to check if the dough is over-proofed in the post and recipe as well.
I’m glad the bread did turn out well in the end though! 🙂
Amal says
This is my first time making brioche bread. I really Appreciate the detailed instructions. I unfortunately missed reading the suggestion of halving the recipe if kneading by hand, well my arms got a pretty good 45 minutes workout but it was absolutely worth it, it turned out incredibly rich and delicious. Would I attempt kneading a brioche dough by hand again? ABSOLUTELY NOT hehe. Would I make this recipe again -using a stand mixer of course-? Absolutely YES. Thank you very much 🙂
Ramya says
I made it for the very first time and your detailed instructions were spot on. While mine came out a bit broader rather than higher, it was insanely delicious, soft and buttery. We absolutely loved it. Thank you!!
Kate says
I’ve never commented on a recipe before but this one deserves it! This bread is a process but so rewarding! The notes and tips are so helpful. Definitely read and re-read them. Following how the bread looks instead of times is definitely true. I had to knead mine in the stand mixer for about 35 min before it looked like the picture (instead of the noted ~15) and the final proof in the pan only took about 1.5 hrs based on the poke test. (I’m in hot Texas in July, if that effected everything?) Thank you so much for such a helpful recipe! Will definitely be sharing and making again!
cg says
can i use a bread machine for this recipe?
Dini says
Hi Cg
I haven’t tried making this recipe with a bread machine. The recipe is for two loaves, and dough is very wet and soft, so I’m not sure if the bread machine can knead it properly.
Aminta says
Hi, so I started making this but have only read the comments regarding what to do if I am living in a warm country. When put the dough to kneed on my pantry top it completely collapsed. I have put it in the fridge and hoping that it will firm up. Any tips on how I can rescue it.
Dini says
Hi Aminta
I’m not sure what you mean by collapsing?
If the dough is already kneaded, are you unable to pick it up from the counter in one piece when you pick it up, or does it tear-away when you pick it up?
If you haven’t yet kneaded it, then it will take rather a long time to knead it to get it to the right consistency. This is because this is an extremely wet dough (as I have noted in the post). I have had others hand kneading the dough, but they usually only make one loaf at a time as per the recommendation in the recipe as well.
Please let me know so I can help you better
Aminta says
Hi Dini, Sorry that my earlier message was unclear. What happened was that after kneading I was unable to fold the dough as it was so soft. I did follow the correct kneading time but the dough got over heated. What is important was that I was able to rescue it and turned out really, really well. I cooled the dough in the fridge and was then able to fold the dough for the 1st proof. I got two excellent loaves. Light and delicious!! Next time I will remember to cool the dough in-between each addition of butter.
Andrew Richardson says
Great Recipe!! The directions are perfect and easy to follow. Used the dough to make cinnamon rolls, can’t believe how scrumptious they turned out. Very soft flavorful and moist, definitely a winner!
Louise says
I had fun making this but I tried twice and both batches ended up in the garbage. I followed the recipe to a T. First proof went week. Overnight proof seemed good. Even with chilling dough in between snapping the dough was so oily it kept separating. Last proof they looked terrible. They never cooked properly either. Didn’t seem cooked in the middle and hard a a rock on the outside. I am a good baker. I love complicated recipes. Neither time I tried did I get a product. Very disappointed as it was a waste of 4 days.
Dini says
Hi Louise,
Usually this happens if your kitchen is hot. I’ve had a couple of readers who encountered the first problem – of the dough being greasy, and that’s because of a humid and hot kitchen. Refrigerating / freezing the dough BEFORE the dough gets greasy (as soon as it softens too much and becomes sticky), seems to have helped them.
During summer, I usually put the dough covered and in the freezer in-between the shaping process. I do this as soon as the dough softens, so it never gets the chance to become greasy. Brioche is a dough that is heavy on butter, so the butter melts out when the dough is too warm.
As for the baked product – it seems like the dough was over-proofed and baked (and possibly in an oven that runs hot). The resulting loaf would be dense, which leads to a hard outside and an under-baked inside, especially if the oven was slightly too hot (or if the loaf pan was a dark color / made of glass). I hope that helps.
Donna R. says
Best recipe on the internet. I can live on this bread. Thank you for this recipe.
Jenny says
i had to proof the dough for 3 hours on the first proof because it was taking forever to rise. When i went to deflate it and prep it for the overnight proof it smelled very yeasty. Is it overproofed?
Chad Johnson says
The recipe was perfect and the results were outstanding. The loaves were light and tasty couldn’t ask for any better and the directions were spot on. Thanks for the amazing recipe. Made donuts from a second batch. Cut down to slide size and fried at 350 the filled with pastry cream, chocolate cream and raspberry jam. The results were of the chart. Plain sprinkled with powdered sugar equally amazing. I have to try this dough for my cinnamon rolls I can only imagine. Thanks again for a job well done.
Helen says
This is delicious, fluffy, tender, the flavour, and texture is amazing !!! I made half the recipe. I also added additional 1 tbsp dry milk powder and. 1 tbsp butter. I have a cuisinart stand mixer. I had ALL the ingredients COLD. I combined the ingredients at medium low #3 for 7 minutes, add the butter in 2 minutes intervals as recommended at medium speed #4 for 10 minutes, and knead another 15 minutes at medium speed #4. Then proof on the counter for 1 hour and chill overnight in the fridge. The next day, made into rolls, baked in the oven at 350 F for 35 minutes with a sheet pan under the baking pan 5 by 9. I cover with foil after 25 minutes of baking.
Lovey says
Hi just wondering if I can replace the all purpose flour with wholemeal flour and do I need to adjust the milk and eggs proportion? I would like to include some whole grains in the formula. Your advice be Much appreciated !!
Lola says
I love this recipe! The first time I did it was a huge success but the second and third time, the dough wasn’t coming together 🙁 I followed everything to the T. The second dough I had to throw since it didn’t rise at all. The third one, I had to chill first before kneading more bc it was too wet and far from going to a ball. After I chill it, I knead it again and added some flour. After 15 min and more, it’s still not sticking together and there was a strong smell of alcohol already. My dough has become warm and I just had to dump it in the fridge again like a cake batter. I don’t know what went wrong. 🙁 and I don’t want to end up throwing it.
Azza Aly says
Superb result and detailed explanation appreciated
Suze says
I made dough from Ruth Riechle cookbook, but she leaves you hanging instruction wise once the bread is in the fridge. I am going to use your detailed instructions and hope for the best. Next time I will use your recipe also. Glad I found your website.
Lauren says
These instructions were AMAZING. SO THOROUGH AND EASY TO FOLLOW! I tried the recipe with the dry yeast, but how do I use it with fresh yeast? I have a block looking for something tasty. This recipe was so amazing I want it to be this!!!
Dini says
Hi Lauren!
I’m so glad that you liked this recipe! 🙂
The amount of fresh yeast that you need to use is shared in the recipe notes. The fresh yeast doesn’t need to be activated, but just make sure to dissolve the yeast cake in the milk before adding the other ingredients! Since it’s fresh yeast, it will dissolve very easily!
I hope that helps!
Rachel says
First time making it! Cooling now! Waiting patiently to eat it!
AlbinaSalimowa says
Super
Ellise G says
What in the heavens have the gods just blessed my mouth with?!?!?! This recipe is seriously one of the best things I have ever made. And I have made LOTS of things. And pretty darn delicious things at that.
Since I didn’t want two loaves of bread, I made one loaf, a couple buns for fried chicken sandwiches, and a couple doughnuts. HOLY MOLY.
The loaf. *chefs kiss*
The buns. Perfection. They’ll have you asking Kim Kardashian who? The only buns that matter now are these brioche buns. I added regular and toasted sesame seeds on top. Beautiful.
The doughnuts. DONUT smack yo mama in the face after you try these because you might want to. This dough makes the most incredible fried ball of fluffy goodness. I let my oil heat to 350 and let these babies bask until golden brown. Rolled the in a bit of sugar, added some fresh vanilla whipped cream and strawberries. Loved by all who tried it.
Seriously, this recipe must have been passed straight from the gods to this saint who shared it. Thank you!!
PRO TIP: Read all the directions, notes, and some helpful comments (I- well my kitchenaid mixer- had to knead my dough for about 25 minutes after all the butter was added). Then read recipe and notes again while making. This is not a hard recipe to make as long as you have a feel for what you’re doing and the notes will give you just that.
Dini says
Hahaha, your comment made my day Ellise! 😀 Thank you so much for your lovely words, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Frenchman's Wife says
This recipe is bloody fantastic, that’s all I have to say, 10/10
Clara says
Hello, looks like a great recipe. I want to add raisins. I should do it after the overnight raise right? Before the final proofing? Thank you for your help.
Dini says
Hi Clara
You would need to add the raisins during the last few minutes of kneading the dough. Otherwise they won’t incorporate properly if you add them after the first proofing, and you may also over knead the dough as well.
I hope that helps!
Liz says
Hello Dini, I just found your website and it is amazing!! Can you please tell me if you would recommend this Brioche recipe for doughnuts? thank you in advance!!
Dini says
Hi Liz
Thank you so much 🙂
I haven’t made doughnuts with this recipe unfortunately. It might be possible but I can’t be 100% certain. I usually use this recipe for doughnuts, although it isn’t rich as brioche doughnuts.
Hope that helps!
Liz says
I’ll try and let you know how the turn out thank you for your great website!!
Sandy A. says
Perfection! I made 2 braided loaves for a French getaway weekend with friends. We couldn’t travel to France this year or last so we decided to spend a weekend together enjoying all things French (food, wine, music, movies). We ate the brioche for breakfast and it was absolutely perfect. I did have to knead the dough for a long time after the butter was added. It was close to 20 minutes, after which I put it in the bowl to rise. It just didn’t feel right so I put it back in the mixer and continued kneading until the dough came off the bottom. So glad I had your instructions and that I went by feel and not time. Thank you! I’m looking forward to your other recipes.
Kate W. says
Thank you for this – the recipe is easy to follow and I’m excited to try the final result! I do have a question – I’m going to slice the brioche and use the pieces in an overnight baked French toast. Should I form in a simple loaf, or braid? Wondering if I braid it, if it will fall apart when I slice (this is my first time making brioche). Thanks!!
Dini says
Hi Kate
I have made bread loaves both ways and haven’t had a problem slicing them for french toast.
The proofing and baking will make the dough stick together well and shouldn’t fall apart.
Hope that helps!
Rob M says
I wish the comment regarding yeast substitutions was incorporated in the ingredient list (I.e 9g of active dry yeast or 4.5g instant yeast).
Dini says
Hi Rob
I usually recommend anyone to read the entire recipe before attempting. This goes for any recipe. Especially notes that include special information.
Loretta says
Followed directions and came out great..added cinnamon and walnuts to one loaf and made prosciutto and cheese in the other roll….so delicious and am using the recipe today to make an Easter braided broiche
Chantal says
Very disappointed. I’m not a beginner and followed the instructions to the letter but had to throw it out after half an hour of kneading and still not having enough firmness to form anything resembling a ball. My stand mixer was starting to overheat and I was just done. I could just weep. So much money spent on ingredients and so much effort for nothing. Baking has been my one joy, but this was pure frustration and disappointment.
Dini says
Hi Chantal
Please (please) be sure to read the instructions in the post and recipe. The post and recipe have been designed in great detail to address these concerns. This dough does not fully form into a proper firm ball. It’s a very soft and sticky dough, not firm at all – as I have mentioned several times. Also brioche is a cross between bread and cake, so the dough will be different from regular bread dough.
It’s unfortunate that you threw out the dough, because since you kneaded it for 30 minutes, and then if it was followed by the overnight proof, the dough would have had time to develop enough gluten to produce a good brioche loaf!
Sylvia says
Amazing! First time, followed recipe and it came together as described. I will be making again and am looking forward to making bourbon bread pudding in the future!
Dawne Trackey says
Can you omit the honey?
Dini says
Hi Dawne
You can replace the honey with sugar. Yeast feeds on invert sugars like honey more easily, but sugar will do the job as well.
Sinthu says
This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!! I have been searching for a onion roll recipe but want the bread to be rich and buttery with onion- would this recipe work with onion mixed in? Any tips?
Dini says
Hi Sinthu
This recipe will work with add ins.
Caramelized onion can be added to the dough, halfway through the kneading time.
Alternatively, you can roll out the chilled dough and spread the caramelized onion and roll it up to make a onion swirled loaf.
Hope that helps!
Jo C says
At first I thought three proofs was excessive and might over proof the dough. Lemme tell you, boy was I wrong! This recipe is so light, airy, and delicious! This was definitely the right thing to test out my new stand mixer. If you have a chance to make this definitely do! I’ll be saving this one in my home cookbook for sure. If I had to leave one piece of advice is trust your gut when proofing. The temperature of your home will absolutely affect this, so keep a close eye on it!
Todd R says
I have made this recipe twice and it is truly a work of art. Both times, I wasn’t sure how it was going to come together, but I just trusted the instructions. The final product is nothing short of perfection. And it makes the absolute best French toast. This recipe is one to bookmark and keep!
Dini says
I’m so happy you had great success with the recipe Todd, thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂
Kay says
Welcome to Canada.
Thank you for the very useful tips and instructions. The chilled dough was a delight to work with.
Our grandkids loved it. So this will be our go-to brioche from now on.
Thanks again.
Rania says
Thanks for the recipe! But I have a question. If I decided to halve the recipe while using instant yeast, should I halve 4,5 grams too?
Dini says
Hi Rania
I usually do halve the amount of Active dry yeast I use. I haven’t used instant yeast, so I can’t be certain.
Maybe you can use a little extra (like 3.75g, which is 75% of the amount of active dry yeast). Keep an eye on the dough as instant yeast is more active, and will proof faster.
Hope that helps!
Warveen says
Great and well written recipe, I’m baking this today, I have one question though, I’m making some savory brioche tarts /buns out of this dough, I was wondering when should I put my Toppings on it. Before the final proofing or after?
Dini says
Hi Warveen!
Thank you 🙂
If you are looking to make tarts, then you would top the brioche dough AFTER the final proofing. You may need to press the center of each brioche disk you create to make the tart, leaving a border, and then place the fillings in the center. I usually would add something like jam, or a ricotta spread or frangipane spread to the center so that the fillings will stick to the dough properly as well. Then brush the edges with egg wash, so that it will have a lovely sheen after baking. The bake time will also vary depending on the size of the tarts / buns. My brioche buns that I made here, were baked for about 10 – 12 minutes, so the bake time might be similar or slightly longer.
Hope that helps!
Warveen says
They were absolutely amazing, Thank you so much for the recipe. Wish I could’ve added pictures here for reference.
I Mostly made savory tarts, with feta cheese +pumpkin seeds. others with everything bagel seasoning cream cheese +arugula +grated parmesan on top, they were gone in mins. Will def be making again.
Juwi says
Hey there
If I use instant yeast in the quantity u sessested in the FAQ. Do I still add it to the Milk and honey and set aside for 10mins ?
Dini says
Hi Juwi
Instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated before adding it to the dough, so you can add it directly to the flour.
Hope that helps!
Ron Anderson says
This recipe is great. Made it 10-15 times already. Experimented with cinnamon raisin, chocolate, blueberry and they all came out terrific. I also add three sticks of butter instead of two. I honestly don’t see the difference but others say it’s softer. Great recipe!
Christine says
At what point would you mix in the add-ins, like chocolate chips, blueberries, etc?
Dini says
Hi Christine
I prefer to add it towards the end of the kneading time. About 5 – 10 minutes before kneading is done. However things like blueberries can get crushed so should only be kneaded the shortest time.
Christy says
I made this yesterday. I found the recipe wonderful, I appreciate all of the tips pictures. I thought I had messed it up during the overnight raise, but it turned out great.
Chammi De Silva says
Wow interesting
Maha Yousufi says
Hi! I tried this recipe and added 1.5 teaspoon of instant yeast instead of dry active yeast. I later went through the yeast section and realized instant yeast was 4.5 grams instead of 9 grams. Can you please tell me how that will impact the bread now? I have put it for it’s first poofing.
Dini says
Hi Maha
I’m not sure what the weight of 1.5 tsp of instant yeast will be, but it would be close to 4.5 grams (given 2.5 tsp of active dry yeast would be about 9 g).
If it was less yeast than required, then the bread might end up being dense due to the lack of yeast activity. But if it’s enough yeast, you just have to keep an eye on the loaf of bread and make sure the proofing times are adjusted, because instant yeast is much more active than active dry yeast. If you over-proof the dough, then you may end up with a very “yeasty” tasting dough. I have had readers using the same amount of instant yeast as active dry, and have had good results.
Hope that helps
Tess says
Hi there, I love this recipe and have made it 3x to great success. However, I wondered what would be the difference in texture/rise if I used bread flour instead of AP flour?
Thank you!
Dini says
Hi Tess
Please refer to the FAQ section of my post, where I mention using bread flour.
I hope that helps 🙂
Marie says
My 4th time making this recipe and the non-dairy one, and each time, it never fails! This time though, I made several batches, loaves, buns and some i formed in muffin pans stuffed with nutella and cheese! They are so delicious! I cannot thank you enough!
Thomas Poulin says
I love this recipe and my whole family loves eating the results of this recipe. I’ve made it 4 times now and maybe it’s beginners luck but every Brioche loaf turned out beautiful and delicious.
I was also a « purist » when it came to hand kneading until I was given a stand mixer this past Christmas. I still make some bread by hand kneading but I always have used the mixer for this recipe with no regrets.
Jessalynn says
I added too much flour the first time, so it was a little dense, but still delicious. Trying again today.
Andre says
Hello! I would love to try this recipe, but I am not a fan of using a stand mixer, or any mixer, for breads. Can I use my hands or does it really need the consistency and umph that a mixer gives? Mixing by hand what are the varying times?
Dini says
Hi Andre,
As I’ve mentioned in the post (FAQ section) there are recommendations for those who don’t have a stand mixer to make brioche.
I still very much prefer to, as it is easier, but it is do-able by hand as well.
Kneading times will vary, depending on how well the butter is incorporated and how fast the gluten is developed.
I hope that helps.
Susanna Czegel says
Very well described procedures. I follow all the steps, perfect and tasty. Very happy with the result
Lee says
I dont have acces to active dry yeast, around here its more common to use fresh yeast. What should I do?
Dini says
Hi Lee
If you’re using fresh yeast, you can use 20g of fresh cake yeast instead. It can be dissolved in the water the same way. You may or may not choose to see if it’s active, but from what I’ve read you don’t have to “activate” fresh yeast.
I hope that helps!