Brioche Bread Recipe

A loaf of brioche bread with three slices cut, in front, by a jam of jam.

Homemade Brioche bread is soft, rich, and so flavorful thanks to lots of butter and eggs! Use it for sandwiches, French toast, or just enjoy it warm with butter and jam.

Course bread

Cuisine French

Prep Time 55

Cook Time 35

Rise Time 1 25

Total Time 2 55

Servings loaf / 8 slices

Calories 2836kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Stand mixer
Loaf pan

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour divided (360g)
½ cup warm milk (110-120°F) (120mL)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
1 (0.25-oz.) packet active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
4 large eggs divided
1¼ teaspoons salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cubed (140g)
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

To make the sponge, in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together ½ cup flour, the milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the yeast until combined. Loosely cover, and let stand at room temperature, until foamy, 30 to 45 minutes.
Once the sponge is ready, add 3 eggs, the salt, remaining 2½ cups flour, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. With dough hook attachment, beat on medium-low speed until well combined, about 1 minute scraping down the bowl as needed. Continue mixing until the dough is shiny and elastic, about 8 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated before adding the next tablespoon.
Once all of the butter is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes more. Scrape the dough down into the bowl. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Lightly grease a 8¼x4½-inch loaf pan with softened butter.
Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a 9-inch long rope. Braid the ropes together, pinching ends together to seal. Tuck the ends under and place in the buttered loaf pan. Loosely cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 to 60 minutes. (It should be puffed up above the top rim of the pan.)
After the loaf has risen for 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 375F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the water and remaining 1 egg until smooth. Brush the top of the risen loaf with egg wash.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until deep golden brown, covering with aluminum foil after 25 minutes if the top is browning too quickly. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the loaf, and continue cooling on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store cooled bread in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or slice and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Video

Notes

Use the windowpane test to tell if the dough is ready. Pinch off a small ball of dough, then stretch it between your fingers into a square. If the dough stretches thin enough to let light pass through and doesn’t break, it’s ready. If it does break, continue kneading it for another minute and repeat the test.
The time it takes for your dough to rise depends on the temperature of your kitchen. The ideal temperature for dough rising is around 75°F. If your kitchen is cold, you can place your dough in an oven that is OFF with the light on, or use a bread proof setting if it has one.
For even dough pieces to braid, use a scale. I like to weigh the whole dough ball, then divide that weight by three. Then, when you cut it into thirds, you can weigh each one and trim or add as needed to get each one to an equal weight. This will form the prettiest, most even braid.
Use a 9x5-inch loaf pan: You can use a slightly larger loaf pan without any issues. Since the loaf will be a touch wider and less tall, check it for doneness after baking for 30 minutes.
To tell if the bread is baked through, check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. It should read 190-195°F in the center.

Nutrition