Brioche is an enriched dough, meaning it's made with eggs, butter, milk, and a touch of sugar.
These ingredients create an incredibly soft texture that's perfect for everything from breakfast toast and cinnamon rolls to hamburger buns, dinner rolls, French toast, and decadent desserts.
The slow rise develops incredible flavor while giving the dough its signature light, airy texture.
We also love no-knead french bread or pizza dough that I make often, and now it's so super simple that even the kids can make it.
This bread can be shaped any way you like, loaves, braided, or perfectly made into rounds for rolls.
Why You Will Love Brioche Recipe Perfection
- Rich, buttery flavor that's better than bakery bread.
- Light, fluffy, and incredibly soft texture.
- Perfect for sweet or savory recipes.
- Freezes beautifully for future baking.
- Easy to shape into loaves, rolls, braids, or buns.
- Excellent for beginners when following the steps carefully.
- Versatile enough for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.
Common Mistakes When Making Brioche Dough and Tips
- Adding Too Much Flour: Brioche dough is naturally softer than regular bread. Resist adding extra flour unless absolutely necessary.
- Using Cold Butter: Cold butter won't incorporate properly and can leave lumps throughout the dough.
- Overheating the Dough: If the dough becomes too warm while mixing, refrigerate it for 20–30 minutes before continuing.
- Underproofing: Brioche needs plenty of time to rise.
- Baking too early results in dense bread.
- Knead Until Smooth: Brioche requires longer mixing than regular bread because of the butter content.
- The dough should become smooth, elastic, and slightly glossy.
- Add Butter Slowly: Never add all the butter at once. Incorporate softened butter a little at a time so the dough stays smooth.
- Don't Rush the Rise: Slow fermentation produces better flavor and texture.
- Many bakers refrigerate brioche overnight for an even richer flavor.
- Chill Before Shaping: Cold dough is much easier to handle because the butter firms up.
- Brush with Egg Wash: A mixture of egg and milk creates that beautiful, shiny, golden crust.
Sweet Mix-ins
- Chocolate chips
- Mini chocolate chunks
- Cinnamon sugar swirl
- Brown sugar and butter
- Raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates
- Candied orange peel, Lemon zest, Orange zest
- Vanilla bean
- Maple suga
- Caramel bits
- Toffee pieces
- Chopped pecans, Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios
- Fresh blueberries Fresh raspberries
Savory Mix-ins
- Parmesan cheese, Gruyère, Sharp cheddar, Asiago, Mozzarella,
- Garlic butte
- Fresh rosemary, Thyme, Basil
- Chives
- Caramelized onion, s Roasted garlic
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Crispy bacon
- Ham and Swiss
- Pepperoni
- Italian herbs
- Black olives
- Jalapeños
Shapes To Make
- round pan
- criss-cross
- braided long loaf
- round braided loaf
- regular long loaves
- any moldable shaped pans
- round balls for making rolls
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Brioche Bread Loave
If you're looking for delicious toast for breakfast, hamburger rolls, french toast, or fabulous-tasting sandwich bread, look no further this brioche will be the best for all of them.
Don't be afraid to get creative in the shapes, the bread can be shaped into any form you desire and still slices well or make perfect rolls!
Warning we do make several loaves and freeze the bread as it's a family favorite and will not last long with just one batch.
Yield: 24 slices
Brioche Bread
Brioche is a not-too-sweet buttery wonderful yeast bread made with eggs, milk, and butter, giving it the perfect texture. Brioche bread originated in France.
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 25 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 50 M
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups warm milk (110 degrees )
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 7 1/4 cups bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (at room temperature)
- Brush before baking:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon cold water
- Beat these two together and set them aside.
Instructions
- Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper for braided dough or 2 greased loaf pans.
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl using a heavy-duty electric stand mixer with a dough hook, add the flour, sugar, vanilla, yeast mixture, and salt, and mix until this starts to come together (do not use a handheld mixer it will burn out the motor).
- Add the eggs still mixing with the dough hook.
- Mix this together until smooth using a dough hook or knead for at least 8 minutes (use a timer).
- Add slices of butter folding it into the dough this will take about 8 minutes with the dough hook using an industrial mixer or around 15 minutes kneading by hand.
- When the dough comes together it's ready ( you may need additional flour use a few tablespoons at a time)
- Let the bread rise for around 2 hours (or for rolls 1 hour) in a covered bowl see tips for proofing dough since the environment varies.
- Place the dough into forms into sprayed loaf pans or shape it into braids and add to your baking pan lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.
- Place the shaped dough in a warm place and rise until doubled in volume (covered with plastic wrap that's oil sprayed to prevent sticking)
- For Baking:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Brush the risen dough with egg yolk and water mixture.
- Bake at 400 degrees until browned usually, this takes around 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool completely before storing in a plastic bag or freezing.
- Bread will freeze well for up to 4 months.
- Note: for rolls: roll into balls I use a muffin tin or large 13 x 9 pan or 1 square pan and a bread loaf, let rise and bake with the egg on top.
Notes
Tips:
- let rise in a warm place( I usually turn my stove on for around 1/2 hour, shut it off and place the dough in the bowl covered on the stovetop)
- make sure the water is warm to the wrist when mixing with yeast at 110 degrees
- Proofing times will vary depending on the temperature of the dough and the climate you live in. Use your fingertip to see if the dough bounces back slightly, then it's ready to be baked. If the indentation stays, it's starting to over-proof, and needs to be baked. If the bread deflates using your fingertip, then it has over-proofed.
- any shapes can be made, ropes, braids, or just a round loaf
- the bread freeze perfectly for up to 3 months
Shapes To Make
- round pan
- criss-cross
- braided long loaf
- round braided loaf
- regular long loaves
- any moldable shaped pans
- round balls for making rolls or braids
Brioche Rolls
- make this recipe and let it rise for 1 hour covered then punch it down
- divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll them into balls (or braid them using 3 long strips)
- place into a greased 13 x 9 pan proof for another hour
- brush with eggwash
- bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Calories
265.73Fat (grams)
10.07Sat. Fat (grams)
5.61Carbs (grams)
36.83Fiber (grams)
1.18Net carbs
35.65Sugar (grams)
9.12Protein (grams)
6.93Sodium (milligrams)
71.68Cholesterol (grams)
70.89
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