Description
Warm, pillowy brioche bread brings pure comfort straight from French bakeries to your kitchen counter. Buttery dough rises into golden perfection, creating a delicate slice perfect for weekend breakfast or elegant toast.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Supporting Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Flavor Enhancers:
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by whisking 2 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast with whole milk and granulated sugar in your stand mixer’s bowl.
- Add two room-temperature eggs to the mixture and blend thoroughly until smooth.
- Gently incorporate 3 cups of all-purpose flour on low speed, mixing until the flour is barely combined.
- Gradually introduce 1-inch cubes of room-temperature unsalted butter, one piece at a time, ensuring each is fully integrated before adding the next.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt into the dough and knead on medium speed for 5-6 minutes until the mixture transforms into a soft, cohesive ball.
- Lightly coat a medium bowl with nonstick spray and transfer your dough, turning to ensure complete coverage. Drape a clean kitchen towel over the bowl.
- Allow the dough to rise in a warm space for 1 hour, or until its volume doubles.
- Refrigerate the covered dough for 8 hours or overnight to develop deeper flavor.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Dust your work surface with flour and divide the dough into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a neat round ball.
- Prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and arrange the dough balls in two parallel rows of four.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rise in a warm location for 2-2½ hours until it has substantially increased in size.
- Heat your oven to 350°F and whisk the remaining egg with a splash of milk to create a golden egg wash.
- Brush the loaf’s surface evenly with the egg wash, ensuring complete coverage.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, monitoring until the internal temperature reaches 190°F and the surface turns a rich golden brown.
- Shield the bread with aluminum foil if the top begins to darken too quickly.
- Rest the brioche in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for complete cooling.
Notes
- Cold butter works best for creating a tender, flaky texture in brioche, so make sure it’s straight from the refrigerator when adding to the dough.
- Patience is key when kneading the dough, as the extended mixing time helps develop the gluten and create that signature silky-smooth brioche texture.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with a high-quality gluten-free bread flour blend and add xanthan gum to help bind the dough.
- To prevent a dry loaf, avoid overbaking and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, removing the bread when it reaches 190°F.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg