Homemade Brioche Bread

This Homemade Brioche Bread is eggy, buttery, rich, and so full of flavor. It is a great bread for sandwiches, French toast, or on its own. This bread also makes the best hamburger buns you will find!

If you have never tried brioche bread, here is your chance. It is a gorgeous bread that is sure to wow you! It is one of the best yeasted breads I have ever made. You can also enjoy our easy Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Bread Machine Banana Bread, Homemade Whole Wheat Bread, Best Chocolate Babka, Parker House Rolls, or Braided White Bread, all with step-by-step instructions!

What is Brioche Bread?

Brioche is a French bread that is almost like a gorgeous pastry as it has a high egg and butter content, which lends to a rich and buttery flavor.

The crumb on this bread is light and tender. The high-fat content is from plenty of eggs, milk, and butter. Standard bread can have no more than flour, water, salt, and yeast.

This is a very special bread and one that I have loved for years. Bread is a bit challenging, but once you have it mastered, it is very rewarding.

How To Make Brioche Bread

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

On medium-low speed, add egg, then gradually add milk to incorporate with the mixture.

Continue on that speed, slowly add the butter that you have melted and cooled slightly, just over a tablespoon at a time, to the flour mixture and mix until cohesive dough starts to form. About 2 minutes.

Make sure there is no dry flour that remains. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed.

Kneading Of The Bread

Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading the dough until smooth and elastic and it pulls away from the sides of the bowl completely. Approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

The dough is supposed to be a little bit wet due to the generous amount of butter and milk called for.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Start kneading with your hands.

If the dough too sticky to handle, add more flour to your hands before kneading.

Use your hands and gently lift and fold the edge of the dough that’s farthest away from you toward the middle.

Turn the dough 90 degrees and fold the other edge toward the middle again.

Repeat the process of turning and folding the dough.

Continue to knead until the dough forms a smooth, round ball, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Letting It Rise

Turn the dough seam side down in a lightly greased or lined with plastic wrap large mixing bowl.

Cover tightly and let it proof until the dough is double in size, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. Keep it in a warm place to rise.

If it is in the summer, your counter may just be warm enough to suffice. When it is colder, like in the winter, you can put the oven on at 200F. for one to two minutes, then shut off the oven. It will just start to get warm, and you can let your bread rise in there.

Press down the dough and deflate. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.

Getting The Bread Ready to Bake

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.

Work with 1 dough at a time. Make sure to cover the other dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Instead of shaping it into 1 long loaf, I divided it into 2 small loaves and attached them together. That helps the brioche gain more structure & volume while proofing and baking.

Due to brioche’s generous amount of fat (butter), sometimes the dough can collapse during the baking process or hard to shape if the person forming it can’t get used to how big the dough is.

Grease your loaf pan.

Press and stretch the dough into a rectangle. Try to use your hands instead of a rolling pin to avoid overworking your dough.

Roll the dough away from you into a loose cylinder, tuck the sides of the dough as you go.

Pinch the seam with your fingers to secure the dough.

Place the dough seam side down. Then carefully transfer it to your loaf pan. Repeat the process with the remaining piece.

We have also used a baking sheet and free-formed two loaves. They turned out great, albeit flatter than if you use a loaf pan.

Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the shaped dough proof a second time until it’s double in size, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F. Gently brush the top of the unbaked brioche with egg wash mixture.

Bake until the loaf turns deep golden brown color, approximately 40-55 minutes; remember to rotate the baking pan halfway through the process.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes before unmolding it. 

Brush the top and the sides of the brioche loaf with extra melted butter (if desired).

Let the loaf cool down completely before serving.

What if I Don’t have a Stand Mixer, Can I Still Make This Bread?

Using a stand up mixer to make bread is the easiest for sure, but there were days of yore that there wasn’t a mixer to be had, and there still was bread.

You just need some good arm strength to take you from beginning to end. Even with a stand mixer, you must knead by hand at some point anyway.

What is Good on Brioche Bread?

Think of any sandwich you may like. Meats, cheeses, peanut butter, softened butter, jam, jelly, and more.

Brioche can also be lightly toasted which will make it even more flavorful.

It also makes the best French toast you have ever had.

Why is Brioche Bread So Expensive?

Brioche bread is expensive because of the upped ingredients in the bread.

Butter and eggs, milk, and sugar are not normally in bread so that is where the extra expense comes from.

How Long Will Brioche Bread Last? How Can I Store It?

Make sure your bread is completely cooled before storing or freezing.

Storing the bread is easy in a sealable plastic bag with the air removed and will last at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Keep it in a cool, dry place.

If you would like to keep it for longer you can freeze it after you have covered it with plastic wrap and placed it in a sealable plastic bag. The bread will last up to 2 months in the freezer.

Just simply thaw for 3-4 hours prior to eating.

Pin it HERE!!

Pin it HERE!!

Homemade Brioche Bread

Tara Noland

This delicious Homemade Brioche Bread is buttery and eggy with a light puffy tender crumb. A must make bread that you will love for sandwiches, French toast, and more. Brioche buns are also the best for hamburgers and hot dogs!

4.56 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Additional Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Breads, Muffins and Scones

Cuisine French

Servings 1 loaf

Calories 242 kcal

Ingredients

 

Brioche dough

• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 5 oz butter melted
• 2 large eggs

Egg wash

• 1 large egg beaten
• 1 tbsp milk

Optional for finishing touch

• 1 oz butter melted

Instructions

 

• Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• On medium-low speed, add egg, then gradually add milk to incorporate with the mixture.
• Continue on that speed, slowly add melted butter to the flour mixture and mix until cohesive dough starts to form. About 2 minutes.
• Make sure there is no dry flour that remains. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed.
• Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading the dough until smooth and elastic and pull away from the sides of the bowl completely. Approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
• The dough is supposed to be a little bit wet due to the generous amount of butter and milk called for.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Start kneading with your hands.
• If the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour to your hands before kneading.
• Use your hands and gently lift and fold the edge of the dough that’s farthest away from you toward the middle.
• Turn the dough 90 degrees and fold the other edge toward the middle again.
• Repeat the process of turning and folding the dough.
• Continue to knead until the dough forms a smooth, round ball, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Turn the dough seam side down in a lightly greased or lined with plastic wrap large mixing bowl.
• Cover tightly and let it proof until the dough is double in size, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
  
  Press down the dough and deflate. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.
• Work with 1 dough at a time. Make sure to cover the other dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
• Grease your baking pan.
• Press and stretch the dough into a rectangle. Try to use your hands instead of a rolling pin to avoid overworking your dough.
  
  Roll the dough away from you into a loose cylinder, tuck the sides of the dough as you go.
• Pinch the seam with your fingers to secure the dough.
• Place the dough seam side down. Then carefully transfer it to your baking pan.
  
  Repeat the process with the remaining piece.
  
  Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the shaped dough proof a second time until it’s double in size, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
  
  Preheat oven to 350F.
  
  Gently brush the top of the unbaked brioche with egg wash mixture.
  
  Bake until the loaf turns deep golden brown color, approximately 40-55 minutes; remember to rotate the baking pan halfway through the process.
• Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes before unmolding it. 
• Brush the top and the side of the brioche loaf with extra melted butter (if desired).
• Let the loaf cool down completely before serving.
  
  

Equipment

Rachael Ray Yum-o! Bakeware Oven Lovin’ Nonstick Loaf Pan, 9-Inch by 5-Inch Steel Pan, Gray with Orange Handles

Camp Chef Home Seasoned Cast Iron Bread Pan

Cuisinart C77TR-8BD Triple Rivet Collection 8″ Bread Knife, Black

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 242kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 203mgFiber: 1g

Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!