This buttery brioche bread recipe is so fluffy it practically melts in your mouth. Serve it warm or toasted with salted butter and you will never want to try any other bread recipe after this one!
We love brioche so much that we made sure to incorporate it in our amazing bread pudding and brioche french toast.
Table Of Contents
- What is Brioche?
- Ingredients for this recipe
- How to Make Brioche Bread
- What makes it different from other breads?
- Brioche dough texture
- What to do if the dough isn’t coming together
- What is it used for?
- Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
- Can I make brioche bread without a stand mixer?
- How long does homemade brioche bread keep?
- Try these other delicious bread recipes
- Full Recipe Instructions
What is Brioche?
Brioche is a French origin bread made with flour, yeast, and a high egg and butter content. The high butter content is what gives brioche that fluffy and tender crumb. The taste results in a richer, buttery flavor that just can’t compare to standard white bread. You can get creative with this bread by making it into a sweet breaded Nutella bread, or brioche douts, or even as brioche dinner rolls and hot cross buns! And then you can always go the savory route by making it into burger buns and serving it with a juicy homemade patty.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Dry ingredients – you will need basic bread essentials like bread flour, salt, yeast, and a tiny amount of white sugar.
- Wet ingredients – use warm milk to activate the yeast, vanilla for flavor, and butter and eggs to give the bread that irresistible buttery texture.
How to Make Brioche Bread
For the full printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card
- Make the yeast mixture. Combine the milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, and yeast in a large measuring cup or bowl and leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Once it becomes frothy, give it a quick stir.
- Whisk the eggs. In a separate bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them just enough to loosen them up.
- Mix the ingredients (except butter). Add the flour, salt, and the rest of the sugar to the stand mixer bowl. Then pour in the yeast mixture. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat the dough with the hook attachment until it begins to come together.
- Knead in the butter. Now cut the cup of softened butter into slices and add them to the dough. Continue kneading the dough at high speed for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise. Now remove the brioche bread dough from the mixer and shape it into a ball. Grease a bowl with oil and place it inside, covering with a cheesecloth or plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place for an hour, or until it doubles or triples in size.
- Braid the dough. After proofing, divide the dough into two equal pieces (for two loaves). Divide each dough half into three equal balls. Roll the balls out into long strands and then cross them, forming a braid. At the ends, pinch the dough to seal it. (You can also skip the braid and just place the dough balls in a loaf pan.)
- Let it rise again. Butter a loaf pan and place the braided dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or cheesecloth and let it proof again for an hour in a warm place, or until it doubles.
- Brush with egg wash and bake. Once it has risen, brush the dough with egg wash and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.
What makes it different from other breads?
Typically, most bread recipes like my multigrain harvest and rustic bread have yeast, flour, and water as the base. Brioche, on the other hand, has a lot of butter and eggs to aid in that soft and fluffy crumb.
Brioche dough texture
Your brioche dough should be slightly tacky because of all the eggs and butter, but not stick to your fingers. It should also be smooth and elastic. To test this, take a small amount of dough and slowly stretch it until it becomes thin and semi-transparent. This elasticity is what gives brioche that lovely chew.
What to do if the dough isn’t coming together
If your brioche bread dough is mixing, but is not coming together or is too runny, add another 1/4 cup of flour. This should solve the problem.
What is it used for?
The best way to enjoy a warm loaf of homemade brioche is by toasting it and slathering on a thick layer of salted butter and a drizzle of honey on top, YUM!! But you can always use the stale leftovers in french toast or bread pudding with vanilla rum sauce!
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour to make brioche bread. But there will be a slight texture difference. All-purpose flour has less protein in it and will develop less gluten, which determines the chewiness of the bread. So, your brioche with AP flour will be slightly less chewy, but still soft and buttery.
Can I make brioche bread without a stand mixer?
You can, but it’s difficult. Because brioche needs to be mixed a lot and also at high speed, doing it by hand is a lot harder. The mixing process is what releases the gluten and gives brioche bread its texture. So if you do this by hand, it will take a lot longer and require a lot more effort.
How long does homemade brioche bread keep?
Keep the brioche in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. The more airtight the bag, the fresher the bread will taste. And if it goes stale, pop it in the oven for a few minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit or make bread pudding or french toast out of it.
Try these other delicious bread recipes
- Nutella Brioche: Brioche bread with swirls of Nutella
- Poppyseed buns: Pull-apart buns with sweet poppy seed filling
- Pumpkin bread: Loaded with toasted pecans and pumpkin seeds
- Brioche bun recipe: Perfect for homemade burgers!
- Dutch Oven No-Knead Bread: Super simple to make!
Full Recipe Instructions
Buttery Brioche Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup warm milk 110 degrees Fahrenheit
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 7 1/4 cups bread flour spooned and leveled off with knife
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 eggs (+1 egg for egg wash)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
Instructions
Make the yeast mixture
- In a glass bowl or large measuring cup, combine milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and yeast. Leave this mixture in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Once it becomes frothy, give it a quick stir.
Mix all ingredients (but butter) in a stand mixer
- Place 7 1/4 cup bread flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then pour the warm yeast mixture into the bowl.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and give them a quick whisk just to loosen them. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract to the rest of the ingredients in the mixer bowl.
- Using the hook attachment, beat the dough until it begins to come together.
Knead in the softened butter
- Cut the 1 cup of unsalted softened butter into slices and add it to the dough. Continue kneading the dough at high speed for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough isn't coming together well enough after 15 minutes, add an additonal 1/4 cup flour.
Rise the dough in a greased bowl
- Remove the brioche dough from the mixer and shape it into a ball. Place it into a bowl greased with oil. Then cover with a cheesecloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles or triples in size.
Braid the dough and rise again
- Once the dough has proofed, divide it into two equal pieces. These two halves will make two loaves of bread.
- Starting with one of the two dough halves, divide that half into three equal balls. Roll those three balls into long strands.
- Begin crossing over the three strands in a braid-like fashion. Once you get the end, pinch the dough to seal the braid. Repeat these steps with the other dough halve. (If you don't want to do a braid, just place the 3 dough balls on the loaf pan.)
Brush with egg wash and bake
- Butter a loaf pan with unsalted butter and place the braided dough into the pan. Cover with a cheesecloth or plastic wrap and let it proof in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough has proofed, brush with egg wash (1 beaten egg + 1 tsp water). Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on April 5, 2017, but we have tweaked it a bit since then to improve it.
PS: Here are our old images.
- Salmon Wellington - April 17, 2024
- Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt - April 16, 2024
- Easy Mongolian Chicken - April 13, 2024
Kristine says
Can I use Instant yeast instead? Will it affect tge end product?
Dina says
Hi Kristine 🙂 Yes, you can use instant yeast. You would just skip the frothy yeast mixture and add it to the dry ingredients. I hope you love this brioche bread! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Patrick says
I was eager to try this recipe, but as someone who has a keen interest in baking I cannot imagine measuring by volume due to how inaccurate it can be. Please add weighted measurements. Thanks!
Dina says
Hi Patrick 🙂 If you scroll down the printable recipe card, you will see an option to convert the ingredients in grams. I hope this helps.
Regina says
Can I use margarine instead of butter in this Brioche recipe
Dina says
Hi Regina, technically margarine would be the next closest substitute to butter. I have personally never tested it out with margarine so I am not too sure how it would alter the flavor. I do recommend sticking to butter since it’s the preferred ingredient for brioche.
Rochelle says
Hi,
Would I be able to refrigerate the dough overnight before the 2nd prove? Then the next morning take it out of the fridge (already braided in the loaf pan) and let it rise at room temperature until doubled and then bake it?
Thanks
Dina says
Hi Rochelle, yes you can definitely do that! 🙂 Enjoy!
Wendy Yap says
Hi, Can I store the dough in the fridge or freezer? If yes, is it after the first rise?
Dina says
Hi Wendy, I would recommend storing it in the fridge.
Charles says
Made it, cut recipe in half. Gonna post it on social media and will tag you. Really good. Will try some different flavors and versions in the future. Thank you. Be watching for post by Grapevine Girls.
Dina says
Hi Charles 🙂 Awesome to hear you loved this brioche bread! Let me know how the flavor variations go! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Sanjana khushwani says
If I want to make just 1 loaf do I have to half the amount of yeast as well?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Sanjana, if you do half the recipe, you would need to cut each ingredient in half, including the yeast. I hope you love this recipe 🙂
Zuhairah says
Can I use ap flour
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Zuhairah, yes you can 🙂 You will need equal amounts of all-purpose flour if you use it instead of bread flour.
Barbara says
Can I freeze this bread Delicious
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Barbara 🙂 Yes, you can freeze this brioche bread. Just make sure to have it covered airtight. I hope you love this recipe! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Virginia says
Hi ! Made this once and it was wonderful! Today I am trying a Cheesy bacon n Rosemary roll… hope it works ! Question… which shelf of the oven do you bake bread on? When it looks too brown around mid point, can I tent it with foil just placed above it? Thx
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the feedback, Virginia! That sounds delicious! I always bake on the center rack. But if the bread begins to brown too much, you can defeintly puit foil on top! 🙂
Heidi says
I tried this Brioche recipe for the first time.
It came out great! Took forever to proof but
the actual dough was easy and came together quickly.
It smells delicious, I baked it 35 min and did have to
cover it with foil halfway through because of browning.
I made half the recipe and cut the dough into 8 pieces which I rolled into balls and staggered in the loaf pan.
The end result is a beautiful poofy classic Brioche.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the awesome recipe feedback, Heidi! I am thrilled to hear that you the brioche bread so much 🙂
Sasha says
I just baked mine and it was SOOO GOOOOOD! Its my first try and I was a little scared it wouldn’t turn out well. Some small portions were kinda burnt but its only on the crust and the inside was yellow and so delicious. Maybe I should have turned the loaves halfway into the baking time. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
Yay! So happy that you loved this brioche bread, Sasha! Some ovens have hot spots so turning may help 🙂 You are very welcome for this recipe and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Billy Leinbach says
Men’s eyes were made to look, let them gaze, I will budge for no man’s pleasure.
Narine Limanoff says
This is absolutely amazing recipe. This bread came out perfect! The taste and the smell are out of this world. I love your YouTube channel. I’m not a good cook, but your instructions are so easy to follow. Thank you!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much Narine!! I really appreciate your support and feedback 🙂 So happy that you loved this brioche bread recipe 🙂 Glad that you found the instructions helpful! I try to have all my recipes have clear instructions to make it easier for my followers. Thank you for taking the time to leave such an awesome review 🙂
GEORGE RIEDL says
How about a recipe for only one loaf?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi George, yes you can use this brioche bread recipe to just make one loaf 🙂 Just cut all the ingredients in half. Occasionally cutting recipes in half can change the consistency slightly. If the dough is too wet then just a little extra flour. However, you want the dough to be a bit sticky/tacky so don’t add too much. So add a tablespoon at a time. Hope that helps clarify and I hope you love this recipe 🙂
Morgane says
Well it’s me again! I’ve made that brioche (after making a LOT of your nutella ones, with all sorts of flavors), followed it all and handmade (as always): easy, delicious and wonderful. Slight minuscule tweek: made two, one of them round shaped (yum) and added on top some sugar grains. Delicious as always!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Morgane 🙂 Thank you so much for your support, it really means the world to me! 🙂 I’m so happy that you loved this brioche bread! This is my favorite bread recipe 🙂 Thank you for your awesome review! 🙂
Nancy Reynolds says
This recipe makes an absolutely delicious and beautiful loaf of bread. My 1st rise time was about 2 hours instead of 1, and my baking time was about 20 minutes longer than stated in the recipe. However I made sure to continue to bake until the internal temperature hit 200 degrees. I also tented the loaves about midway through baking to keep them from over browning. This one is a keeper!
simplyhomecooked says
Wow, thats awesome Nancy! Thank you for leaving these important details. It really helps me get a better idea of time and temp adjustments for my viewers. I really appreciate the detailed feedback.
Lynne B says
Soooooo glad I came across your blog! I can’t tell you how helpful all the pictures are at each step. Thank you!!
simplyhomecooked says
You are very welcome Lynne! Very happy that you came across my blog and appreciate the step by step photos 🙂 I hope you love this brioche bread, it is my favorite bread! Thank you for your feedback Lynne 🙂
Anna says
Brioche is our favorite bread for French toast. We let it sit for a week in the fridge (I’ve heard it’s better when the bread isn’t fresh) then make the French toast. It tastes amazing!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Anna, brioche is my favorite bread and truly is amazing! You can also use it for bread pudding 🙂 I prefer fresh brioche bread with salted butter and honey!!
Ursula says
It came out delicious!
I followed all the steps and baked as instructions.
Thank you for the recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
You are very welcome Ursula! Very happy to hear you loved this brioche bread! This brioche bread is my absolute favorite bread! Thank you for your feedback Ursula 🙂 I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂