Soft, fluffy and rich homemade brioche bread is just a few hours away with this homemade brioche bread recipe!
Homemade brioche bread is my favorite bread to use in french toast, check out my Stuffed Peach Pie French Toast and my family favorite Creme Brûlée Stuffed French Toast. There is something so great about the soft and buttery bread that you can’t go wrong! I first started making homemade brioche because I wasn’t able to find a loaf at my local grocery store when I needed it.
Homemade Brioche Ingredients
Very similar ingredients go into brioche as my homemade sandwich bread, but more butter is included!
- Yeast: I always prefer to use active dry yeast, but if you prefer instant rapid rise you can use that.
- Milk: I use whole milk. This is going to help activate our yeast.
- Sugar: granulated white sugar is used here to help activate the yeast. You can swap for honey also.
- Eggs: brioche is an enriched dough which must include eggs!
- Flour: we are using all purpose flour to keep things light and airy. Bread flour can be use, but you will get a chewier bread.
- Salt: adds flavor and helps to develop gluten in your dough.
- Butter: most people will say to use unsalted butter, but in all honesty I never have unsalted on hand. So I use salted butter.
How to Make Homemade Brioche Bread
- Mix the yeast, lukewarm milk, and sugar, and let it sit for 5 minutes until foaming.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add flour, salt, and eggs. Once the yeast mixture is foamy add to the flour mixture as well. Mix to combine using the dough hook on the stand mixer.
- Add the butter in pieces and knead for another 15 minutes at speed level 2 (your dough should be sticky but comes easily from the bowl using a silicone spatula).
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let it rise at room temperature for one hour. Refrigerate for 4-16 hours. This is what makes your brioche soft & airy.
- Take the dough out of the fridge, place on a lightly floured surface, divide into six pieces. Gently form each piece into a small roll and place to fill a 9×5 loaf pan. Let rise at room temperature for another 1.5-2 hours. If the dough has not doubled in size you may need to wait longer.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until brown. Allow the brioche to cool down on a cooling rack before slicing.
Do I have to use a stand mixer?
Honestly, I really do think that brioche needs a stand mixer. The dough is on the sticky side because of the butter and when you try to knead the dough by hand you will be tempted to keep adding flour that isn’t needed. The more flour you add to the dough the denser the loaf will be. So while you can make it without a stand mixer, the texture will not be the same.
Do I have to let the brioche dough rise overnight?
While homemade brioche does take some patience, it is SO worth the wait! You will be tempted to skip the overnight rise in the fridge, but don’t! Ok if you must then you can, I have before and it still turns out, but the beauty of this soft and airy bread comes from the overnight cold rise.
Share Your Experience
I would love to hear about your experience making and enjoying my Homemade Brioche Bread! Feel free to tag me on Instagram or leave a review below. Your feedback helps me improve our recipes and provides inspiration to fellow bakers.
Save this recipe for later by simply using the pin button on the recipe card or any of the photos above. Happy cooking!
The Best Homemade Brioche
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ cup milk lukewarm
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup butter chilled and cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, lukewarm milk, and sugar, and let it sit for 5 minutes until foaming.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add flour, salt, and eggs. Once the yeast mixture is foamy add to the flour mixture as well. Mix to combine using the dough hook on the stand mixer.
- Add the butter in pieces and knead for another 15 minutes at speed level 2 (your dough should be sticky but comes easily from the bowl using a silicone spatula).
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let it rise at room temperature for one hour. Refrigerate for 4-16 hours. This is what makes your brioche soft & airy.
- Take the dough out of the fridge, place on a lightly floured surface, divide into six pieces. Gently form each piece into a small roll and place to fill a 9×5 loaf pan. Let rise at room temperature for another 1.5-2 hours
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until brown. Allow the brioche to cool down on a cooling rack before slicing.
I used dough hooks on my hand mixer, to mix yeast mixture, flour and eggs. I blended this mixture. Transferred to my food processor using the dough blade, added the butter and let the food processor on dough setting do its thing until butter was blend3d in and the dough became sticky, but solid, then transferred to oiled bowl and continued to follow the balance of your recipe.
So glad that worked for you!
I have made the dough and it is in the refrigerator. Can I leave it in there longer than 16 hrs.? I don’t want to have to get up at 6 am to make bread, lol!
Yes!