This Brioche Bread recipe will give you that classic soft, rich, and buttery brioche flavor that this bread is known and loved for! What's best is that it's incredibly easy to make! It usually takes almost 12 hours to just proof this bread dough, but my recipe will show you a way to proof it in only 4 hours!
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It's absolutely delicious on its own but you can also use it to make a bunch of different recipes like French toast and an absolutely heavenly version of bread pudding! My recipe is also healthier than most.
We'll be replacing some of the sugar that's normally used with honey or date nectar for a healthier and slightly sweeter version of the original recipe. Even though this recipe introduces a different proofing technique and ingredient, rest assured you'll have a light, fluffy, delicious version of classic Brioche Bread every single time!
🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR BRIOCHE BREAD
All you need are some simple, pantry staple ingredients to make the tastiest brioche bread you've ever had.
You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.
Flour: We will need some flour for the base of our bread dough. You don't need anything fancy; just some quality all-purpose flour will do.
Butter: We'll use butter to give this brioche bread an extra rich taste. Be sure to use unsalted butter so we can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Sugar & date nectar: These two ingredients give brioche bread its subtly sweet taste. The date nectar also adds a very slight caramel taste.
Eggs: We will also need several eggs, both for the dough and to make an egg wash. Eggs give the bread a subtle richness and a light, airy texture.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE BRIOCHE BREAD
This brioche recipe is the easiest one you'll come across and also one of the quickest to make.
The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let's look at the main steps to making this bread.
Step 1:
In a large bowl, add eggs, yeast, sugar, date nectar, and salt. Beat until well combined, then add the flour and mix well. Now add the butter and knead for 10 minutes.
Step 2:
The dough should be somewhat sticky but smooth. Cover it and let it rise for two hours in a warm place.
Step 3:
Knead the dough for a few seconds, then form three equally sized balls with it. Place them in a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Cover and let it rise for one and a half to two hours.
Step 4:
Preheat your oven to 350F/180C. Gently brush the dough with an egg wash and bake for 25 minutes. If the top of the bread starts getting dark too fast, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.
Step 5:
Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Place it on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Your delicious Brioche bread is ready to be served.
💭 BAKING TIPS FOR BRIOCHE BREAD
Use butter at room temperature: Using melted butter can cause problems with texture and consistency, so be sure to use butter that's at room temperature for the best results. The butter should hold its square shape.
Don't worry once you add butter: The dough will appear to be falling apart as you work the butter into it but don't worry. As you continue to knead, it will gradually reincorporate.
Let the bread cool before slicing: Brioche bread is best served at room temperature, but it's important to let it cool completely before slicing. This will allow the bread to set and prevent it from becoming squished or misshapen when sliced.
🍲 MORE BREAD RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Brioche is a fluffy and buttery bread that originates from France. It is made enriched with a combination of flour, eggs, yeast, and butter, which are mixed together until the dough is smooth and somewhat sticky. This type of bread has a unique taste that sets it apart from other bread.
Its light texture makes it an excellent accompaniment to many dishes or as the main ingredient in desserts such as French toast or bread pudding. Brioche bread can be shaped into a variety of forms, including loaves, buns, and rolls.
Easy: This recipe requires few ingredients and the instructions are very simple. Even if you're a novice baker, making this delicious bread couldn't be easier!
Quick to make: Instead of the usual long proofing time, this recipe only needs to proof for 4 hours. That means you can knead it after lunch and still enjoy it for dinner!
Versatile: Brioche bread is an easy recipe, but it can be made in many different ways. You can bake it into a loaf for French toast, buns or rolls for dinner, or any other shape you need.
Brioche differs from most bread because it's made with an enriched dough and has a somewhat sweeter flavor. The enriched dough gives the bread its signature soft brioche texture, classic golden color, and unmistakably rich flavor. In fact, the dough will be soft and almost seem like a cake-batter since it's truly enriched with butter.
Although brioche bread has a slightly sweet flavor, it's subtle and balanced by the richness of the bread's texture and the savory notes from the salt.
The sweetness in brioche bread makes it a versatile bread that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It can be enjoyed on its own, toasted with butter and jam.
🌡️ HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER BRIOCHE BREAD
Brioche bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for two weeks. It has a longer shelf life than other bread, thanks to the butter in the recipe.
For longer storage, cut the bread into slices, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, and then place it inside a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy your brioche again, simply thaw it at room temperature or warm it in the oven before serving.
📖 Recipe
Classic Brioche Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cup + 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon +¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey or date syrup
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup butter cubed
- 2 teaspoon dry yeast
EGG WASH
- 1 egg beaten with two tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a bowl add the eggs, yeast, sugar, honey, and salt. Beat well until combined.
- Add the flour and mix well. Now add the butter and knead for 10 minutes.
- You should get somewhat sticky dough but smooth. Cover the dough and let it rise for two hours in warm place.
- Knead the dough for few seconds, form three equal size balls and place in greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Cover and let it rise for one and a half to two hours.
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Gently brush the dough with the egg wash and bake for 25 minutes.
- If the top of the bread starts to get darker fast, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- The Brioche can be stored at room temperature in a Ziploc bag for two days. If you want to freeze the brioche, cut it in slices, place in Ziploc bag and place in the freezer for maximum two months.
Notes
- You can skip the honey or the date syrup and use sugar.
- It is possible to make burger buns from this recipe.
- This bread tastes excellent as french toast.
Jem @ Lost in Utensils
Wow brioche! How I love thee lol. Too be honest, I'm a keen baker but have never made it before. I love how this recipe is a shortened version...think I'll do it now!
munatycooking
Thanks Jem :), this version although short but tastes the same as the original version. Hope you enjoy it.
Jonathan
Does the yeast need to be activated first before combining with the other ingredients? I tried the recipe but the dough did not rise.
munatycooking
It's better to activate the yeast first if you are not sure how old it is, sometimes although yeast has not expired but for some reason will not let the dough rise. Hope this helps.
Madeleine Goulé
Like Jonathan, I did not activate the yeast and would like to suggest you mention to do this in your recipe. Never having made bread or brioche I did not know this. The consequence was my bread did not rise.
I will try again and activate the yeast first.
munatycooking
Hi Madeleine, When you are not sure if the yeast you are using is still good, it is a good idea to activate it first.