Brioche
Brioche is the most indulgent of breads, with almost as much butter as egg and a crumb that tears into soft, feathery strands. To tame such a rich dough, we rest it overnight in the fridge: cold, it shapes easily and develops a deeper flavour. You’ll need a stand mixer and some patience, and it’s worth every minute.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rest
- 14 h
- Total
- 15 h 20 min
- Servings
- 20
- Level
- Challenging
- Per serving
- 220 kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
For the egg wash
Makes: 2 loaves (21 × 11 cm tins), 20 slices
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Mix the base dough
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt, keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides. Add the eggs and cold milk and knead with the hook for 5 minutes on low, then 8–10 minutes on medium, until the dough starts pulling away from the sides. It will be sticky but clearly elastic.
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Step 2: Work in the butter
Add the butter one piece at a time, waiting until each has disappeared before adding the next; this takes about 10 minutes. The finished dough is glossy and smooth, clears the bowl and stretches into a thin sheet. If the bowl feels warm, chill the dough for 10 minutes and carry on.
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Step 3: Rise, then chill overnight
Cover and leave the dough at room temperature for 1 hour. Knock it back, cover tightly and refrigerate for 8–12 hours.
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Step 4: Shape the loaves
Butter two 21 × 11 cm loaf tins. Divide the cold dough into 6 pieces of about 185 g, roll them into tight balls and place three in each tin.
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Step 5: Final proof
Cover and leave somewhere warm, 24–26 °C (75–79 °F) and no warmer or the butter will leak, for 2–3 hours. The dough should dome to about 1 cm below the rim and wobble when you nudge the tin.
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Step 6: Egg wash
Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Beat the egg with the milk and brush the brioche very gently, twice, waiting a minute between coats.
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Step 7: Bake
Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep reddish-gold; if the tops darken too fast after 20 minutes, cover loosely with foil. The centre should read 88–90 °C (190–195 °F).
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Step 8: Cool
Leave the loaves in their tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes more before slicing.
Tips & variations
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Tip
The butter should be pliable but cool, around 16–18 °C. Too soft and it smears, making the dough greasy; too hard and it won’t blend in.
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Variation
Make 12 brioche buns of 90 g each instead: proof them for 1.5–2 hours and bake for 15–18 minutes.
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Tip
Day-old brioche makes the best French toast and bread pudding you’ll ever have.
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Storage
Keep in a bag for up to 3 days, or freeze the second loaf whole for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 20 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 220 kcal | 4,400 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 120 g |
| Fat | 12 g | 240 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g | 460 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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