I am really excited to share this Brioche Bread Recipe with you today. I am not a person who is really very good at making bread. I have always said I make better doorstops than bread, but this recipe, which I adapted from one I found on a page called Hostess at Heart promised to be simple and easy to make.
Brioche bread, for those who are not familiar with it, is an enriched type of French bread. It is rich with sugar and butter and eggs. Unlike a typical French loaf, it has a melt in the mouth crust and a slightly sweet and rich taste. It is perfect to enjoy just as is but really excels when used for making bread puddings or French toast!
It is known for its rich golden color, soft texture and slightly sweet taste. In short, it is delicious!
I never ever thought that I would be able to make a great Brioche loaf, but today I proved myself wrong. This came out beautiful. It might not have been the most attractive loaf to look at, but the texture, crust and flavor were all spot on!
I think the next time I make it will make it into a more conventional loaf shape. You will often see it as round loaves as well with a little topknot on top, baked in fluted round baking tins. I have some small round individual ones which might be fun to try next time.
I do hope you will give this a go, however. If I can make it and have it turn out as good as it has, then anyone can! Trust me on this. This is very easy to make and incredibly delicious!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY BRIOCHE BREAD
Just a few simple baking cupboard ingredients and a bit of time.
- 4 cups (397.5g) white bread flour
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (I use kosher)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 TBS butter, softened
- 1 beaten egg for brushing
You can use regular flour, but bread flour will be better as it had more gluten in it. You can use instant yeast if that is all you have, bearing in mind that your dough will rise quicker.
It is quite a few egg yolks, but don't worry about wasting the whites. You can freeze them. I like to freeze them in individual ice cube trays, one white per ice cube hole. Then I pop then out and into an airtight container ready to thaw out and use whenever I need egg whites. This comes in very handy if you are wanting to make an angel food cake, meringues or a pavlova.
I just used regular butter. I did not find it to be very salty. If you do by all means use unsalted butter. I just choose to keep one kind of butter in my house all the time, salted. I have never noticed anything I make with it to come out overly salty and I am a person who does not salt their food so I would notice if things were too salty.
HOW TO MAKE EASY BRIOCHE BREAD
When I tell you this is really easy to make, I am not kidding. I am not a great bread baker and if I can make this successfully, anyone can!
Stir the yeast into the warm milk and leave it to sit and prove for about 5 minute or so. It should dissolve and get foamy. If you don't have regular dry yeast you can use instant yeast, but it will rise faster.Measure the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer and give it a good whisk together. (You will need the dough hook.)Working on low speed, slowly add the yeast mixture. Mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes.Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing only until just combined before you add the next one.Add the softened butter, 1/2 TBS at a time. Continue mixing on low until the dough starts to come together and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems too dry you may need to add a bit more milk. (I did, but you won't and shouldn't need much. This is supposed to be a somewhat stiffish dough.)Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8 to 10 times into a soft dough ball. Spray a large bowl with some baking spray. Add the dough ball, cover tightly with plastic cling film and then set aside in a warm place to rise. It should double in size.
Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and knock it down. Divide it into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.
Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin with some baking spray and place the dough balls into the tin. Cover with some plastic cling film and set aside in a warm place for a further one hour to rise.Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Brush the top of the loaf with the beaten egg.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. The egg wash should be nice and shiny.Tip out of the pan onto a wire rack. The bottom should sound a bit hollow when you knock it with your knuckles. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
HELPFUL NOTES AND TIPS
Make sure your milk is not too hot when you add the yeast to it. It should be not much warmer than blood temperature, meaning you can comfortably stick your finger in it. If it is too hot it will kill your yeast.
I like to sit mine on top of the stove to prove. Usually, I will have had something cooking in the oven so it is a nice warm spot for it to rise. You can also heat your oven to 175*F/80*C and turn it off, then place your covered dough into the oven. This works well.
If you only have instant yeast, you can use it instead of regular yeast. Use the same quantities. Bear in mind that it will rise faster.
Cut finished bread with a serrated knife.
Store any leftovers in an airtight bag. It will keep for up to 4 days.
You can also shape the dough into burger buns.
You can freeze this bread in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you are ready to eat it.
I was absolutely thrilled with how this came out. I am nowhere near being a great bread baker from scratch without using my bread machine. I had my doubts as to if this was going to work or not as I thought the dough was rather stiff, but all my doubts were for naught because I ended up with a beautiful loaf!
It is light and fluffy with a beautiful tight crumb and texture. The crust is lovely and crisp, melt in the mouth. The bread itself almost melts in the mouth. I can't wait to make some French toast with it!
Nothing is more delicious than a homemade loaf of bread or some fresh homemade rolls. Here are a few others that we enjoy!
BEST LION HOUSE DINNER ROLLS - These are delicious rolls made famous by the Lion House Pantry Restaurant in Salt Lake City. They are amazingly light and fluffy. My personal favorite to bake for any holiday.
OATMEAL BATTER BREAD - If the thought of making a yeast bread scares you, there is no better loaf to try out first than a batter bread. They go together easily with no kneading required. Usually just a hand mixer works fine. This is a particularly delicious loaf, slightly sweet from the use of molasses with a distinct nutty flavor from the oats. This is very simple to make.
Yield: One large loaf (9 X 5-inch)Author: Marie Rayner
Easy Brioche Bread
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 35 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 3 HourSoft and fluffy with a buttery melt in the mouth texture and a beautiful flavor. It is helpful to have a stand mixer for this recipe, but not necessary if you have the time and will to knead everything together on your own.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (397.5g) white bread flour
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (I use kosher)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 TBS butter, softened
- 1 beaten egg for brushing
Instructions
- Stir the yeast into the warm milk and leave it to sit and prove for about 5 minute or so. It should dissolve and get foamy. If you don't have regular dry yeast you can use instant yeast, but it will rise faster.
- Measure the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer and give it a good whisk together. (You will need the dough hook.)
- Working on low speed, slowly add the yeast mixture. Mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing only until just combined before you add the next one.
- Add the softened butter, 1/2 TBS at a time. Continue mixing on low until the dough starts to come together and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems too dry you may need to add a bit more milk. (I did, but you won't and shouldn't need much. This is supposed to be a somewhat stiffish dough.)
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8 to 10 times into a soft dough ball. Spray a large bowl with some baking spray. Add the dough ball, cover tightly with plastic cling film and then set aside in a warm place to rise. It should double in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and knock it down. Divide it into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.
- Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin with some baking spray and place the dough balls into the tin. Cover with some plastic cling film and set aside in a warm place for a further one hour to rise.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Brush the top of the loaf with the beaten egg.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. The egg wash should be nice and shiny.
- Tip out of the pan onto a wire rack. The bottom should sound a bit hollow when you knock it with your knuckles. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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