Brioche Bread (enriched dough)

❓ What is Brioche Bread?

Unlike bread doughs that consist of flour, water, yeast and salt (we call these lean doughs), enriched dough includes fats (butter), sugar, eggs and dairy. And plenty of them!

Originating in France, some believe a traditional brioche recipe is a cross between bread and pastry. The high proportion of eggs and butter lean towards a pastry but once baked, the light, airy textures lean towards bread.

The outcome of these extra ingredients combined leaves you with a rich, buttery bread with an exceptionally tender crumb. When warm and fresh out of the oven, it literally melts in your mouth. It really is the best brioche recipe!

Is Brioche the Same as Challah?

Whilst they are both egg-enriched bread, there are a couple of main differences. Challah is associated with many Jewish traditions, whereas Brioche stems from France. Challah also contains oil as its fat, whereas Brioche contains butter and lots of it.

What's the Difference Between Same Day and Overnight Dough?

Same Day: Once shaped, the brioche dough needs its second rise/proof of 45 minutes in a warm place and covered in plastic wrap before baking. Once risen, brush with egg wash, if you choose, and bake for the recommended time. I love the same-day method if I want a freshly baked treat in the afternoon.

Overnight: If you’d prefer to have freshly baked bread/rolls/babka etc for breakfast, then making them overnight is the way forward.
Once you've filled your dough and shaped it according to your recipe, then place the shaped dough into its baking tray or loaf pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge overnight. This basically slows down the second rise drastically, plus it enhances the overall taste too.
The next morning you need to remove the tray/loaf pan from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 45 minutes in a warm place to continue its second rise. Once risen, brush with egg wash, if you choose, and bake for the recommended time.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make

Have a good read of this section before diving into making this dough. It may seem like a lot of words, but I want to hold your hand through the whole process! If this is your first time making bread, I've got your back!

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

So without further ado. Let's get into the step-by-step process of how we make this amazing dough and turn it into incredible homemade brioche bread.

STEP 1. Activate the yeast. Add the yeast, ¾ cup of warm milk, and one tablespoon of sugar into a bowl. Give it a whisk and set it aside for 15 minutes. This activates the yeast and gets it going from its dormant stage (Image 1).

The yeast mixture should then be frothy and bubbly (Image 2). Your yeast is now activated and ready to use. If you find there aren't any bubbles, then the yeast may have expired. This can happen, especially if you use your yeast infrequently.

STEP 2. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add flour, remaining sugar, and salt to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. There's no need to sift these ingredients (Image 3). Quickly mix together (Image 4).

STEP 3. Add wet ingredients (except the butter). Add the eggs, foaming yeast mixture, and vanilla bean paste into the bowl of the stand mixer (Image 5) and mix on low speed for 5 minutes until the dough starts to come together (Image 6).

NOTE: The size of your eggs can impact the moisture in the dough. If they are too small, then you’ll need to add a little extra milk, as mentioned above. I always use large eggs.

STEP 4. Add butter and knead in the mixer. Whilst the mixer is still running at medium speed, add the butter gradually, one knob (tablespoon) at a time (Image 7), and mix until incorporated. Don’t rush this process so the butter can emulsify properly with the dough (Image 8).

Then turn the mixer up to med-high and knead for ten minutes. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl and have formed a ‘tornado’ around the dough hook (Image 9).

The dough should be smooth, shiny, and elastic by now (Image 10). There's nothing more satisfying than beautifully kneaded dough. See below for a brilliant trick to determine if the dough is ready.

STEP 5. Knead by hand. Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled surface. It will look a little dimply and needs an extra touch to make it smooth and turn it into the shape of a ball.

We do this by doing some stretch and folds to the dough. One corner at a time, pull the dough out (Image 12) and fold it over itself and into the middle (Image 13). Do this a couple of times.

STEP 6. Proof the dough. Turn the dough over so that the fold seams are underneath, and you’ll have a lovely smooth dough ball. (There is literally nothing more satisfying!) Lightly grease a bowl (all the way up the sides) and place the dough into the bowl gently (Image 14).

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 1.5 hours in a warm place or until doubled in size for the dough's first rise/proof (Image 15).

NOTE: The bowl in my image is small. I used it for my photoshoot to capture the difference between the dough before and after rising. Normally I would use a large mixing bowl, and I suggest that you do too.

STEP 7. Deflate the dough. Once the dough has risen double or more in size, gently punch it down (Image 16). Tip onto a lightly floured surface, and using lightly floured hands, shape into a rectangle (Image 17).

STEP 8. Cut and shape the dough. Cut the dough into five equal pieces. (Image 18). With a rolling pin, roll out one piece of the dough into a flat rectangle (Image 19).

Starting from the short end, roll the dough up tightly into a log (Images 20 & 21).

Place seam side down into a greased and lined 2lb loaf pan (Image 22.) Repeat this process with all the dough pieces and line them up sitting snugly next to each other in the loaf pan (Image 23).

STEP 9. Second Proof and bake.

For a same-day bake: Cover your pan tightly with plastic wrap and set the pan in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size (Image 24)

For an over-night bake: Cover your pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next morning remove from the fridge and allow to rise for 45 minutes at room temperature or until the dough has doubled in size (Image 24).

Once risen, eggwash the top of the dough (more notes on this below) and bake for 30-35 minutes until deep golden brown (Image 25). By now, you'll have the scent of your enriched brioche bread wafting through the air! Remove the pan from the oven and cool the loaf in the loaf pan for 15 minutes or so. Then tip the bread out onto a wire rack and cool before serving. Now enjoy!