Brioche Bread (enriched dough)

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5 from 8 votes

Rich, buttery, soft and light, Brioche Bread is one of the most versatile but also delicious breads that you can make.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Resting Time1 45

Total Time2 45

Course: Bread Baking

Cuisine: French

Servings: slices (2 lb loaf)

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Emma Duckworth

Equipment

Ingredients

10 g active dry yeast 1 envelope
180 ml whole milk luke-warm
50 g caster sugar (superfine)
500 g plain flour (all-purpose)
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
115 g unsalted butter room temperature, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (or canola) for greasing

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Activate the yeast. Add the yeast, milk, and 1 tablespoon of sugar into a small bowl and mix well. Set to one side for 15 minutes until foamy.
Add dry ingredients and mix. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Quickly mix them together.
Add wet ingredients (except the butter). Add the foaming yeast mixture, eggs, and vanilla bean paste and mix on low for 5 minutes until the dough comes together.
Add butter and knead in the mixer. Then add the butter gradually, whilst the mixer is running on medium and once incorporated, turn the mixer up and knead for ten minutes. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl but have formed a ‘tornado’ around the dough hook.
Tips for doing the windowpane test in step-by-step instructions in the blog post.
Knead by hand. Tip the dough onto a lightly greased worktop and do the stretch and fold method. Pull each corner out and fold it back over itself into the center.
Proof the dough. Turn the dough over so that the seams are underneath and place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours.
Note: if your environment is cold then place the bowl in the oven with the light on only. The ambient air temperature created from the light is perfect for the dough to rise in.
Deflate the dough. Grease and line a 2lb loaf pan. Once doubled in size, gently punch down the dough and tip out onto a lightly floured benchtop. (There is no need to refrigerate the dough at this point as there is no special cutting/shaping needed later on) Using your hands, form dough into a rectangle.
Cut and shape the dough. Cut the dough into five equal pieces. With a rolling pin, roll out one piece of the dough into a flat rectangle.
Starting from the short end, roll the dough up tightly into a log and place seam side down into a greased and lined 2lb loaf pan. Repeat this process with all the dough pieces and line them up sitting snugly next to each other in the loaf pan.
Second proof and bake. Cover the pan loosely with cling wrap (allow room for the dough to expand) and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 mins or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), then bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or let cool completely, slice, and toast. Best eaten day it is made.

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

To store: Store enriched brioche bread in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or refrigerate for up to one week. Warm slices in the toaster or the loaf in a warm oven for a couple of minutes.

To freeze: Wrap brioche bread tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer-proof container. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and ‘refresh’ the bread by warming it in the oven.

TIP 1: Windowpane test. To make sure the dough has been kneaded enough in the mixer and the gluten has been developed enough, the windowpane test is a quick and easy trick!

TIP 2: Proofing your dough. Depending on the temperature of your home and the season you are by turning on the light in the oven you create the perfect ambient temperature for the dough to proof in.

TIP 3: Check your dough has proofed. Under or over-proofing can ruin all your hard work. Simply push an indent into the dough with your finger and let the results tell.

TIP 4: Eggwash. The trick to getting that shiny golden finish on top of your loaf is to brush it in an egg wash before baking.

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