Brioche

A rich, buttery French bread that sits somewhere between a loaf and a pastry. The inside is buttery, soft and pillowy and the crust is golden and slightly crisp. Eat it fresh, toast it the next day, or use day-old slices for the best French toast you'll ever make!

Prep30

Cook25

Total1

Servings

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

500 gr plain flour
3 gr instant dry yeast
100 ml whole milk lukewarm
50 gr caster sugar
1 tsp salt
4 egg room temperature
150 gr unsalted butter softened, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk, for glazing

Equipment

1 stand mixer with dough hook attachment
1 Loaf pan (cast iron) 23cm
1 mixing bowl
1 pastry brush
1 cooling rack

Instructions

Activate the yeast

Warm the milk until just lukewarm (around 37°C). Stir in the yeast until dissolved and leave for 5–10 minutes until foamy.

Mix the dough

In the stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Attach the dough hook. Add the foamy yeast-milk mixture and the eggs, and mix on low speed to bring the dough together.

Incorporate the butter

Gradually add the softened butter, a few cubes at a time, while mixing. Continue for at least 15 minutes on medium speed. The dough should become smooth, elastic and glossy, slightly sticky but pulling away from the bowl.

First rise

Cover the bowl and leave to rise somewhere warm (24–28°C) for 1–2 hours, until doubled in size.

Chill and shape

Gently knock back the dough. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, to firm up the butter and make shaping possible. Divide into 8–10 equal portions and shape each into a smooth ball.

Second rise in tin

Place the balls into a greased loaf pan. Cover and leave to rise for 1–1.5 hours, until doubled and puffy.

Prepare for baking

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Brush the risen brioche gently with beaten egg yolk for a shiny, golden crust.

Bake

Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Tent with foil if it colours too quickly.

Cool

Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

For best results, ensure all ingredients are at room temperature to help the yeast activate smoothly.
The chilling step after the first rise is key to achieving the brioche's delicate, buttery flakiness and ease of handling.
Brioche dough is sticky but resist adding too much flour!
Patience during rising is essential for light texture.

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