Homemade Brioche

Part bread, part pastry brioche has a soft and fluffy texture, and a sweet buttery flavour.

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Resting Time: 1 1 30

Total Time: 1 2 30

Course: Baking, Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: French

Keyword: baking, bread, bread and doughs, buttery, pastry

Servings: slices

Calories: 299kcal

⅓ cup sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
4 eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1½ cups all-purpose flour
12 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for buttering the bread pans

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer mix the milk, yeast, and sugar together. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add the egg and 1 cup of the flour and stir to combine. The sponge will be sticky and fairly dry. Sprinkle the remaining cup flour over the sponge, to cover. Let rest, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes. The sponge will erupt slightly, and there will be cracks in the flour.

Add the sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of the flour to the sponge. Fit the bowl onto the stand mixer with the dough hook attached, mix on low speed until the dough just comes together, about 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup flour while continuing to mix. Once the flour is incorporated mix on medium for 15 minutes, scraping down the hook and bowl as needed.
With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the softened butter a few tablespoons at a time, letting the butter fully incorporate into the dough before adding more. When all the butter has been added, raise the mixer speed to medium-high for 1 minute. Then reduce the speed to medium and beat the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky.
First rise: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 2 to 2½ hours.
Chilling and second rise: Punch down the dough and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours. The dough will continue to rise and may double in size again.
TIP: The dough can now be frozen if you are not using the full amount.
To freeze; punch the dough down and wrap tightly in plastic wrap then place in the freezer. The dough will keep frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw wrapped dough in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 1½ - 2 hours before you are going to bake the brioche.
Butter 2 8×4-inch pans. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place 6 pieces side by side in each bread pan. Cover the pans with a clean cloth and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours.
TIP: To make individual brioche butter the cups in a muffin pan and place one ball of the dough in each cup.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash. Snip several crosses along the top of the dough with the tips of a sharp pair of scissors. (This helps the brioche rise evenly as it bakes.)
Place the pans on the center rack in the oven and bake until the loaves are deeply golden, and an instant-read thermometer plunged into the center of the bread reads 200ºF, 30 to 35 minutes.
Note; if making individual brioche in a muffin pan the baking time will be reduced, about 20-25 minutes.
Remove the pans from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Turn the loaves out once they have cooled.
The bread can be stored tightly wrapped, at room temperature for a day or two or frozen.
To freeze, wrap tightly and store for up to one month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature.

Brioche is best eaten warm, the same day it is baked.

The brioche can be stored, wrapped well, at room temperature for 2-3 days, or freeze for up to one month. Thaw still wrapped at room temperature.

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