French Brioche Bread
French brioche bread is rich, buttery, and unbelievably soft, with a tender crumb and golden crust that feels straight from a French bakery. While brioche may seem intimidating, this recipe walks you through each step so you can create a beautiful bakery-style loaf right at home. Whether enjoyed warm with butter or transformed into decadent French toast, this classic bread is worth every bit of effort.
What is Brioche
Brioche is a rich, buttery bread, originating from the Normandy region in France. It’s super soft and pillowy. Due to it’s high egg and butter content, it bakes up golden brown, with a feathery, buttery crumb. It can be used for many different recipes including Brioche Hamburger Buns, cinnamon rolls, and French toast. I love using it for my Baked French Toast with Berries.
How to pronounce Brioche
In case you were wondering how to say this French word, it’s pronounced BREE-OH-SH. Now you can impress your friends with your bilingual and baking abilities!
Recipe at a glance
- This brioche bun recipe is a non-sourdough recipe (use instant yeast).
- It’s high in egg and butter content, which makes it super rich tasting buns
- Knead the brioche dough to a windowpane for best results (learn more below).
- It’s a 2-day recipe: overnight cold proof in the fridge & bake the next day.
- Shape buns while dough is cold.
Ingredients for French Brioche Bread
- Eggs – A classic brioche dough uses eggs as the foundation to provide structure, color, and a rich flavor.
- Butter – Butter is a defining ingredient in French brioche. It coats the proteins in the dough, creating a soft, pillowy crumb.
- Sugar – Just a small amount of sugar will create a bit of sweetness to round out the rich flavor of the eggs and butter.
- Instant Yeast – When using instant yeast, you can add it directly to the dough instead of having to bloom it first (like with active dry yeast). I have an article called, Active Dry Yeast vs. Instant Yeast if you’d like to learn more about how to use each type of yeast.
- Bread Flour – Using a flour with higher protein like bread flour, will help to create a better bread structure for this brioche bread.
How to make French Brioche Bread
Mixing the dough
Step 1: Mix the dough. Start with the wet ingredients first, then gradually add the flour. Add the butter 1 tbsp at a time.
Step 2: Knead for around 10-12 minutes or until the dough reaches windowpane.
Windowpane Test
Using the windowpane test is a technique used by bakers to see if their dough has kneaded long enough and developed a strong gluten structure. The gluten holds the bread together as it rises and bakes. When the dough is kneaded properly, you should be able to take a piece and stretch it apart a few inches without it tearing, with it even becoming translucent (like looking through a windowpane). This is especially important in highly enriched doughs like for brioche bread.
Step 3: Place the dough into a bowl, cover and place in the fridge to proof overnight. Since brioche is such a soft dough, it’s best to shape it when it is cold.
Use a large bowl. The brioche dough will double in volume, even while in the refrigerator.
How to shape French Brioche Bread
Step 5: Divide the brioche dough into two equal sized pieces, about 600g each. This recipe makes two loaves. Divide each half into 6 pieces.
Step 6: Round each piece of brioche dough by cupping your hand around it, without pressing down, and rotating it in a circular motion. You should feel the dough ball tighten and smooth out. I use this same method for other recipes like my Skillet Dinner Rolls.
Place 6 rounded balls of brioche dough into a 4×8-inch/10×20-cm loaf pan.
Step 7: Cover the loaf with plastic wrap (you can spray it with nonstick spray to keep it from sticking). Allow the loaf to rise until it is just above pan level, or until it passes the poke test.
How long to let bread rise
Use the poke test to feel if the dough has risen enough. Use your fingertip to gently poke the side of the bun. It should leave an indent that slowly springs back. It should feel airy and bouncy. If it still feels rather dense, let it rise a bit more. If you poke the dough and it leaves an indent that never springs back, and the dough feels like it could be easily deflated, it has risen too long and should be bake immediately. The poke test works great for other easy bread recipes like my soft and fluffy Homemade White Bread.
The warmer your kitchen, the faster bread will rise. Look for the bread to be puffy and have risen about 50% in volume. It should be about 1 inch over pan level.
Baking
Step 8: Brush with egg wash. This gives the brioche bread a golden, shiny crust. Bake until golden and the internal temperature has reached 200°F/93°C.
One of the hardest things about making homemade brioche, is waiting for it to cool. But trust me, it’s important to wait before slicing. The bread is continuing to bake right out of the oven – let it cool at least 1 hour before slicing.
Tips for Bakery-Style French Brioche Bread
- Use high quality butter. European butter has a high butterfat content of 82% or more and yields a richer flavor in brioche bread.
- Knead until windowpane. This is key to getting a brioche loaf that rises and holds its shape.
- Shape brioche while the dough is cold. If it’s too warm or soft, it will be very difficult to shape.
- Let the dough rise until it’s 1 inch above pan level, and use the poke test to make sure it’s ready to bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
You really need the efficiency of a stand mixer to develop the gluten structure needed in a brioche dough. That plus the high butter and egg content would make it very difficult to mix by hand.
Freeze baked and cooled brioche bread in a freezer zip top bag or double bag it with bread bags. It should stay fresh for up to two months.
Bread flour is best to create a strong, elastic gluten structure in brioche. Since brioche is high in fats from the increased amount of gluten-inhibiting ingredients like eggs and butter, a higher protein flour works best.
How to Store French Brioche Bread
- Allow the buns to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. I like to use a zip top bag or two bread bags (to keep it from drying out). It will stay fresh for around 4 to 5 days.
- Freeze in a zip top freezer bag for up to 2 months.
French brioche bread is one of those recipes that feels every bit as rewarding as the finished loaf itself. I baked this for my bakery customers for years and it was one of the most popular and loved items! From the rich buttery dough to the soft, feathery crumb, this classic French bread brings a little bakery-style luxury into your own kitchen. Once you make it from scratch, you’ll understand why it has remained a timeless favorite for generations.
Other Homemade Bread Recipes
French Brioche Bread
Equipment
- 2 loaf pans 4×8-inches/10×20-cm
Ingredients
- 122 g warm whole milk around 95°F/32°C (½ cup)
- 12 g instant yeast* (4 teaspoons)
- 50 g sugar (¼ cup)
- 6 large eggs room temperature (around 300g)
- 10 g fine sea salt (2 teaspoons)
- 540 g bread flour divided (4½ cups, spooned and leveled)
- 227 g unsalted butter softened (1 cup/2 sticks)
- 1 large egg whisked together with a splash of water for egg wash
Instructions
- To the bowl of an electric mixer, add the warm milk, instant yeast, sugar, eggs, salt, and half the flour. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until combined and smooth, around 1-2 minutes.122 g warm whole milk12 g instant yeast50 g sugar6 large eggs10 g fine sea salt270 g bread flour
- While on low speed, gradually add the remaining half of the flour, allowing it to fully incorporate after each addition. You may not need the entire amount of flour – use the feel of the dough as your guide. You want a soft, tacky dough, that doesn't feel wet. It will be somewhat firm, but will become softer after adding the butter.270 g bread flour.
- Gradually add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Allow the butter to fully absorb into the dough between each addition.227 g unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- Knead the dough on low speed for 10-12 minutes, or until it reaches windowpane (it should stretch a few inches without tearing).
- Place the dough into a large greased bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator to cold proof for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. While it cold proofs, it should increase in volume by 50-70%.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Prepare two 4×8-inch/10×20-cm loaf pans and spray them with nonstick baking spray. Set aside. Flour your work surface and turn the dough out of the bowl. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, around 600 g each. Divide each piece of dough into 6 equal pieces, about 100g each. Round each piece into a round ball by cupping your hand and rotating the dough in a circular motion. You should feel the dough tight up and smooth out. Place 6 balls of dough in each loaf pan, in 3 rows of 2 pieces. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with non stick spray and cover the loaves. Let them rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
- Towards the end of the final proof time, preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Allow the oven to preheat for at least 20 minutes before baking. Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash. 1 large egg for egg wash
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and have an internal temperature of 200°F/93°C. Remove from the oven and let the loaves cool in the pans for 20 minutes before removing them and cooling on a wire rack. Allow the loaves to cool at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- *You can use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast. Make sure you bloom your yeast first. Whisk it into the warm milk and let it sit for 15 minutes. If it becomes foamy, you can proceed with the recipe. If not, replace it with fresh yeast.
- Store leftover bread in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze in a zip top freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Just made this dough for raspberry rolls (also on your website) last night! Instructions are clear to read and follow! Thank you!
Yay! So glad you’re enjoying it!
I have been looking for a good brioche bun for my burgers. I am making them for Memorial Day. When I make another recipe is it possible to add my fresh milled white wheat flour or Gold Medal unbleached wheat flour to the dough? Thanks for all the great recipes.
I made the bun dough yesterday and baked them this morning. They look and taste fantastic. Thank you for the great recipe.