Learn how to make soft, fluffy, buttery good brioche at home with all the tips you need to know.

My dad once had a dream of owning a bakery shop. He was a die-hard bakery and pastry lover. He was a traditional man who loved to eat traditional Chinese food. Rice accompanied by soup was a must for him. But, when it came to snacking or afternoon tea, bakery and pastry were on top of his food list. His dreams of owning a bakery shop never came true. He left us for a better place far too early. I like to entertain my thought of him having a blast of time eating all the bread and cakes up there while watching me making my own brioche at home. I think I would do him proud with this round of brioche making at home.
BRIOCHE BREAD VS REGULAR BREAD
Eating brioche just reminds me of Hokkaido Milk Bread (Tang Zhong method). Though brioche is much richer and more buttery in taste! The butter and eggs in brioche contribute to its soft and fluffy texture and buttery aroma. It’s pretty incredible if you ask me! Regular bread just doesn’t have the richness brioche has because well, we don’t add so much butter (if at all) or eggs in the recipe.
USE A STAND MIXER IF YOU HAVE ONE
For the past 6 years, I’ve been making bread and buns by hands. While the results were okay, I thought breadmaking is just not my forte. Now, I’m not trying to say that I’m a good baker now because I make this brioche at home. I do come to realize that I need the right tool to do the job. One thing I know for sure is I’m not doing a good job at kneading the dough. Period. I remember how my grandma used to slam this dough bang..bang..bang… while she was making steamed buns at home. It’s not something that she made often (Now I know why). Lots of elbow grease needed! Mine ain’t good enough! The stand mixer is really a game changer for me.
WHY THIS BRIOCHE RECIPE IS SO GOOD
Some people ask me what is the secret to soft and buttery brioche ? Really…it’s the butter and eggs and the slow rise! I adapted this brioche recipe from Edd Kimber’s Patisserie Made Easy book, and he did mention that making brioche by hands was possible, but it’s a much harder job. Hell…yes! MUCH MUCH harder. The dough stuck to my hands unmercifully!! It’s ridiculous and I kept adding flour (It’s a NO NO to keep adding flour) hoping that my hands would be freed by this dough web. Eventually they will, but maybe like 20 minutes of hand kneading later ? And the thing is, my kneading is not good enough to produce that stretch that everyone desires in brioche. So, if I may offer one piece of advice, please knead the dough with a machine. You will be very happy with the end result.
I made 2 small loaves and 12 buns with these recipe. As, I’m typing this recipe, the loaves were gone. I froze some of the buns for later. They are best eaten in 2 days but if you freeze them, they are good up to one month.
Now I will definitely make brioche again 😉
How to make an awesome brioche at home
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ cups all-purpose flour 300 grams
- 2 ⅛ cups white bread flour 300 grams
- 2 ½ Tbsp superfine sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ cup + 4 tsp lukewarm whole milk 140 ml
- 4 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 6 extra-large eggs
- 8 oz unsalted butter at room temperature 2 1/4 sticks/250 grams, diced
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- Place the flour, sugar ,and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the dough hook attachment and mix together to combine
- Pour the milk and yeast in a cup and mix together until the yeast has dissolved. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture. Cracked in five eggs and turn the mixer to low-medium speed and let it run until a rough dough is form. Let it knead for another 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. With the mixer still running, adding few pieces of butter at a time. Once all the butter is in, let it knead again for another 15 minutes until the dough comes together but not entirely leaves the sides of the bowl. If using bread machine, let it finishes with the kneading cycle. It will still be sticky to touch, but should be manageable. Please do not attempt to add more flour
Rest the dough overnight:
- Dust your hands with some flour so you can pick up the dough easier without sticking too much. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and leave to rise slowly for at least 10 hours
Shape and proof the dough:
- The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and press gently to knock it back. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and form these into rounds, then put two balls into each loaf pan. Cover the pans with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This may take 2 to 3 hours depending on how warm it is
- If you want to make individual rolls, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into rounds. You can place them on a parchment-lined baking sheets, or fluted brioche molds, or muffin cups (what I did)
Baking:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly floured your finger and then press on the dough. If it springs back almost immediately, the dough needs more time to rise. If it springs back slowly, it is ready for the oven
- Lightly beat one egg with 1 tsp of water and then brush this on top of the dough. Pop them into the oven 3rd rack from the top and bake the loaves for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. The rolls may take shorter time to bake, about 25 minutes
- Let them cool down in the pans for 15 minutes and then carefully turn the brioche out onto a wire rack to cool completely. They are best eaten within two days of baking. If you freeze them, they are good for up to one month. Stale brioche is great for French Toast 😉
Now I believe you will also like this Soft and Fluffy Hokkaido Milk Bread (Tang Zhong Method).
16 comments
Looks amazing! I love your photographs!
Thank you so much Natalie!!!!
Oops, I used the instant yeast instead of active yeast! Will they turn out brioche loaves?
Can I refrigerate more for 2 days as I’m at work tomorrow (didn’t realize it need to proof in fridge overnight)?
Thanks.
Hi Fann, you should be fine with instant yeast. No worries there! I’ve never tried it for 2 days, but I don’t think there should be a problem with that. Let me know how it turns out if you have the chance 🙂
Hi Marv,
Thanks for your quick reply. I have no guts to leave the dough in the fridge for another day. I baked it after I was back home in the evening. It’s 1am when I took it out from the oven. 😆
However, I read the article that the dough can be kept in refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days. If at any point it grows to close to double it’s original size, go ahead and punch it down. When ready to bake, punch down the dough again (if necessary), shape, and allow to rise as if it had never taken its little nap in the refrigerator.
Thanks, Fann 😅
Hi Fann, oh my 1 am in the morning 🙂 I understand what you meant though. I have never let dough rest for that many days, but yes, I have heard that some doughs can be rested for that many days in the fridge before baking. I hope the brioche turned out for you ?
Thank Marv. The brioche bread turned out really well. However due to the amount of butter for brioche, I prefer to bake Hokkaido Milk bread of your recipe. It has now become my weekly routine to bake the bread 😅 but yet😋. No more buying from bakery since then.
Your recipes are so delicious 👍
Thanks to you, Marv (Marvelous)
Hi Fann, I know…I would rather do the Hokkaido milk bread too. I’m glad you like!!! 🙂 I haven’t eaten store-bought bread for a while too!
Hi Marv, it’s me Fann. I’m disheartened my hubby claimed that the bread I made seems ‘heavy’ unlike the bread store bought. Could it be the store has added bread improver or other stuff that makes it lighter? 😅
Please advise. With thanks, Fann
Hi Fan, oh no! you mean the brioche you made or the milk bread turned out heavy or both? 🙂 Btw, do you knead by hands or with a machine? Yes, the store-bought bread usually has bread improver and many other things that they add to prolong shelf-life and makes it lighter and airy.
Hi Marv,
Thanks for quick reply. I have been using breadmaker to knead dough. My hubby claimed both my brioche and milk bread are ‘heavy’. They are soft though straight from oven but get hardened the next day which requires microwave to soften. They are not as light and airy comparing to the store bought breads. Is it because the bread improver and preservatives that make the store bought bread lighter and airy? With great thanks, Fann 😅
Hi Fann, do you usually wrap them up in cling wrap after they’ve cooled down completely? I usually do that and then keep them in a zipper bag and they stay reasonably soft for about 3 days that way. And of course, they won’t stay soft for weeks like the store-bought one because of the preservative and additives they add to the bread and for homemade, we don’t use those.
Hi Marv, I usually place the bread in a container. I should have it cling-wrapped to keep soft 😉. My concern is my bread is not light and airy as compared to store bought. I have googled many websites, adding bread enhancer eg. liquid soy lecithin (emulsifier) or ginger powder or dry milk powder (2tbsp per loaf) can help. Will let you the the outcome. Thanks, Fann
I have added dough conditioner/bread improver before, it does somehow help to soften it. I’ve never tried liquid soy lechitin before though. Yes, please let me know what you discover. I’m sure many of us can benefit from that 🙂
I think I am making this. I cannot decide whether I should make your five spice cheese cake first or this one. Haha. Both look so good.
LOL! Brioche or chocolate cake…tough life right ?!?