Description
This Braided Brioche Bread recipe yields a golden, buttery, and elegantly braided loaf perfect for breakfast or special occasions. With a soft, tender crumb and a slightly sweet flavor, this brioche is enriched with eggs and butter, offering a rich homemade bread experience. The recipe involves mixing and kneading the dough, allowing it to rise twice for perfect texture, and baking it to a beautiful golden finish topped with optional poppy or sesame seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (180g) whole milk, warm (about 110°F)
- 1 tablespoon (9g) instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups (420g) all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- 1 tablespoon honey or extra sugar
For Egg Wash and Topping
- 1 large egg, room temperature, beaten
- Poppy or sesame seeds for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Mix warm milk, instant yeast, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy, indicating that the yeast is active.
- Combine Eggs: Add 3 room-temperature eggs to the yeast mixture and whisk until well combined, ensuring a smooth liquid mixture.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Incorporate the all-purpose flour and salt into the mixture. Attach a dough hook to your stand mixer and mix until a shaggy dough forms, ensuring the ingredients are combined but not yet smooth.
- Knead Dough with Butter: Gradually add the softened, cubed butter a few pieces at a time to the dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes using the dough hook until the dough is smooth, elastic, slightly sticky, and well incorporated with the butter.
- First Rise: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes up to overnight. Chilling makes the dough easier to handle and braid.
- Shape and Braid: Divide the dough into three equal portions. Roll each portion into a 12–14 inch rope. Gently braid the three ropes together and pinch the ends to seal the loaf.
- Second Rise: Place the braided loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet or into a greased loaf pan. Cover and allow it to rise for 45–60 minutes until puffy.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the entire loaf with the beaten egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if desired.
- Bake: Bake the brioche for 25–30 minutes until the loaf turns golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F. Remove from oven and let cool for 20–30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Ensure milk is warm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast.
- Room temperature eggs mix more easily into the dough.
- Adding butter gradually helps incorporate it fully without breaking the dough.
- Allowing the dough to chill helps with easier shaping and braiding.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness for perfectly baked bread.
- Store brioche in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
