Fluffy Brioche Recipe
What is a blog called Briochette without a recipe for a fluffy brioche?
Brioche is a French bread that sits somewhere between bread and pastry. It’s enriched with butter, eggs, and milk, giving it a soft, light texture and a slightly sweet taste. The high butter and egg content also contributes to its beautiful golden color and a luxurious, almost cake-like consistency.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about making your own loaf of brioche. This golden, fluffy bread is a true joy to make, known for its rich flavour and tender crumb. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even as a decadent snack (I’d never tell!).
The process, though slightly time-consuming due to the need for proper kneading and proofing, is straightforward and highly enjoyable. Plus, the aroma of fresh brioche wafting through your kitchen is simply irresistible.
A few tips for perfect results: knead the dough (ideally in a stand mixer) for quite a while (around 20 minutes total) - this will ensure all the ingredients are very well incorporated and that the butter is well spread throughout.
Make sure you leave ample time for proofing the dough in order to get that perfectly airy consistency. I like to proof mine in the fridge overnight and let it come back to room temperature in the morning. Shape, second proof and bake just in time to be served warm for brunch!
Such a gorgeous bread typically needs no further adornments, in my opinion, but you could add chocolate chips, nuts, or even bits of cheese for an even richer flavour.
Below, a snippet of how I chose to serve my warm brioche on Sunday morning. What other ideas do you have?
FLUFFY BRIOCHE
15g fresh yeast
200ml milk, lukewarm
4 eggs
10g salt
50g sugar
550g flour
200g butter, room temperature
Start by mixing together milk, yeast, sugar. Let proof for about 15 minutes.
Separately in a large bowl add flour and salt. Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
Add the milk mixture and eggs to the dry ingredients. Mix well until it forms a dough. You can use a stand mixer to knead (that’s what I do) or do it by hand.
Knead the dough for 8 minutes with the hook attachment in the stand mixer or 15 minutes by hand. Start incorporating the butter in small amounts (about 2 tbsp at a time) and continue kneading another 6 minutes (10 minutes by hand or so).
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place (I like to use the turned off oven) for about awn hour or until doubled in size..
At this stage you can also put the dough in the fridge and let it rise for about 10-16 hours.
When ready to shape knock the air out of the dough and shape it to fit your pan (I used a bread pan for this). You can also shape it in a ball, if that’s the pan you have.
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees fan and add a small cup of water at the bottom of the oven (make sure it’s oven proof!).
Bake the brioche for 30 minutes at 180 degrees then lower the temperature to 150 degrees and bake for another 20-30 minutes. It is done when it hits 85-88 degrees internal temperature or when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Take the brioche out of the oven and let cool for about 10-20 minutes before unmoulding and letting it continue cooling down on a rack. I’ll be the first to admit I never have the patience to dig in before it cools down completely.
Serve with butter, jam, charcuterie, nutella and make sure to enjoy your decadent breakfast.