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Brioche Loaf Recipe

This brioche loaf is a delicious French yeasted bread deliciously packed with butter and eggs. Made easily by hand, this foolproof no-knead method requires no special method.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Overnight rest and rising time
16 hrs
Total Time
16 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 2 loaves
Calories: 264 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (8 oz) - plus more to grease loaf pans
  • 3 ¼ cups bread flour (17 ¾ oz)
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast aka rapid rise yeast - (One 1/4 oz. packets)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt*
  • 6  large eggs Plus one more egg to brush before baking
  • ½ cup water room temperature
  • ⅓ cup sugar (2 ⅓ oz.)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place unsalted butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until fully melted. Set it aside and let it cool to room temperature.
  2. Whisk together bread flour, instant yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 6 eggs, water, and sugar. Pour in the unsalted butter and whisk until fully combined.
  4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and a uniform mass forms. This should take about 1 minute.
  5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  6. Holding the edge of dough with your fingertips, fold it over onto itself halfway towards the middle. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and repeat the same process. Do this 6 more times. It should be 8 times in total. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.
  7. Repeat folding and rising every 30 minutes three more times. After the fourth set of folds, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 16-48 hours.
  8. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
  9. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
  10. Working with one piece at a time, pat dough into a 4-inch disk. Holding the edge of the dough, fold edges of the dough onto itself halfway towards the center. Repeat folding until it forms a ball. Flip it over and move your hands in small circular motions to form it into a smooth round ball. Feel free to sprinkle it with a bit of flour if it sticks to your hands. Repeat the same process with the rest of the balls.
  11. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
  12. Grease two loaf pans with melted butter.
  13. Place three brioche balls in each loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours.
  14. Thirty minutes before baking, adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Turn a baking sheet upside down and place it on the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat it to 350 degrees.
  15. Remove plastic wrap and brush the now-risen dough with an egg. Set them on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, rotating pans halfway through baking, 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F.
  16. Take them out of the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Being careful not to burn your hands, carefully loosen the edges with a knife. Remove them from the pan, and let them cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

  • I used Diamond Kosher Salt. If you use Morton Kosher Salt please use half the amount of salt listed.
  • If you watch the video, you will see that I used two packets of instant yeast. A reader, who made the recipe, pointed out that it works well with only one. I tried it with one packet and she was right so I changed the recipe. Please be advised that this recipe works both with one packet (1/4 oz. per packet) or two packets of instant yeast (aka rapid-rise yeast).
  • Brioche Buns: 
  • Homemade Brioche Buns: You can use this brioche dough to make rolls that you can use as burger buns, sandwich bread, or dinner rolls. If that is what you prefer, be sure to check out my recipe for Brioche Buns.
  • Storage: To store this homemade brioche, wait until the loaves are fully cool. Then, cut the bread into thick slices and seal the slices in airtight Ziploc bags. Once placed in the fridge, these slices will stay fresh for up to a week.
  • Freezing: Similar to most other bread recipes, brioche freezes exceptionally well. Just let the bread cool, slice it, and place the slices into airtight Ziploc bags 1-2 layers thick. The bread can then stay in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • To Thaw: You don’t need to thaw brioche bread once you take it out of the freezer. Just pop each slice into the toaster until it reaches the desired level of warmth.
  • Both 9’’ X 5’’ and  8½’’ X 4½’’ loaf pans will work for this recipe. Not only is there no difference in baking time, but they also result in similarly-sized brioche slices. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 264kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 34g (11%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 89mg (30%) Sodium 172mg (7%) Potassium 105mg (3%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 379IU (8%) Calcium 34mg (3%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2loaves

Amount Per Serving

Calories 264

% Daily Value*

Calories 264kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 34g 11%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 89mg 30%
Sodium 172mg 7%
Potassium 105mg 2%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 379IU 8%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.