French
Classic French Brioche
A deeply golden, butter-rich loaf pulls into feathery strands beneath a glossy double egg wash.
16 servings · 50 minutes prep · 35 minutes cook
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 14 tbsp cool pliable butter
Finish
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
Directions
Develop before enriching
- Mix bread flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, kosher salt, eggs, and milk until cohesive. Knead until strong and elastic, 8-12 minutes.
- Add unsalted butter one spoonful at a time, waiting for each to disappear. Continue until glossy and capable of a thin windowpane, 10-15 minutes.
Ferment cold and shape
- Let rise at room temperature 1 hour, deflate, cover, and refrigerate 8-16 hours. Divide the cold dough evenly between two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans, shaping each half into four equal balls. Proof until airy, nearly doubled, and the dough reaches the rims or crowns no more than 1/2 inch above them, 2-3 hours.
Wash and bake
- Whisk egg with milk. Brush once midway through proofing and again just before baking. Bake both loaves at {{temperature:375F}}, tenting loosely if they darken too quickly, until deep mahogany and the centers reach {{temperature:190F}}, 28-35 minutes. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then unmold onto a rack.
