🥚 Butter-Loaded French Brioche Loaf
Serves 10–12 | Prep: 30 min + rises | Bake: 25–30 min | Total: ~4 hrs (mostly hands-off)
⏳ Tip: Make it one day, enjoy it all week — or freeze slices for later!
🛒 Ingredients
The Dough:
3½ cups (440g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk, warmed (~110°F)
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup (113g / 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened & cubed (yes, a full stick!)
For the Egg Wash:
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, beaten
Optional Additions:
🍫 Sweet: Chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar swirl, dried fruit
🧀 Savory: Shredded Gruyère, garlic & herbs, Parmesan
✨ Toppings: Sesame seeds, pearl sugar, honey glaze
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
1️⃣ Mix the Dry Base
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.
2️⃣ Add Wet Ingredients
Pour in warm milk and eggs.
Mix with the paddle attachment until a shaggy dough forms (~1 min).
3️⃣ Incorporate Butter (The Key Step!)
Switch to the dough hook.
Add softened butter, one cube at a time, mixing fully before adding the next.
Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth, shiny, and pulls away from the sides — it will look like thick cake batter at first, then become elastic.
💡 Pro Tip: This high-fat dough takes longer to come together — be patient! It’s ready when it passes the “windowpane test.”
4️⃣ First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat.
Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
Let rise in a warm spot 1–2 hours, until doubled.
🌡️ Slow-rise option: Refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor and easier shaping.
5️⃣ Shape & Pan
Punch down dough gently.
Shape into a smooth log and fit into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Press evenly into corners.
6️⃣ Second Rise
Cover and let rise 45–60 minutes, until dough crowns about 1 inch above the rim.
7️⃣ Egg Wash & Bake
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Brush loaf generously with egg wash — this gives brioche its signature shine and color.
Bake 25–30 minutes, until deep golden brown and internal temp reaches 190°F (88°C).
Tap the bottom — it should sound hollow.
8️⃣ Cool & Savor
Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.
Wait at least 30 minutes before slicing — patience = perfect texture!
🍞 How to Enjoy Your Brioche
🧇 French Toast: Soak slices in custard — richness meets richness!
🍔 Gourmet Burgers: Use as buns — they’ll steal the show
🍯 Buttered Toast: Just add jam and a morning sunbeam
🍮 Bread Pudding: Stale slices turn into dessert gold
🥯 Pull-Apart Rolls: Divide dough into balls for a shareable centerpiece
And honestly? It’s even good plain. No shame.
🌈 Variations & Pro Hacks
🍫 Chocolate Chip Brioche: Fold in ½ cup mini chocolate chips before shaping
🧀 Cheesy Herb Loaves: Add ½ cup shredded cheese + 1 tbsp rosemary
🧊 Freeze It: Slice cooled loaf, wrap tightly, freeze up to 3 months — toast straight from frozen!
🧈 Butter Warning: Must be soft but not melted — cold butter won’t incorporate; hot butter kills yeast
🥛 Dairy-Free? Not really — but you can try plant-based butter and oat milk (expect softer texture)
🧠 Why Brioche Feels So Luxurious
It’s all about fat content:
Eggs add tenderness and color
Butter coats gluten strands, preventing toughness
Sugar feeds yeast and retains moisture
The result? A bread so soft, it’s often called "pain de roi" — the king’s bread.
❤️ Final Thought: Some Things Can’t Be Rushed — And Shouldn’t Be
Yes, there are breads made with two ingredients. But this? This is baking as an art form.
Making brioche isn’t about speed — it’s about savoring the process: the slow rise, the silky dough, the golden glow as it emerges from the oven.
It’s a reminder that some of life’s greatest pleasures — like a buttery, pillowy slice of homemade brioche — are earned through care, time, and a little courage to use the whole stick of butter.
So tie on your apron. Warm the milk. And let your kitchen fill with the kind of aroma that says, “Something wonderful is happening here.”
Because it is. 💛