Brioche is the richest bread in this library and a genuine celebration loaf: deep golden, feather-light, and so heavy with butter and eggs that it sits closer to pastry than to a lean loaf. Torn warm it pulls into soft, almost stringy strands; toasted it goes crisp and custardy. It is the base for everything from burger buns to bostock to French toast, and it is the one bread here rated advanced — not because the recipe is complicated, but because the dough demands respect.
The default ratio is a middle-of-the-road brioche: 50% butter, 40% eggs, 25% milk, 10% sugar, with 1.5% each salt and yeast. That is generous but workable in a home kitchen. The tradition runs from a leaner "commune" style (around 30% butter and eggs) up to an indulgent "Parisienne" (70% butter, 60% eggs); the default lands in the middle so the dough is rich without becoming a project only a stand mixer can finish.
The technique that makes or breaks brioche is temperature and order. You develop the gluten first — a long knead until the lean dough is strong and elastic — and only then add the softened butter a little at a time, letting each addition disappear before the next. Add butter too early or let the dough get warm and it turns to greasy soup. That is why the overnight is non-negotiable: it firms the butter back up so you can actually shape the dough, and it builds flavor the short bulk ferment cannot.
One ingredient note: at this sugar level regular instant yeast works, but osmotolerant yeast (SAF Gold, the red-label) ferments more reliably against all that sugar. Substitute it one-for-one if you have it and the rise gets noticeably more predictable.
At a glance
At its default setting, this Brioche recipe makes one loaf of about 800g — about 800g of dough in total. In baker's percentage that breaks down to 351g Bread or all-purpose flour (100%), 88g Milk (25%), 140g Eggs (40%), 175g Butter (softened) (50%), 5.3g Salt (1.5%), 5.3g Instant yeast (1.5%), and 35g Sugar (10%). Change the loaves or enter a target dough weight in the calculator and every amount rescales to match, in grams or ounces.
Gluten-free adaptation
Brioche is actually one of the easier enriched breads to adapt because eggs and butter already do much of the structural work that gluten would. Swap flour 1:1 for a , add 5% , and bump milk hydration to 35% (from 25%). Keep the egg and butter percentages the same. The cold-proof step still helps — chilled GF dough shapes better. Expect a slightly denser crumb but the butter carries it.
View as
Switch to scale a tested gluten-free version of this recipe. The calculator, ingredients, and nutrition all swap to the adapted formula; the underlying method tweaks appear above the wheat instructions.
Calorie-conscious
Switch to scale a leaner version of this recipe — the same bread with fats and sugar pulled to their lowest sensible amounts. The calculator, ingredients, and nutrition all update to the lean formula.
Make
1loaf
Display unit
Eggs display
By count for cartons of whole eggs; by weight for liquid egg or precision baking.
Total dough
800g
351gBread or all-purpose flour100% baker's
88gMilk25% baker's
3 largeEggs≈ 140g40% baker's
175gButter (softened)50% baker's
5.3gSalt1.5% baker's
5.3gInstant yeast1.5% baker's
35gSugar10% baker's
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Step-by-step method
How to bake this Brioche
Brioche is a high-butter enriched dough that needs to be handled cold or it turns into butter soup. The overnight is non-negotiable. It firms the butter back up so you can shape, and gives the dough time to develop flavor that the very short bulk doesn't. Yeast note: regular instant works fine for this recipe, but at the brioche sugar level (~12%) osmotolerant yeast (SAF Gold / red-label) ferments more reliably. Substitute 1:1 if you have it; the dough will rise more predictably with no other changes needed.
01
Mix
25 minutescool counter (~68°F / 20°C)
1.Combine flour, eggs, milk, salt, instant yeast, and sugar in a stand-mixer bowl. Mix with the dough hook on low for 4 minutes, then medium for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
2.The dough should pass the before butter goes in. If it doesn't, the butter will weaken it past the point of return.
3.Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time on medium speed. Wait for each piece to fully disappear before adding the next. This takes 10–15 minutes.
4.Finished dough is silky, very supple, and just slightly tacky. Should slap cleanly against the bowl walls.
Cool kitchen is critical. If your dough starts looking greasy or breaking, refrigerate 20 minutes and resume.
02
Bulk fermentation
90 minutes75°F / 24°C
1.Cover and let rest at room temperature until just barely puffed. Not doubled. About 1.5x volume.
2.A short room-temperature bulk is enough; most of the rise happens in the cold retard.
03
Cold retard
8–12 hours38°F / 3°C
1.Press the dough out flat in a parchment-lined dish (this maximizes cooling surface) and cover tightly.
2.Refrigerate at least 8 hours, up to 24. The cold firms the butter back up so the dough is workable, and the slow fermentation develops flavor.
04
Shape
15 minutescold counter
1.Working quickly on a cool surface, divide the cold dough into 8 equal pieces.
2.Roll each piece into a tight ball by cupping it and rolling in tight circles under your palm.
3.Arrange the balls in 2 rows of 4 in a greased 9×5″ Pullman or loaf pan. The classic "checkerboard" brioche.
If the dough warms up and starts to feel greasy, pop it back in the fridge 10 minutes between steps. This is the most common brioche failure mode.
05
Final proof
2.5–3 hours78°F / 25.5°C
1.Cover loosely and let proof until the dough has doubled and the balls are merged at the surface, just barely cresting the pan rim. POKE TEST: press a floured fingertip gently into the dough about ¼-inch deep; the dent should fill back about halfway in 3-5 seconds. A dent that springs back fully = under-proofed (wait longer); one that doesn't fill back at all = over-proofed (bake immediately).
3.Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C during the last 30 minutes.
06
Bake
35–40 minutes375°F / 190°C
1.Bake until deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches 200°F / 93°C. Enriched doughs (butter, eggs, sugar) need a higher finish than lean breads — 195°F can register undercooked in the center because the fat slows heat transfer.
2.If the top is darkening too fast (it will. There's a lot of butter and sugar), tent loosely with foil at the 20-minute mark.
3.Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Cool at least an hour before slicing.
Frequently asked
Questions about this recipe.
How do I scale this Brioche recipe to make more or fewer loaves?+
Use the calculator on this page. Adjust the output count or per-loaf weight; every ingredient amount updates automatically. You can also enter a total dough weight and the calculator works backwards. The Brioche recipe is written in baker's percentages, so it scales proportionally without changing the bread's character.
Can Brioche be made gluten-free?+
Yes — see the "Gluten-free adaptation" section on this page for specific ingredient swaps and method changes. The bread won't be identical to the wheat version, but a workable gluten-free version is possible.
More general questions about ratios, hydration, and the calculator on the FAQ page.