Easy Homemade Brioche Bread Recipe (Soft, Buttery & Golden)

Homemade brioche bread is a classic French favorite known for its soft, fluffy texture, rich buttery flavor, and beautiful golden crust. Made with eggs, butter, milk, and a touch of sugar, this bakery-style brioche is slightly sweet, tender, and delicious enough to enjoy on its own.

Although brioche looks impressive, you can make it at home with a few simple ingredients and a little patience. This easy brioche bread recipe walks you through preparing the dough, developing its signature stretchy texture, and baking two golden loaves that are perfect for breakfast, French toast, sandwiches, and more.

Whether you're an experienced home baker or trying enriched bread for the first time, this homemade brioche is a wonderful recipe to add to your baking collection.

Why You'll Love This Homemade Brioche Recipe

• Soft and buttery: Eggs and butter create a rich, tender crumb with a delicate texture.

• Bakery-style results: The golden crust and fluffy interior make this bread feel extra special.

• Versatile and delicious: Enjoy brioche toasted with jam, transformed into French toast, or used for sandwiches and burgers.

• Perfect for sharing: This recipe makes two loaves, making it ideal for family breakfasts or weekend baking.

• Great for make-ahead baking: Refrigerating the dough overnight can help develop its flavor and make baking easier the next day.

What Is Brioche Bread?

Brioche is a traditional French bread made with flour, yeast, eggs, butter, milk, and sugar. Unlike lean breads made primarily with flour, water, yeast, and salt, brioche is an enriched dough that contains generous amounts of eggs and butter.

These ingredients give brioche its signature soft texture, rich flavor, and golden color. It is slightly sweet without being as sugary as cake, making it suitable for both sweet and savory dishes.

Brioche can be shaped into individual rolls, braided loaves, or classic loaf-pan bread. In this recipe, the dough is divided into small portions and arranged in loaf pans to create two beautifully layered loaves.

Brioche Recipe

Guiseppe

Servings

12

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Calories

372

Cuisine

French

Category

Bread, Breakfast, Baking

Learn how to make soft, buttery homemade brioche bread with this easy, bakery-style recipe. Perfect for breakfast, French toast, or sweet and savory sandwiches.

Ingredients

For the Sponge

• 1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 packet (7 g) active dry yeast (2¼ tsp)
• ½ cup (120 g) lukewarm milk

For the Dough

• 6 large eggs (or 5 if using extra-large eggs)
• 3 cups (384 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (105 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing pans

For the Egg Wash

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp water
• Pinch of kosher or sea salt

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, yeast, and lukewarm milk. Mix with a spatula until a stiff dough forms. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and slightly wobbly — this ensures your yeast is active.
2. Add eggs, remaining flour, sugar, and salt to the sponge. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed until combined, then increase to medium-high speed. Continue mixing for 10–13 minutes until the dough is shiny and elastic, pulling away from the bowl’s sides.
3. With the mixer running, add softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to blend before adding more. Continue mixing for 10–15 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test (stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through it without tearing).
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
5. Once risen, punch down the dough and turn it onto a floured surface. Divide into two halves, then cut each half into six equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a rectangle, fold like a letter, and roll into a log.
6. Place six logs, seam side down, into each buttered loaf pan.
7. Cover pans loosely with plastic wrap and let dough rest in a warm spot for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled and puffy.
8. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Whisk together the egg and water, then brush over the tops of the loaves. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
9. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and the center registers 190–205°F (88–96°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
10. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!