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Best Brioche Bread Recipe | French Bakery-Style Bread at Home

A rich, buttery French brioche bread recipe that’s soft, golden, and irresistibly fluffy — learn to master this bakery-quality classic right in your own kitchen.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 2 loaves (20 slices total)
Course: Bread
Cuisine: French
Calories: 151
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 120 mL warm milk around 110°F/43°C
  • 9 g active dry yeast 2¼ tsp
  • 10 mL honey
  • 5 large eggs or 4 large eggs + 2 yolks
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 10 mL vanilla extract
  • 60 g granulated sugar 5 tbsp
  • 500 g all-purpose flour 4 cups + 2 tbsp
  • 1½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 250 g unsalted butter very soft (1 cup + 2 tbsp), divided into 4 portions
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk for egg wash

Method
 

  1. Combine warm milk, yeast, and honey; whisk and rest 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Add eggs and yolk, whisk lightly, then mix in vanilla, sugar, flour, and salt until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Knead with a dough hook on speed 2–3 for 3–5 minutes.
  4. Add softened butter in 4 portions, kneading 2–3 minutes between each addition until fully incorporated.
  5. Knead 5–15 minutes more until smooth and elastic, lifting cleanly from the bowl.
  6. Shape into a ball, cover, and rise 1 hour at room temperature until doubled.
  7. Deflate dough gently, reshape, cover, and refrigerate 8–24 hours.
  8. Divide chilled dough into 2 equal portions. Shape into loaves or braid as desired and place in greased loaf pans.
  9. Cover and proof 2 hours at room temperature until doubled.
  10. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C), brush tops with egg wash, and bake 35–45 minutes until golden and 190°F inside.
  11. Cool 5 minutes in pans, transfer to rack, and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Use room-temperature eggs and butter for smooth mixing. Don’t skip the overnight chill—it enhances flavor and makes shaping easy. Slice only after fully cooled for the best crumb texture.