French · Free recipe
Rich Brioche Loaf
Nearly half as much butter as flour goes into this French loaf, worked in slowly until the dough turns silky and shiny. An overnight chill makes it easy to shape into a row of rounded knots that bake up tall and golden, with a feathery, cake-soft crumb ideal for toast.
- Prep
- 15 hr
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 15 hr 40 min
- Serves
- 10
- Level
- Hard
Method
-
Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, eggs, and milk in a stand mixer with the dough hook on low for 4 minutes, then on medium for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and begins to pull from the sides.
-
With the mixer on medium-low, add the butter a few cubes at a time, waiting until each addition disappears, then knead 5 minutes more until the dough is glossy and stretches into a thin, translucent sheet.
-
Transfer to a buttered bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour, then fold it down and refrigerate overnight, 10 to 12 hours.
-
Divide the cold dough into 6 equal pieces, shape each into a tight ball, and nestle them in two rows of three in a buttered 9x5-inch loaf pan.
-
Cover and proof in a warm spot for 2 to 3 hours until the dough rises about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
-
Heat the oven to 350F, brush the top gently with egg wash, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting with foil after 20 minutes, until deep golden and the center reads 195F.
-
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Zest note from the test kitchen
If the dough warms above about 78F during mixing, the butter will start leaking out; pop the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes and resume.
