Milk Brioche Soft Bread (Printable)
Light, pillowy milk- and butter-enriched brioche loaf with a glossy crust—ideal for breakfast or sandwiches.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups bread flour (500 g)
02 - ¼ cup granulated sugar (60 g)
03 - 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt (10 g)
04 - 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast (10 g)
05 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
06 - ⅔ cup whole milk, warmed to about 105°F (150 ml)
07 - ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cubed (120 g)
→ Egg Wash
08 - 1 egg
09 - 1 tablespoon milk
# How-To:
01 - In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, sugar, salt, and instant dry yeast. Whisk together until evenly distributed.
02 - Add the room-temperature eggs and warm milk to the dry mixture. Mix on low speed using the dough hook attachment until a shaggy dough begins to come together, about 2 minutes.
03 - Gradually add the softened cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, waiting until each addition is fully absorbed before adding more. Once all the butter is incorporated, increase the speed to medium and knead for 10–15 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky to the touch.
04 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Place in a warm, draft-free spot and let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately 1½ to 2 hours.
05 - Gently punch down the risen dough to release excess gas. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and shape into your preferred form — a classic loaf, a braid, or individual rolls. Place the shaped dough into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan or onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
06 - Cover the shaped dough loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let it proof again for 45–60 minutes until visibly puffed and nearly doubled.
07 - While the dough completes its second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven.
08 - In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk until smooth. Using a pastry brush, gently coat the top of the loaf with the egg wash for a deep golden, glossy crust.
09 - Bake on the center rack for 25–30 minutes until the top is a rich golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes.
10 - Allow the bread to rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack. Let it cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife for clean, even portions.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crumb is impossibly tender and tears like cotton candy when you pull it apart fresh from the oven.
- It uses simple pantry ingredients but transforms them into something that feels genuinely luxurious.
- Leftover slices make the most extraordinary French toast you will ever eat.
02 -
- The dough will feel impossibly wet and greasy when you first add the butter, but resist the urge to dump in extra flour since it tightens up during kneading.
- A cold kitchen can double your rising time, so I sometimes turn the oven on for one minute, shut it off, and use that gentle warmth as a proofing box.
03 -
- Weigh your ingredients with a scale instead of using cups since even small measuring errors can ruin the delicate balance of enriched dough.
- The real secret is patience during the second rise since underproofed brioche tears along the top and has a dense gummy interior.