This sourdough brioche bread recipe is simple and you only need 7 ingredients. It contains only natural yeasts as I used my mature sourdough starter for this bread. The result is an incredibly soft and delicious brioche.
So what exactly is Brioche?
It is a French bread, made with an enriched dough, which contains plenty of butter and eggs, plus a little milk and some sugar and that’s what gives it the signature light sweetness and rich taste. A bread, known for its golden color, soft texture and simply delightful taste.
Tools & Equipment
- 22,9 x 12,7 x 7 cm, 9 x 5 x 2,8-inch loaf pan
- Aluminium foil
- Digital thermometer
- Jar with lid
- Kitchen towel
- Large bowl
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Silicone spatula
- Small bowl
- Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Damp Towel: If the proofing time is longer than 3 hours due to a lower temperature in your kitchen, cover the dough with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.
Bun Bread Loaf: If you prefer to make individual buns instead of braiding, divide the dough by 6 and shape each piece of dough into a ball by pressing the ends into the center and rolling them out seam side down on your work surface. Place the dough balls staggered in the loaf pan. This will create a pretty, almost braided look.
Egg Wash: It is not absolutely necessary to brush the top of the dough with some egg wash, but I think it adds a lovely shine to the bread.
Ingredients for Sourdough Brioche Bread
- Whole milk
- Sourdough starter
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour (550)
- Cane sugar
- Salt
- Butter
Directions – How to Make Sourdough Brioche Bread
Make the Sourdough Starter
Combine your sourdough starter, all-purpose flour and water in a glass jar and cover with a lid. Let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, for 3-5 hours depending on the temperature in your kitchen. It took me 4 hours at 23°C/73°F.
Make the Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer add milk, sourdough starter, eggs, flour and sugar and knead on medium for about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest to give the flour extra time to hydrate, for about 30 minutes.
With the mixer running on low speed, add the salt. Add the butter on medium speed and wait until the previous piece has been kneaded in before adding the next, for about 9 minutes.
Knead on medium for another 15-25 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test. Transfer the dough to a greased large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Cover the bowl with plastic and place in the fridge to chill for 12 hours. Grease a 22,9×12,7cm/9×5-inch loaf pan and your work surface as this dough is quite sticky. You can use butter or non-stick spray.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces. With greased hands, roll each piece into a 30cm/11,8-inch long tapered log. Place the logs lengthwise to each other and pinch the ends together. Take the right piece and fold it into the middle, then take the left piece and fold it into the middle. Repeat until you reach the end. Pinch the ends together to seal them.
Place the braided loaf in the prepared loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until just puffed up over the edges of the pans, this can take 2-8 hours depending on your room temperature. It took me 4 hours at a temperature of 22°C/72°F.
Bake the Loaf
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F about 30 minutes before the loaf is ready. Whisk together the egg and the water. Brush the proofed loaf with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Bake on the middle rack until the bread is golden brown.
It is done when a thermometer inserted in the center shows 88-90°C/190-195°F, for about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool, after 10 minutes invert the bread from the pan onto the wire rack and let cool completely.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: This brioche bread tastes best the day it is made, but it is still delicious afterwards. You can store leftover bread tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to 3-4 days
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the bread wrapped in plastic, placed in a ziplock bag or in an airtight container for or up to 3 months. Thaw brioche bread at room temperature for about 4 hours.
My Summary for Sourdough Brioche Bread
Difficulty: Simple, but takes time.
Taste & Texture: This sourdough brioche bread tastes buttery and slightly sweet and the texture is super soft and fluffy.
Time: Making the starter takes only a couple of minutes but it needs to double in size which takes 3-5 hours. Making the dough takes about 90 minutes, after that the dough needs to proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours and then it goes in the fridge overnight (12 hours). After braiding the dough needs to proof one last time, which can take 2-8 hours, depending on the room temperature. Baking time is 35-40 minutes and cooling time is about an hour.
More Yeast & Sourdough Recipes
- Brioche Burger Buns
- Brioche
- Noon Barbari
- Pain au Levain
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Seeded Pain au Levain