Emulsifier Free Bread Machine Brioche
Brioche is one of those breads that feels almost impossibly luxurious — golden, feathery, and rich with butter — yet this version comes together with nothing more than pantry staples and a bread machine doing most of the heavy lifting. Many store-bought brioche loaves and enriched breads rely on added emulsifiers like lecithin or mono- and diglycerides to achieve that soft, pillowy texture, but here the magic happens naturally through patient butter incorporation and proper proofing. Softened butter is worked into the dough gradually during the knead cycle, creating a smooth, supple crumb without any additives or shortcuts. The result is a tall, chestnut-brown loaf with a tender, pull-apart interior that genuinely rivals anything from a bakery case. An egg wash of yolk and milk gives the crust that signature deep gloss and color before it goes into the oven. Letting the loaf cool fully before slicing is the hardest part, but it's worth every minute — the crumb sets into something truly beautiful. Whether you're toasting thick slices for breakfast or using it as the base for a next-level sandwich, this is the kind of bread that makes people ask what your secret is.
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Learn more →Ingredients
12 servings
For the dough
- ¼ cup whole milk, warmed to 95–100°f (35–38°c)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, softened
For the egg wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
- 1
Add the ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order your machine's manual specifies (typically liquids first, then dry ingredients, with yeast last and kept away from the salt). Add the warmed milk, then the 3 eggs, sugar, and salt. Add the bread flour on top, then make a small well in the center of the flour and add the yeast.
- 2
Select the Dough cycle on your bread machine and start it. Once the machine has been kneading for about 5 minutes and a shaggy dough has formed, begin adding the softened butter cubes a few at a time through the lid opening, waiting about 30 seconds between additions. The dough will look rough and greasy at first — continue until all the butter is incorporated and the dough is smooth, supple, and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan, about 10–12 minutes into the knead cycle.
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