Chestnut Free Brioche Loaf

Total time11 hr 15 min

Prep time40 min

Cook time35 min

4.7

(14)

Few baked goods rival the sheer luxury of a properly made brioche — that impossibly soft, buttery crumb that pulls apart in golden, pillowy layers. This version is built entirely from pantry staples: flour, eggs, butter, milk, yeast, sugar, and salt, with no specialty flours, nut-based additions, or hidden extras that could cause concern for anyone avoiding tree nuts. The technique is the real star here, with a slow overnight cold retard in the refrigerator doing the heavy lifting to develop deep, complex flavor while firming the dough for easy shaping. Incorporating the softened butter gradually during the long kneading process is what gives the crumb its signature silky, almost feather-light texture — it takes patience, but the result is genuinely extraordinary. Four dough balls nestled side by side in the loaf pan create that classic pull-apart top, and a simple egg yolk wash delivers a gorgeous, burnished finish straight from the oven. It's equally at home sliced thick for French toast, served alongside a weekend brunch spread, or eaten warm with nothing but a generous smear of good butter.

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the dough

¼ cup whole milk, warmed to 110°f (43°c)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fine salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
14 tbsp (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, softened

For the egg wash

1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

1
Combine the warmed milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy and fragrant.
2
Add the flour, sugar, salt, and 4 eggs to the yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix on low speed for 2 minutes, until the ingredients are just combined into a shaggy mass, then increase to medium speed and knead for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

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