Xanthan Gum Free Buttery Brioche

Total time3 hr 35 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time35 min

Rich, pillowy, and impossibly buttery, this brioche is the kind of loaf that makes a whole kitchen smell like a French bakery. What makes it especially clever is the flax egg — ground flaxseed mixed with warm water until it thickens into a gel — which binds the dough beautifully without any gums or additives that can sneak into commercial baking mixes. The result is a naturally clean ingredient list that relies on the magic of good butter, active yeast, and a patient rise to build that signature soft, pull-apart crumb. Slowly working room-temperature butter into the dough is the key step here, and the stand mixer does the heavy lifting so you get that smooth, elastic texture without the arm workout. A milk wash before baking gives the crown a gorgeous deep-golden color that looks genuinely bakery-worthy. Whether you're slicing it thick for French toast, tearing into it warm with extra butter, or using it as the base for the most luxurious sandwich imaginable, this loaf delivers every single time.

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the flax egg

2 tbsp ground flaxseed
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flaxseed Meal - 16 Oz Carrington Farms Organic Milled Flax Seed Paks Gluten Free Spectrum Essentials Cold Milled Organic Premium Ground Flaxseed - 24 oz Barlean's Organic Forti-Flax Premium Ground Flaxseed Carrington Farms Flax Seeds Milled Gluten Free Organic (Ground)
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6 tbsp warm water (about 110°f / 43°c)

For the dough

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
¼ cup warm whole milk (about 110°f / 43°c)
3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp fine salt
10 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, at room temperature

For the wash

2 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

1
In a small bowl, stir together the ground flaxseed and 6 tbsp warm water until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens to a gel-like consistency.
2
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, 1 tbsp of the sugar, and the yeast. Stir briefly and let stand for 5–8 minutes, until foamy and fragrant.

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