Turkey Free Buttery Soft Brioche Bread

Total time11 hr 15 min

Prep time40 min

Cook time35 min

4.6

(18)

Rich, pillowy, and impossibly tender, this brioche is the kind of bread that makes you want to clear your whole afternoon just to bake it. Every ingredient here is straightforward — flour, eggs, butter, milk, yeast — so there's nothing hidden to second-guess, and the whole process is completely free of poultry in any form. The magic is in the technique: slowly incorporating two full sticks of softened butter into the dough creates that signature feather-soft crumb and glossy, golden crust that brioche is famous for. An overnight cold retard in the fridge does double duty, firming up the butter for easier shaping and deepening the flavor in a way that a same-day loaf simply can't match. The windowpane test tells you exactly when the gluten is ready, so you're not guessing — just stretching a small piece until light shows through. Once it bakes to a deep chestnut brown and hits 190°F in the center, the hardest part is waiting a full hour before slicing into that gorgeous, buttery interior. Serve it toasted with jam, layered into a sandwich, or honestly just torn apart warm from the rack.

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the dough

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (1 standard packet)
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 ¼ tsp fine salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup whole milk, warm (about 100°f / 38°c)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, softened to room temperature

For the egg wash

1 large egg
1 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Whisk briefly by hand to distribute evenly.
2
Add the 4 room-temperature eggs and the warm milk to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes, then increase to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.

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