Artificial Food Coloring Free Classic Brioche
Few breads are as luxurious as a properly made brioche, with its glossy mahogany crust, feathery crumb, and that unmistakable richness that comes from a full cup of real butter worked slowly into the dough. Every ingredient here is exactly what it sounds like — milk, eggs, flour, sugar, butter, yeast, and salt — so there's no need to squint at a label hunting for synthetic dyes or mystery additives. That matters more than people realize, since store-bought enriched breads and packaged brioche rolls are surprisingly common offenders when it comes to added colorants used purely for appearance. The deep golden color on this loaf comes entirely from the egg wash and the natural sugars caramelizing in the oven, which is honestly more beautiful than anything artificial could produce. The overnight cold fermentation step is what separates a good brioche from a great one — it firms up the butter, tightens the structure, and builds a depth of flavor that a same-day loaf just can't match. Sliced thick for French toast, torn warm from the pan, or simply spread with a little more butter, this is the kind of bread that makes the whole process feel completely worth it.
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Learn more →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)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 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
Combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tbsp of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir briefly and let stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy and fragrant.
- 2
Add the flour, salt, remaining 1 tbsp sugar, and the 4 room-temperature eggs to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes, then increase to medium speed and knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, and passes the windowpane test — a small piece stretched between your fingers should stretch thin enough to see light through without tearing.
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