Beef Free Classic Brioche
Buttery, golden, and impossibly soft, this brioche is the kind of bread that makes people stop mid-bite and ask what you did differently. The dough comes together with eggs, unsalted butter, whole milk, and flour — nothing more exotic than what's already in your kitchen — and the overnight cold fermentation does the heavy lifting on flavor while you sleep. Because the recipe is built entirely around dairy and eggs rather than any meat-based fats or stocks, it's naturally free from beef in every form, including the hidden tallow or beef-derived additives that occasionally sneak into enriched breads. The long, slow butter incorporation is the real secret here: adding it piece by piece creates that signature feather-light crumb and glossy, pull-apart texture that store-bought loaves simply can't replicate. Patience is the main skill required — the windowpane test, the overnight rest, the full proof — but none of the steps are technically difficult, just deliberate. Once it comes out of the oven with that deep mahogany crust, the hardest part is waiting the 30 minutes before slicing. Serve it plain, toasted with jam, or torn apart at the table while it's still faintly warm.
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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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