Pecan Free Classic Brioche
Few breads are as luxurious as a properly made brioche, with its deep mahogany crust, feathery crumb, and rich, buttery flavor that sits somewhere between bread and pastry. This version is built entirely from pantry and dairy staples — milk, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and a generous amount of butter — so there's nothing to second-guess when it comes to tree nut concerns. Store-bought enriched breads can be a minefield of shared-facility warnings, but making this at home puts you in complete control of every ingredient that goes into the dough. The technique here is genuinely rewarding: a slow overnight cold fermentation firms up the butter and deepens the flavor in a way that a quick same-day bake simply can't match. Shaping the dough into eight individual balls before nestling them into the loaf pan gives you that iconic pull-apart top that looks stunning straight out of the oven. The egg wash bakes to a glossy, burnished finish that makes the whole loaf look like it came from a serious French bakery. Slice it thick for French toast, serve it alongside a weekend brunch spread, or just tear into it warm with a little extra butter — it's the kind of bread that earns a permanent spot in your rotation.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!