Spice Free Classic Brioche
Rich, pillowy, and deeply buttery, this brioche is the kind of bread that makes you want to clear your whole Saturday afternoon just to bake it. The ingredient list is beautifully simple — flour, eggs, butter, milk, yeast, sugar, and salt — which means there's nothing here to worry about for anyone avoiding spices or heat-forward seasonings. That simplicity is actually what makes brioche so special: the flavor comes entirely from good technique and quality staples, not from a long list of add-ins. The overnight cold fermentation is the real secret, firming up all that butter and coaxing out a depth of flavor that tastes far more complex than the ingredients suggest. Shaping the dough into eight balls and nestling them into a loaf pan gives you that iconic pull-apart top, golden and domed after a long proof and a hot oven. The egg wash bakes into a deep mahogany crust that crackles slightly when you press it, giving way to a soft, feathery crumb underneath. Whether you slice it thick for French toast, serve it alongside soup, or eat it warm with nothing but a little butter, this loaf is pure, uncomplicated comfort.
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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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