Vegetarian Classic Brioche

Total time11 hr 15 min

Prep time40 min

Cook time35 min

4.5

(18)

Few breads feel as luxurious as a properly made brioche, with its deep mahogany crust, cloud-soft crumb, and that unmistakable richness that comes from a generous amount of real butter. This is a naturally meat-free bake built entirely on pantry staples — flour, eggs, milk, butter, yeast, and sugar — so there's nothing to swap or second-guess. The technique is what makes it special: a long, cold overnight fermentation firms up all that butter and builds a depth of flavor you simply can't rush. Incorporating the softened butter piece by piece during mixing is the key step that transforms a simple dough into something glossy, pillowy, and almost impossibly tender. The dough is shaped into eight individual balls nestled together in a loaf pan, which gives you those gorgeous, pull-apart domes once baked. Patience is the real secret ingredient here — between the overnight chill and the final two-to-three-hour proof, the results are absolutely worth the wait. Serve it warm from the oven, toasted the next morning, or as the foundation for the most indulgent French toast of your life.

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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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