Description
This Milk Brioche recipe yields soft, buttery, and slightly sweet bread with a beautiful golden crust and tender crumb. Using a combination of cake and bread flour along with milk and heavy cream makes this brioche incredibly rich and moist. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, this brioche is shaped as loaves or rolls, proofed twice for lightness, and brushed with an egg wash and simple syrup glaze for a shiny finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 2/3 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
- 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon (at room temperature; whole, 1%, or 2% milk)
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup cake flour and 3 1/2 cups bread flour)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or instant yeast)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Finishing Ingredients
- Egg wash (1 beaten egg with 1 teaspoon water)
- Simple syrup (1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water)
Instructions
- Start the Dough: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, combine heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt in that order. Set the mixer to stir and knead for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping to push the dough together. If sticking occurs on sides, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough pulls from sides but sticks to bottom. For hand kneading, continue for another 5-10 minutes until smooth.
- First Proof: Cover the dough with a damp towel and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours. For best proofing, place dough in a closed microwave with a mug of just-boiled water to maintain humidity and warmth.
- Prepare for Baking: Grease two baking pans thoroughly with butter. You can use two loaf pans, two 9-inch round pans, or one loaf pan and one round pan depending on your preferred shape.
- Shape the Dough: After the dough doubles, mix it again on medium speed for 5 minutes to remove air bubbles. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Shape each half into rough rectangles. For loaves, cut each rectangle into three equal pieces; for rolls, divide into 8 pieces. Arrange shaped dough pieces in prepared pans and let rise again for 1 hour covered.
- Bake the Brioche: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center. Brush risen dough with egg wash for a golden finish. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Immediately upon removal, brush warm brioche with simple syrup to give a shiny glaze and a hint of sweetness.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for best yeast activation and dough texture.
- If dough sticks too much during shaping, lightly flour hands and work surface to prevent tearing.
- Proofing in the microwave with hot water creates an ideal humid, warm environment.
- Adjust baking time slightly if you opt for rolls instead of loaves; smaller pieces may bake faster.
- Simple syrup glaze adds both shine and a subtle sweetness to finished brioche.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: Milk Brioche, brioche recipe, soft bread, buttery bread, French bread, homemade brioche, sweet bread, bakery style bread
