Soft Homemade Brioche Bread – Ultra Fluffy & Buttery Bakery Style
This Soft Homemade Brioche Bread is a rich and fluffy pull-apart loaf made with warm milk, yeast, butter and a little sugar. It emerges from the oven golden and tender, with a shiny egg wash and almond topping.
This is the type of bread that seems bakery-special but remains completely achievable in a home kitchen. The dough is soft, manageable, and bakes up into a light, billowing crumb.
Bake it in a round pan for a gorgeous pull-apart presentation, and serve warm for breakfast, brunch or dessert.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super soft, fluffy and light with a moist crumb
- It’s the kind of cake that you can whip up any night, with simple pantry ingredients and no fancy mixers.
- Gorgeous pull-apart for ease off serving
- A subtle sweetness that pairs well with sweet and savory toppings
- Freezer-friendly for make-ahead mornings
Ingredients
Candy base
- Brioche Dough
- Warm milk: 1 cup (240 ml), warm (not hot)
- Active dry yeast: 1 tablespoon (10 g)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (70 g) granulated sugar Instructions To make the sponge cake Preheat oven to 200c or 400f.
- Vanilla sugar 15 g (1 tbsp)
- Egg: 1 large
- Vegetable oil: 1/4 cup plus 2 tsp (70 ml)
- Salt: 1 tsp
- All-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups (500 g)
Finish
- Decoration
- Egg (for egg wash): 1 large
- almonds (flaked almond): 1/4 cup, chopped
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Temperature of milk: You want it just to be warm to the touch (100–110°F / 38–43°C). If it’s too hot, it can destroy the yeast.
Yeast: Active dry yeast performs wonderfully here. If you have instant yeast, add it straight to the dry ingredients (rise times may be a bit shorter).
Vanilla sugar: If you don’t have any, substitute with 1–2 tsp of vanilla extract (add it in the wet ingredients instead), or use extra granulated sugar.
Vegetable oil: Any neutral oil (canola, sunflower, vegetable) will help keep the crumb soft. Light olive oil will do though you might taste it.
Flour: Begin with a little less and add more as necessary. Dough feel (soft and a bit sticky, not dry) is what matters most since humidity — and the brand of flour — will vary.
How to Make Soft Homemade Brioche Bread Recipe
- Bloom the yeast
- In a large bowl mix together warm milk, yeast, sugar and vanilla sugar. Let stand until foamy (about 5 to 10 minutes).
- Make the dough
- Whisk in egg and vegetable oil. Add the flour and salt, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Combine and knead (hand or mixer) until soft and pliable.
- First rise
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled. Dough should appear puffy and full of air.
- Shape into balls
- 7.Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide into pieces and shape them into smooth balls by tucking under the edges.
- Arrange and second rise
- To prep your ingredients Grease a circular shaped cut pan (a springform pan is best). Put in the dough balls (imagine them as you would like when baked, since they can be quite close together) 10. Cover and let rise again until puffy.
- Egg wash and top
- Brush the top lightly with a beaten egg. Sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds.
- Bake
- Bake until deeply golden brown and set. Cool for a couple of minutes, then unmold and serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale if you have one: it makes the process of dividing dough pieces evenly that much easier and, for a uniform pull-apart look.
- The ability to resist adding too much flour: a soft dough = a soft crumb. Add just enough flour to make it workable.
- For smooth dough balls: pinch seams under, and roll gently to create surface tension.
- Proofing tip: If your kitchen is cold, put the bowl/pan in an oven that’s OFF with the light on.
- Egg wash delicately: It should be applied with a soft brush, so you don’t deflate the dough that has risen.
- Test for doneness: The top will be deeply golden and the center should feel set (if you have an instant read thermometer, it should register 200 degrees there).
- Cool before slicing: Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes so the crumb finishes setting up.
- For even more sheen: Brush a second light coat of egg wash just before baking if you’d like the finish to be deeper and glossier.
Storage & Freezing
- At room temperature: Store wrapped tightly up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Up to 4–5 days (re-warm before serving, then stir to soften).
- Freezer: Wrap slices or loaf well and freeze up to 2 months.
- Thawing: Thaw at room temperature, then warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–12 minutes (or in the microwave for slices, 10–20 seconds).
Variations
- If you like, make citrus brioche Add 1 tbsp orange or lemon zest to the dough.
- Runs with chocolate chip: Fold 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips into the batter after the first rise.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar: While kneading the dough, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to it and sprinkle the top of the loaf with cinnamon sugar instead of almonds.
- Coconut topping Swap sliced almonds with unsweetened coconut flakes.
- Honey butter finish: Spread warm bread with a thin coat of honey butter as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Soft Homemade Brioche Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk warm milk, yeast, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Rest 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
- Whisk in the egg and vegetable oil. Add flour and salt, then mix until a soft dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
- Divide dough into equal pieces and shape into smooth balls.
- Grease a round pan and arrange the dough balls inside. Cover and let rise again until puffy.
- Brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
- Bake until deeply golden and cooked through. Cool 15–20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- For best rise, keep the dough in a warm (not hot) spot.
- If using instant yeast, mix it with the flour and reduce the “blooming” step.
- Dough should feel soft; avoid adding lots of extra flour.
- Bake time can vary by pan and oven; aim for a deep golden top and a set center.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!FAQs
When fully cool, wrap tightly. Rewarm the slices briefly before serving for their best texture.
Yes. A 9-inch (23 cm) round pan is best but any similar sized cake pan is fine. A loaf pan will, though bake time might vary.
This is supposed to be soft dough. Oil your hands lightly or sprinkle with a little flour, but don’t add too much extra flour.
It should be smooth and elastic, and it should stretch without tearing (it will be soft and doughy, not hard).
Yes. The dry yeast may be added directly to the dry ingredients (instant yeast) or activated and left to rise for 10 minutes in warm water (active dry yeast). You could expect rise time to be a little quicker.
Possibly your milk was either too hot or too cold, or perhaps it has been along time since the yeast was fresh. Give it another go with fresh yeast and correctly warmed milk.
Key Takeaways
- Soft Homemade Brioche Bread is a rich, fluffy loaf made with simple ingredients like warm milk, yeast, and butter.
- This bread bakes into a light, airy crumb and can be served for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
- The recipe features a straightforward process, ideal for home bakers with no fancy equipment needed.
- Variations include adding citrus zest, chocolate chips, or a coconut topping for unique flavors.
- To keep it fresh, store at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze slices for up to 2 months.
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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
