The dough of the brioche is just the same as of braided sweet bread (or challah bread). That means that the brioche and challah bread are made – at best – from the same type of dough.
Unfortunately the products we are offered under the name of sweet bread are mainly totally different from the original recipe, anyway, let’s say, it’s all the same.
Please find the recipe of brioche below, and at first let me introduce the recipe with a determining – what is brioche exactly?
What is brioche?
Brioche is a dough of French origin, which exists in different shapes around the globe. In some countries it is snail-shaped (the dough will be rolled than sliced into pieces), but let me mention that the classic French brioche is a rich and golden yeast bread made with milk and eggs. So the word brioche refers rather to its dough than its shape.
Brioche dough recipe
- You will need lukewarm milk and softened butter at room temperature, your first step is to prepare them.
- Sieve the flour into a large bowl, and measure the sugar.
- Let the yeast rise in lukewarm milk than add a tablespoon sugar and a tablespoon flour to it.
Tip: Prepare your brioche with instant yeast and get the same outcome. There is no need to rise instant yeast, in case you choose instant yeast, you just have to combine all your ingredients – except the butter – with flour.
![french brioche](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/french-brioche-3-580x327.jpg)
- Add the remaining sugar, one whole egg and two egg-yolks, salt and raised yeast to the flour.
![french brioche](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/french-brioche-4-580x327.jpg)
- Knead your brioche dough for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth.
![french brioche](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/french-brioche-5-580x327.jpg)
- And now, let’s see the key step to make your brioche dough heavenly soft; add soft butter and prepare the dough by hand.
You can add all the butter at once, or in smaller portions. At first you will get a mish-mash, so you may think you did something wrong – it is not the case. Just go ahead, and you will get a perfect dough sooner or later.
![french bioche](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/french-brioche-6-580x327.jpg)
- Place your dough in a buttered bowl and let it rise at a lukewarm place for an hour.
![french brioche](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/french-brioche-1-580x327.jpg)
- Your brioche dough is ready.
![french brioche](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/french-brioche-2-580x327.jpg)
What to make from brioche dough
Your brioche dough is ready. It depends upon your taste what you want to make from your dough.
You can prepare traditional Hungarian sweet braided bread, you can also shape snail rolls, or you can customize its shape to your own taste.
Shape the dough and spread with butter after the long rise. Cover the dough and let it rest once again for a shorter while once again, than repeat spreading butter on tops (or sprinkle the tops with large crystal sugar), bake in preheated oven at 180°C until golden brown. Baking time is 20-30 minutes – varies with the size of your dough.
![brioches](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/brioches-580x334.jpg)
Tip: the authentic shape of brioche is named ‘brioche à tête’. This original type of brioche is baked into a fluted round tin with a ball of dough placed on top to form the ‘head’, the tête.
![Brioche a tete](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/brioch-atete-580x435.jpg)
![french brioche](https://spicygoulash.com/wp-content/uploads/french-brioche-5-300x300.jpg)
French Brioche Dough
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 500g
- ⅔ cups sugar 80g
- 1 cup milk 250 ml
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 package dried yeast or 20g fresh yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup butter 80g
Instructions
- You will need lukewarm milk and softened butter at room temperature, your first step is to prepare them.
- Sieve the flour into a large bowl, and measure the sugar.
- Let the yeast rise in lukewarm milk than add a tablespoon sugar and a tablespoon flour to it.
- Add the remaining sugar, one whole egg and two egg-yolks, salt and raised yeast to the flour.
- Knead your brioche dough for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth.
- And now, let’s see the key step to make your brioche dough heavenly soft; add soft butter and prepare the dough by hand.
- Place your dough in a buttered bowl and let it rise at a lukewarm place for an hour.
- Your brioche dough is ready.