Sourdough Brioche Bread
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with dough hook
- 2 medium mixing bowls
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 plastic wrap roll or 1 reusable cover
- 1 loaf pan (9x5 inch / 23x13 cm)
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 wire cooling rack
- 1 kitchen scale (optional but recommended)
Ingredients
- 150 gram active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 120 milliliter whole milk lukewarm
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 60 gram granulated sugar
- 350 gram bread flour
- 50 gram all-purpose flour
- 7 gram fine sea salt
- 170 gram unsalted butter soft and cubed
- 1 large egg for egg wash; beaten
- 15 milliliter water for egg wash
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the sourdough starter, lukewarm milk, eggs, and sugar until well combined.
- Add the bread flour, all-purpose flour, and salt to the wet mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Attach the bowl to the stand mixer with the dough hook and knead on low speed for 5–7 minutes until the dough starts to come together and pull away from the sides.
- With the mixer running on low, add the soft cubed butter a few pieces at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding more.
- Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 8–12 minutes until the dough is very smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl but is still slightly tacky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rest at room temperature for 2–3 hours until slightly puffy but not necessarily doubled.
- Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and cold-proof the dough for 8–12 hours or overnight to develop flavor and make shaping easier.
- The next day, lightly flour your work surface and gently turn the chilled dough out of the bowl.
- Divide the dough into 3 or 4 equal pieces, depending on your preferred braid or pull-apart style.
- Shape each piece into a tight ball, then roll each ball into a smooth log slightly shorter than your loaf pan.
- Arrange the logs side by side in a greased loaf pan, or braid them first and then place the braid into the pan.
- Cover the pan loosely and let the dough proof at warm room temperature for 3–5 hours, or until risen close to the top of the pan and very puffy.
- Near the end of proofing, preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F with a rack in the center position.
- In a small bowl, beat one egg with water to make the egg wash.
- Gently brush the top of the risen loaf with a thin, even layer of egg wash, taking care not to deflate the dough.
- Bake the brioche for 25–30 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom or reads 88–93°C / 190–200°F internally.
- If the top browns too quickly, tent the loaf loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Remove the brioche from the oven, cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack.
- Allow the brioche to cool completely before slicing to avoid squashing the tender crumb.
Notes
For best results, make sure your sourdough starter is bubbly and recently fed, as a sluggish starter will lengthen proofing times and may lead to a dense loaf; because brioche dough is rich in butter and eggs, it ferments more slowly, so rely on visual cues (very puffy, jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken) rather than the clock alone. If your kitchen is cool, proof in a slightly warm spot such as an oven with the light on, and don’t rush the final rise or the crumb will be tight. The dough can be mixed entirely the day before and kept chilled up to 24 hours for better flavor, and leftovers make excellent French toast, bread pudding, or toasted slices with jam.
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