French · Breads & baking

Buttery brioche loaf

Name: Buttery brioche loaf
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 6 h 13 min
Yield: 1 9-inch loaf
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 1/4 cups (423 grams) bread flour; 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar; 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast; 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt; 1/2 cup (120 grams) cold whole milk; 3 large eggs, cold; 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, cool and pliable, cut into tablespoons; 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for washing; Softened butter, for the pan

A glossy French loaf with a feather-soft pull-apart crumb and the richness of eggs and butter.

About 6 hr 15 minTotal

About 1 hr 15 minActive

$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 1 9-inch loaf

Equipment

Stand mixer with dough hook
Use an 8.5 × 4.5- or 9 × 5-inch pan; dark pans may need an earlier doneness check.
Best standard loaf pan
USA Pan 1-Pound Loaf Pan · 1140LF
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use an 8.5 × 4.5- or 9 × 5-inch pan; dark pans may need an earlier doneness check.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s pan dimensions and dough capacity, then checked material, heat limit, coating care, stable model identity, and exact retail destination. Kwilt has not baked with this pan.
USA Pan 1-Pound Loaf Pan · 1140LF: Its standard one-pound footprint matches the catalog’s 9-by-5-inch household loaves closely and the reinforced aluminized steel supports even, repeatable browning. Trade-off: The silicone nonstick coating requires hand washing and nonmetal utensils, and the maker advises against cooking spray.
Another workable path: Use another light-colored 8.5-by-4.5- or 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; darker pans may brown faster and need an earlier check.
Sources
USA Pan 1140LF specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 1 9-inch loaf

3 1/4 cups (423 grams) bread flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 cup (120 grams) cold whole milk
3 large eggs, cold
3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, cool and pliable, cut into tablespoons
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for washing
Softened butter, for the pan

Instructions

Butter a . In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine bread flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cold milk, and 3 eggs. Mix on low until shaggy, then on medium for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough gathers around the hook and stretches thin without tearing. A stand mixer is required for this very rich dough.
With the mixer on medium-low, add the 170 grams butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting until each addition disappears before adding the next. Scrape the bowl as needed, then mix 5 to 8 minutes more until glossy, elastic, and clearing much of the bowl; do not add flour merely because it feels sticky.
Cover and rise 60 to 90 minutes until about 50 percent larger. Deflate gently, flatten into a rectangle, cover, and chill 90 minutes until firm enough to shape. Divide into six equal pieces and round each tightly.
Arrange the rounds in two staggered rows of three in the prepared pan. Cover and proof 90 to 150 minutes until the dough crowns about 1 inch above the rim and a gentle press springs back slowly. Heat oven to 375°F and brush the exposed dough lightly with egg wash.
Bake 15 minutes, tent loosely with foil once richly browned, reduce to 350°F, and bake 20 to 25 minutes more until the center reaches 190°F. Rest in the pan 10 minutes, turn onto a rack, and cool at least 1 hour before pulling apart or slicing. Use day-old slices for French toast.

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From the table

About this recipe

Brioche is a French enriched bread distinguished by eggs and a high proportion of butter. Unlike croissant dough, its richness is mixed directly into an elastic dough rather than enclosed in laminated sheets.

Brioche is a French enriched bread whose eggs and unusually generous butter create a tender, almost pastry-like crumb without croissant-style lamination. The six-ball Nanterre-style loaf rises high and pulls apart naturally. It is more demanding than ordinary sandwich bread and honestly requires a mixer, but it avoids the repeated rolling, temperature matching, and two-day lamination that make croissants the batch's true project. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use the strongest mixer-based sequence and Nanterre loaf shape, compress the schedule with a firm chilling window, and disclose the equipment and technique burden instead of presenting brioche as ordinary hands-off bread.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe