SOURDOUGH BRIOCHE BREAD, THE KING OF SOURDOUGH BREAD?
Perhaps not, but Brioche bread has almost an iconic status. It is sometimes called the tastiest bread in the world. Now, I am sure there are those who disagree with this.
But I have to say that I find it hard to imagine anything better than a slice of toasted Brioche bread for breakfast a Saturday morning. Or why not as a starter with Tapenade.
The soft crumb with a rich taste of butter is insanely tasty.
Brioche is a classic French bread with lots of egg and butter, and it can almost be classified as a pastry.
It should have a rich and tender crumb with a dark golden and flaky crust.
The taste of butter should be profound without leaving a greasy feeling in the mouth.
Brioche is not the best bread for beginners, not even with yeast. Baking with a sourdough starter, it becomes a real challenge.
So that’s what we are going to do. Baking a sourdough Brioche bread. Hey, challenges are fun, aren’t they?
Most of the time I don’t use a dough mixer, but I was considering using it for this recipe. Mixing all that butter into the dough is not easy.
But in the end, I decided to do it by hand. Not everybody has a dough mixer, and I wanted to give it a try.
ABOUT FLOUR AND SOURDOUGH STARTER
For this recipe, I used 525-gram wheat flour (starter included) with 11.5% protein content.
The sourdough starter contains wheat flour only and has a hydration of 100%. I took out the starter from the refrigerator 8 hours before it was time to bake and fed it.
MIXING THE DOUGH
I mixed the flour, milk, egg, sourdough starter, sugar, and salt and let the dough rest for an hour. After that, I performed a set of stretch and folds and let the dough rest for an additional hour.
I wanted the dough to develop lots of gluten before I added the butter, so I continued to perform stretch and folds until the dough passed the windowpane test.
I took out the butter from the fridge, half an hour before it was time to add it to the dough. Some say the butter should be cold and some say it should be room tempered, so I chose something in between.
Adding butter to a dough by hand is not easy, but it is possible.
My method was to add some small pieces, grip the dough with my hand, and pinch it with my fingers. I continued until I couldn’t feel any lumps of butter. After that, I added some more butter and repeat until all butter was incorporated into the dough.
BULK FERMENTATION
I placed the dough in my basement to ferment for 16 hours until it had increased by 30% in volume. My basement keeps a temperature of 56ºF/13ºC at this time of the year.
I’m aware that not everybody has this opportunity, so an alternative is to let the dough ferment at room temperature, not above 77ºF/25ºC, until it has increased by 30-50%, and then place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
You want the dough to harden all the way through before it’s time to shape the loaf.
SHAPING
There are many ways to shape a sourdough brioche bread, but I decided to make one big loaf.
So I divided the dough into four pieces of equal size and formed them into rounds. Try to shape the dough while it is cold. Otherwise, the butter can start to melt, making the dough sticky.
The balls were squeezed into a bread tin greased with melted butter.
Don’t skimp with butter when greasing the bread tin. I did that the first time, as I thought there was so much butter in the dough anyhow and was punished with a bread that got stuck in the form.
Unfortunately, I mauled it a bit when I tried to get it out. For the second try, I greased the tin with a lot of butter, and the bread came out without any problems.
PROOFING
For the final rise, I used my basement again where I let the loaf proof for 24 hours. You can, of course, shorten the time by letting the bread ferment at room temperature instead.
Try to let the loaf double in size, but don’t despair if it’s not. My first loaf only rose about 60-75%, but I still got a very nice oven spring as shown in the pictures. I let the second loaf proof at room temperature, and it doubled in size after 12 hours.
I brushed the bread with a beaten egg and a pinch of salt.
Don’t brush too much. If The Egg mixture flows down between the dough and the bread tin, your Brioche will stick after baking.
I think that can be another reason why I had such problems getting my first Brioche out of the bread tin.
BAKING
Preheat the oven to 420ºF/215ºC. One big loaf requires about one hour in the oven. I had to cover it with aluminum foil, in the end, to prevent it from getting burned on the surface. I also reduced the heat to 395ºF/200ºC.
It’s important that the inner temperature reaches about 208ºF/98ºC.
If you take it out too early, it may collapse a bit.
When it’s ready, take it out from the oven and remove it from the bread form as soon as it is cool enough to handle.
CONCLUSION
What struck me most with this sourdough brioche bread was the long fermentation times, even at room temperature.
I suppose it has to do with the dough. It’s quite stiff, and even if I know that stiffer doughs ferment slower, I didn’t think it would take that long.
The taste, however, met all my expectations. A soft, yellow crumb with a rich taste of butter, slightly acidic, that was surrounded by a golden brown and flaky crust.
This is not a healthy bread. But most things that taste insanely good are not healthy, and this bread is just too delicious to abstain from.
But perhaps it’s not advisable to eat it every day.
Sourdough brioche bread
Ingredients
- 450 gram Wheat flour with 11.5% protein content.
- 4 eggs medium size
- 150 gram sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 60 gram whole milk
- 375 gram unsalted butter
- 30 gram sugar
- 15 gram sea salt
- 1 egg for brushing
Instructions
- Feed your starter in good time before it's time to bake.
- Mix all ingredients, except butter and let the dough rest for an hour. Perform 3 or 4 sets of stretch and fold spaced out by 30 minutes. Make sure the dough passes the windowpane test.
- Take out the butter from the refrigerator half an hour before it's time to mix it into the dough.
- Add some pieces of butter and knead and pinch it into the dough. When you don't feel any lumps, add some more butter and repeat until all has been incorporated into the dough.
- Let the dough bulk ferment until it has expanded by 30-50% in volume. Place the dough in the refrigerator for two hours if it has fermented in room temperature to make sure it hardens all the way through.
- Dump out the dough on a lightly flourd surface and divide it into four piceces of equal size. Form the dough pieces into rounds.
- Grease a bread tin abundantly with butter and squeeze the rounds into the tin.
- Place the loaf and tin in a plastic bag an let it proof until it has doubled in size.
- Pre-heat the oven to 420ºF/215ºC.
- Brush the loaf with a beaten egg and a pinch of salt. Make sure that no egg mixture flows down between the loaf and the bread tin.
- Bake for about 60 minutes or until inner temperature reaches 208ºF/98ºC. You may have to lower the heat or cover with aluminium foil at the end.
- Remove bread from the bread tin as soon as it's cool enough to handle.
51 Comments
I’ve read from several different professional sources that enriched doughs, especially those that are naturally leavened, rise/ferment slower because fats (butter in this recipe) and proteins (eggs in this recipe) slow the fermentation process.
Yes, I think you are right. I have also heard this, but I didn’t think it would slow down that much. But that’s what makes baking so interesting. There is always something new to learn.
just to clarify 375g is about 20 tbsp??
If you mean butter, I would say 23-25 tbsp.
I am going to try this, but with a poppyseed filling like makivnyk or kolache, made into a roll rather than baked in a pan. I have a couple cans (not ideal, I realize) of poppyseed filling that I want to use, and I usually bake bread following the Tartine method, so this looks good to me!
Hi Anna,
That sounds interesting. Please let us know about the result.
What about egg safty?
Just to clarify, you fed the starter and then immediately used it in the recipe?
I would like to try this recipe, thanks!
No, I never use the starter immediately after I have fed it. It’s not strong enough. For this recipe, I fed it and let it sit for 8 hours before I used it. You can read more about it under “ABOUT FLOUR AND SOURDOUGH STARTER”. I realize that it can be a bit confusing if you only read the recipe notes. Therefore, I have made an update.
What are your thoughts on steaming this bake? I use a method of volcano rocks and a cast iron skillet that works wonderfully on sourdough boules and loaves.
Hi Paul,
I think it’s a good idea to use steam. I think it prevents the surface of the loaf to dry out and improves the oven spring. Personally, I always use stem if I cant bake in a dutch oven. Even for enriched doughs.
Thank you for all the details….like how to mix in the butter….and how not to let the egg wash seep down into the pan….and how to nurse the starter along until it’s viable! Your writing is most helpful to a beginner sourdough baker!
I’m glad to hear that, Geri.
Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.
What a great in depth recipe! Thanks!
You are most welcome, Renata, I’m glad you liked it.
Thanks for your recipe! I was wanting to do more with my starter than regular sandwich and sourdoughs. I never thought about making an enriched dough and when I googled, your recipe came up. It was a great guideline for method and times. My bread came out delicious- so happy to have found your site.
Welcome to Sourdough&olives, Kate. I’m glad to hear that you were helped by my recipe. Sourdough Brioche is not the easiest bread to bake, but I do think this method works quite well.
Hi Tomas,
I have to have bread raised for 36-48 hours in the refrigerator for the sourdough to chew up some of the carbohydrates that bother my gut.
( FODMAP diet – very involved) Do you think I could initially cold raise this bread prior to the butter being added for the 48 hours before proceeding with the butter stage?
I don’t know, Martha. I have never tried anything like that before. But I think it can work. Mixing in the butter in such a late stage means that you will degas the dough completely, so you will start again from zero when it’s time for the final rise. But perhaps your dough has sufficient strength to rise enough. I think it’s worth a try.
I’m on my 2nd dough. I use brioche for cinnamon rolls. I used to use the King Arthur yeast version but this recipe turned out crisp and crackly the first time so I’m excited about trying it again.
My only problem was working in the butter. I think I got about half of it in before I gave up. The end result was a little dry, but definitely worth another go.
Thank you!@
I know, Abbey.
Adding butter into the dough by hand is a pain. A dough mixer makes it so much easier. But I always try do bake every bread by hand. Just because I want to see if it’s possible in a reasonable amount of time and effort. I’m not sure about brioche bread, though.
Hi what size is tge bread tin?
Hi Maureen,
It’s about 24×10 cm / 10×4 inch.
Hi Tomas,
Can I use rye flour or ap flour instead of wheat? I will be using a rye starter too.
Hi Helena.
Ap flour should work, but I would not use rye flour. Perhaps in a small amount. Using a rye starter shouldn’t be my problem, though.
Tomas, thank you so much for this recipe. You presented it in a clear but not overly fussy/pseudo-science/engineering way (some baking blogs just go on and on in excruciating detail). During the Covid-19 sheltering at home time I’ve taken on several projects (playing more music is another), one being a baking version of Julie and Julia in which the author cooked her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In my case I’m baking through Bernard Clayton’s classic Breads of France. However, I’m using sourdough starter instead of yeast for all the recipes, so there is adjustment to virtually every recipe. This weekend I was on section Recipes from La Havre and focusing on brioche. Your recipe has helped me quite a lot.
Marc
I’m so glad you liked the recipe, Marc. What a great idea. I’m sure you are learning a lot about sourdough bread baking. Please let us know about your future results.
Excuse me, Tomas,
What is the ‘windowpane test’? I would like to make your recipe but first I have to make sure I know what you mean.
Thank you!
Hi Cat,
Windowpane test is a method to check if the dough has developed enough gluten. You take a small piece of dough and stretch it gently with your fingers. If you can stretch it into a thin membrane without it breaking it’s ready.
The Kitchn has a quite good description of the process. just follow this link.
Hi Thomas, I am curious as to how long step 5 typically takes? Thank you!
Hi Danniella,
It’s hard to say as it depends on so many different factors. Temperature, the condition of the starter, etc. But I would say at least 6 hours, perhaps longer. Enriched Doug ferments slower than ordinary dough, so be prepared that it will take some time.
Hi Tomas, after initial fermentation, can I leave this dough in the fridge overnight?
Hi Nina,
Yes, you can. Be aware though, that it can give you some extra tanginess in your bread.
I don’t have a metal bread pan, but I do have a glass pyrex bread pan. Would that work for this recipe? Otherwise, I have a metal circular pan. So hard to get things delivered in this quarantine!
Hi Jen,
The benefit of a metal bread pan is that it gives support to the dough, helping it to rise upwards. I don’t know how your glass pyrex pan looks like, but if it has the same shape as a meta pan it will work fine.
You can use your metal form as well, but you should be aware that the bread will spread out to the sides more. It will be flatter. However It will probably still taste great. It’s better to use what you have and start baking.
Made this and it was just really salty and barely edible, not ideal qualities for a brioche.
I have checked the recipe, and I think I have made one mistake. It says butter when it should have called for unsalted butter. I have corrected that.
I have studied other recipes and the amount of salt differs a lot. I found one recipe with 4% salt, which I think is far too much. Chad Robertson is using 2,5% in his book Tartine bread which sounds more reasonable. I decided to go for 2,8%. Not that much more. But if you use375 grams of salted butter I think it can become a bit salty.
Hi Tomas,
Haven’t tried the recipe yet but have a couple of questions:
Do you bulk ferment with seam side up as in some normal sourdough recipes and can you prove overnight in fridge?
My loaf tins are L 21cm x W 11cm x D 7cm will 1 be ok for the quantity?
Hi Pete,
Whit this recipe I divide the dough into 4 parts, shape them into rounds and fit them into the tin. You can of proof this dough overnight, just be aware that you will get a sourer flavor.
Your tin will be OK.
Hello,
Thanks for this recipe! I made it yesterday and the texture is the best I’ve achieved for brioche – and having lived in Paris for years, I’ve been trying to replicate what I used to buy for a long time.
Just a couple of observations, the bread isn’t sweet enough (for my taste) compared to traditional brioche so next time I will probably double the sugar. I also used sugar that is perfumed with vanilla (I keep a box of powdered sugar with some vanilla pods in it to always have this on hand) – as traditional brioche seems to have a vanilla flavour.
Finally, although the texture was great, I’m going to try with less butter next time. It was very very rich and I think I can get away with greatly reducing the amount of butter so I’m going to experiment.
Again, thanks for the recipe – I just wanted to share my thoughts! Love from the U.K.
Hi Paul,
I’m glad you liked the recipe.
About sweetness, you are probably right. I’m not that fond of sweet bread, but that is my personal preference. But just like you, anyone can (and should) change the recipe to their own liking.
A recipe is only guidelines.
I have never heard about vanilla, though, but it sounds like an interesting idea.
Thank’s a lot for sharing your ideas Paul, it’s most appreciated. I wish more people did the same.
Hi Tomas,
I started this recipe yesterday. I left my dough at room temperature for 8 hours, then stuck it in the fridge overnight (~11 hours), and it still hasn’t risen. Not even a bit. Should I toss it or keep waiting for it to rise?
Thanks for the help!
Hi Barbara,
I would give it some extra time. This dough is heavily enriched, and that can slow down the fermentation process considerably. Let it stand in room temperature or warmer if you can, and see what happens.
Beautiful loaf. I’m reading the recipe m counting a total of 40 hours bulk -divided?
I know, it’s a very long time and I’m sure it can be shortened. I fermented at room temperature, but if you raise the temperature a few degrees it will go quicker for sure.
Bear in mind, though, that this is an enriched dough with lots of fat in it. Enriched dough in general ferments slower.
Hi, I have a few questions: 1. Are you mixing everything by bowl or can a stand mixer be used? Including when mixing in the butter?2. Are you letting the dough rest an hour before starting the stretch and folds? 3.For the first ferment after its been doubled over counter , can we put it in fridge over night instead of 2 hrs? 4. After being in the fridge the dough should be pretty firm, not sticky?
Thanks
Hi Monique,
If you have a stand mixer I recommend that you use it. Mixing in this much butter is a pain. You can add all ingredients, the butter in small pieces one by one, and run the mixer until you have a smooth dough with lots of elasticity. Then you don’t have to bother about any stretch and folds.
I think you can place the dough in the fridge. Just make sure iT has expanded enough.
The dough should be smooth and not sticky. The dough is a bit firm. If you want it looser you can let it expand 50% instead o 30%.
I wanted to leave a comment as this was very delicious! For anyone making it here is what I did: I used half all purpose flour and half whole wheat because I ran out of whole wheat, I used the stand mixer to mix in the butter and then did the stretch and folds as in the recipe( I worried about over mixing but I actually think I could have gone further with the mixing as it was not as elastic as I think it could have been). I did 24 hours bulk fermenting in the fridge and then 12 hours proofing on my counter overnight. After 36 hours, I will be honest, it had not risen much and I was a bit worried it would disappoint but once baked this thing exploded!! I put it in a Dutch oven for 45 mins total (any longer and it would’ve been burnt for me- covered for 30 and uncovered for 15)- my sister stated it’s the best brioche she has ever had! So thank you for this!! It takes a long time but it’s worth it! Sooo yummy!!
Many thanks. I’m glad to hear that. The fermentation time is long due to the high amount of fat in the dough, but the result tends to be good in the end.
I’ve tried this recipe quite a few times, but the most successful was when I mixed the flour and butter together at the same time as the first step. It took a while to get a homogeneous mass but it made further mixing easier while I added the other ingredients. The key for me was mix mix mix and then have a lot of patience with the bulk fermentation at approximately 50 degrees F, and the final rise in a 70 degree environment. Plan on dedicating 3-4 days total, from feeding the starter to final bake.
It really is a lovely advanced exercise in what environments you have at your disposal at home (I used a cool and rainy California winter day outside for the bulk ferment) as well as how in touch you are with your starter. The thoroughly enriched dough is a tricky one. Not a one time recipe; your fifth go around will be much better.
I agree with all that you are saying. You need to bake this bread a couple of times to get a hang of it. Great idea, by the way, to mix flour and butter before adding the other ingredients. I have to try that.