Overnight Brioche
This process relies on a long, cold fermentation to build strength in the dough and develop flavor before shaping. You mix the enriched dough, let it double in a warm spot, and then park it in the refrigerator overnight. This slows the yeast, firms the butter, and makes the high-fat dough manageable for shaping into loaves or rolls the next morning.
Cold dough is your best friend.
Brioche is heavy with butter; if the dough gets warm during shaping, the butter will leak and the structure will collapse. Keep it chilled until the very last second.
- stand mixer with dough hook
- digital scale
- two 9x5 inch loaf pans
- plastic wrap or airtight proofing bags
What goes in.
- 500gbread flour
- 60ggranulated sugar
- 10gfine sea salt
- 10ginstant yeast
- 200geggs (room temperature, roughly 4 large)
- 80mlwhole milk
- 250gunsalted butter, cubed and slightly softened
Slow and steady enrichment
Do not add the butter until the flour, liquid, and yeast have formed a cohesive, elastic windowpane. Add the cubes one at a time, waiting for the mixer to pull the fat into the dough completely before adding the next piece.
The method.
Mix the base
Combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast, eggs, and milk in the mixer. Knead on low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Incorporate butter
Add the butter cubes one by one on medium speed. Continue kneading for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, shiny, and pulls cleanly away from the bowl.
Initial proof
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 90 minutes until noticeably puffy.
Cold retard
Transfer the covered bowl to the refrigerator. Leave it for at least 12 hours. The cold temperature stabilizes the fats.
Shape
Punch the dough down on a lightly floured surface. Divide and shape into loaves or rolls while still cold and firm.
Final proof and bake
Let the shaped dough rise in a warm spot for 2 hours. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375°F (190°C) until deep mahogany, usually 25-30 minutes.
Other turns to take.
Brioche à Tête
Divide the dough into balls and place into individual brioche molds, pinching a smaller ball of dough on top.
Chocolate Studded
Fold 150g of dark chocolate batons into the dough just before the final shaping phase.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use a scale; brioche is too sensitive to measure by volume.
If the dough feels greasy or tears during kneading, stop and chill it for 20 minutes before continuing.
A dark brown crust is essential for brioche—do not pull it from the oven too early.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I skip the overnight fridge time?
The refrigeration is what makes the dough firm enough to shape. Without it, the high butter content makes the dough a sticky mess that won't hold its form.
Why is my dough so sticky?
Brioche is naturally tacky. Use as little extra flour as possible to prevent a dry crumb. If it sticks to your hands, lightly grease them with butter instead of flour.