Sourdough Brioche

5 from 7 votes

Make this classic French bread in your home kitchen! Buttery, rich with a pillowy, tender crumb, this Sourdough Brioche is the tastiest sandwich bread you’ll ever have. In this recipe, I’ll share how you can make fluffy, soft brioche using your sourdough starter with no commercial yeast.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time21 10

Course: Breakfast, Sides

Cuisine: French

Servings: slices

Calories: 216kcal

Author: Hannah Dela Cruz

Equipment

8 by 4 inch loaf pan
pastry brush

Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Starter

60 grams all-purpose flour
42 grams water
14 grams cane sugar
14 grams sourdough starter mature and active

Brioche Dough

75 grams whole milk
3 eggs large
30 grams cane sugar
300 grams bread flour
6 grams salt
113 grams unsalted butter softened and cold

Egg Wash

1 egg large

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Make the sweet stiff starter: The night before, combine sweet stiff starter ingredients together. Stir until well combined, cover with a piece of plastic wrap and set in a warm place.
60 grams all-purpose flour, 42 grams water, 14 grams cane sugar, 14 grams sourdough starter
Make the dough: Whisk together the milk, eggs and cane sugar until completely incorporated.
75 grams whole milk, 3 eggs, 30 grams cane sugar
Stir in the bread flour, salt and all of the sweet stiff starter. Mix until the dough comes together in a cohesive mass.
300 grams bread flour, 6 grams salt
Add the butter: Knead the butter into the dough, one tablespoon at a time. Your dough will feel less greasy as the butter soaks into the dough. Wait until each addition is incorporated completely before adding more.
113 grams unsalted butter
Strengthen the dough: Turn the dough out on a lightly-oiled work surface. Complete a set of slap and folds, to do this pick the dough up with your fingertips, slap it on your work surface with some force and fold it over itself.
Repeat this process 5 to 6 times, until the dough begins to feel tighter. Gather the dough into a tight ball and transfer it into a clean, lightly-oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place.
Complete 3 to 4 sets of slap and folds in 30-minute intervals, until your dough passes the windowpane test. (You don’t need to replace the bowl every time).
Bulk Fermention: Let the dough rise until it has doubled in volume. The dough should look bubbly and feel like it is full of air. This could take between 6 to 8 hours. Give your dough enough time to rise and do not shape it until it has risen noticeably.
Shape the dough: Grease an 8 by 4-inch loaf tin with butter, or line it with parchment paper. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces using a bench scraper. Round each into a tight ball. Place each dough ball into your prepared pan.
Cold proof: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. You should see your dough rise slowly in the refrigerator.
Prep: The next day, preheat the oven to 350 F. Beat the egg until no traces of egg white remain.
If your dough has not risen, set it out and let it rise at room temperature until it is about ¼-inch from the top of the pan.
1 egg
Bake: Brush the tops of the dough with egg wash. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown.
Enjoy and store: Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Store leftover slices in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

When in doubt, use gram over volume measures
If you're uncomfortable with handling wet dough, use a stand mixer instead of making this dough by hand
Use a mature active starter before making this recipe

Nutrition