No-Knead Brioche Recipe
Brioche is a wonderful bread — rich, fragrant and versatile. But classic recipes are complicated, often starting a day or two ahead and involving a pre-ferment, a long, two-part mixing/kneading session, and an overnight in the refrigerator.
It turns out all that fuss isn’t really necessary. We have developed a dough that works beautifully with the stretch-and-fold technique. This technique is fast and easy, and it preserves more of the flour’s natural flavor, so the brioche tastes great without the need for a pre-ferment or refrigerator time. It’s easy enough for beginners and is ready in just a few hours, but tastes like it was fussed over for days.
Brioche is delicious served for breakfast with butter and good jam, makes terrific grilled cheese or sandwiches, and can even be fashioned into gourmet hamburger buns. Enjoy!
Yield: One loaf, 8 x 4” / 20 x 10 cm.
Timing: Start this bread about 4 hours before serving.
Ingredients
Ingredient | U.S. Volume | U.S. Weight | Metric | Bakers % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Milk, cold | ½ C + 1 tsp | 4.4 oz | 125 g / 123 ml | 50% |
Instant yeast | 1½ tsp | 0.18 oz | 5 g | 2.0% |
Egg, cold | 1 large | 1.8 oz | 50 g | 20% |
Unsalted butter, cold | 3½ T | 1.8 oz | 50 g | 20% |
Bread flour | 1½ C + 2 T* | 8.8 oz | 250 g | 100% |
Salt, fine | ¾ tsp | 0.16 oz | 4.5 g | 1.6% |
Sugar | 2 T | 0.9 oz | 25 g | 10% |
Additional egg, for glaze | 1 T | 0.5 oz | 15 g |
*Measure by dipping the cup into a container of flour, then removing the excess with the flat side of a knife.
Equipment: Folding Proofer, bread pan 8 x 4” / 20 x 10 cm.
Get ready. Set the Proofer to 85 °F / 30 °C and fill the water tray half full with water. Put the cold milk, yeast and egg into a container and stir, then add the cold butter. Set the mixture in the Proofer to warm for an hour. Grease the pan with shortening or butter and lightly coat it with flour.
Mix the ingredients. Add the flour, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Stir the milk mixture again to disperse the yeast and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough is uniform, with no dry flour or butter lumps.
Rise and fold the dough. Put the dough in the Proofer to rise. During the first 30 minutes that the dough is in the Proofer, give it three folding sessions. To fold, scrape a section of dough from the side of the bowl, lift it, and fold it to the center. Do this eight times for each folding session, rotating the bowl to work all of the dough evenly.
After the three folding sessions, allow the dough to rise undisturbed until it has doubled (reached a volume of about 4 C / 1 liter ) in 30 minutes more. Total rise time for the first rise is 60 minutes.
Shape the dough. When the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and deflate it by gently pressing it down and forming a rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into three pieces (about 5.8 oz / 165 g each).
Shape each piece into a ball. To do this, gently stretch each side of the piece and fold to the center. After four stretch and folds, the dough should resemble a square. Next, stretch and fold the corners of the dough until a round shape is formed, being careful not to tear the dough. Turn the ball seam side down and allow it to rest while shaping the other two pieces of dough. Arrange the three rounds seam side down in the prepared bread pan.
Proof the bread. Place the loaf in the Proofer and allow it to rise for about one hour. In most pans, the loaf will rise a little higher than the rim of the pan. The loaf is ready to bake when a finger poked gently into the side of the dough makes an indent that springs back slowly.
Preheat the oven. While the loaf is proofing, preheat the oven to 350 °F / 175 °C, and lightly beat the egg for the glaze.
Bake the brioche. When the brioche has finished proofing, brush the top with the beaten egg and bake until nicely browned, about 25 minutes. If you are taking the internal temperature, it should read at least 190 °F / 88 °C. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Loosen the sides of the loaf by running a table knife around the edge of the pan, then unmold the brioche and finish cooling on a rack.
Alternative Shapes
Brioche Dinner Rolls
To make dinner rolls, follow the recipe as written above until it comes time to shape the dough. When the dough has finished its first rise, turn it onto a lightly floured counter and deflate it by pressing it into a rectangle. Divide the dough into seven pieces (about 2.5oz / 71g each). Shape each piece into a ball, folding the seams underneath to make a smooth dome. Arrange the rounds in a greased 8" or 9" cake pan (line with parchment for easier removal). Proof, egg wash, and bake according to the recipe, adjusting the baking time to 18-20 minutes total.
Braided Brioche
To make a braided brioche, follow the recipe as written above until it comes time to shape the dough. When the dough has finished its first rise, deflate it by pressing it into a rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into three long pieces (about 5.8 oz / 165 g each). Flatten each long piece and roll into a cylinder, pinching the seam to seal.
Press the three pieces together at one end, then braid by bringing alternate outside pieces to the center. Press the ends together at the end of the braid to seal, then arrange in the bread pan. Proof, glaze and bake according to the recipe, above.
Brioche Buns
To make brioche buns, follow the recipe as written above until it comes time to shape the dough. When the dough has finished its first rise, deflate it by pressing it into a rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into four pieces (about 4.4 oz / 124 g each). Roll each piece into a ball, folding the seams underneath to make a smooth dome. Arrange on a baking sheet, leaving space between the rolls for rising. Proof, glaze and bake according to the recipe, above.
The slight sweetness of brioche buns makes them ideal for meaty sandwiches. Try them with burgers, pulled pork, slow cooked pork al pastor, or slow cooked balsamic chicken (shown right).
Leave a comment
14 comments
On your facebook page it says “small loaves”… this seems to be a full size loaf recipe and pan. Am I wrong? Thanks:)
Yes, you are correct. The loaves in the photograph on Facebook were made using our No-Knead Brioche recipe but the dough was divided to make smaller loaves. The mini-sized bread pans vary in size depending on which brand you own, but generally a single No-Knead Brioche loaf recipe will make 3 to 4 mini loaves. Best of luck with your baking and thank you for your interest!
Would this be the same if I used AP flour instead of Bread flour?
Rak, Thank you for your interest and a good question. No the bread would be different. Bread flour usually is about 12.7% protein, while all-purpose is at about 11.7%. Protein indicates the amount of gluten available in the flour. Gluten is the substance that develops when the protein, which occurs naturally in wheat flour, is combined with liquid. The texture of your bread would not be the same as if you were following our recipe. It may be a successful loaf, however, but just different. All the best to you and please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
I just received my folding proofer. I chose this recipe to try as my first attempt at using the proofer. Your instructions are amazing. I love the ingredients table with the various units of measure. I believe the Brioche came out perfect. Thank you!! My family greatly enjoyed your brioche recipe. I meant for it to be served with dinner. It did not last that long. After it cooled, I asked my husband and son to taste test it before dinner. They devoured it. Apparently, the brioche was so good, my husband is convinced that I am a baker. He is requesting (actually demanding) cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
Marie, We are delighted to hear of your success and hope you do try our cinnamon roll recipe. It is absolutely wonderful. The glaze is not too sweet. All the best to you baking and thank you for taking time to send us a note.
Instructions for shaping into buns for hot dogs and burgers?
Araceli, Using this recipe you would shape the dough according to the size and shape of rolls or buns you prefer during the “Shape the Dough” stage of the recipe, which is just prior to the final proof. Some bakers use a muffin tin to make equally sized and shaped rolls and many people just divide the dough by weight equally and then shape dough into a ball or a longer hot dog bun shape. Be sure to consider that during the final rise there will be doubling in size of your dough. Flat quarter sheet size pans fit easily into the Proofer, if you are shaping them free-form. You can complete the final rise on the quarter sheet pans. The Proofer will hold 2 shelves if you have our Shelf-Kit Accessory. All the best to you in baking. This is a very versatile recipe for making many shapes with your dough.
They turned out great! I divided the dough into eight pieces, about 64 grams each. They rose beautifully in the oven and had a tender crumb and classic brioche flavor.
Wonderful, Araceli! Congratulations on your success and may you enjoy many more new challenges and techniques.
Any recommendations if I want to double this recipe?
Alli – There are no special recommendations for doubling the recipe. Follow the recipe as written, and you should be all set.
You were right—doubling the recipe turned out perfectly! I let it warm a little longer in step one since there was more butter, but no other modifications. Most spot on loaves I’ve ever made. Thanks!
Alli – That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for letting us know!