La Tartine Gourmande
April 2, 2007

Simplest Brioche — La plus simple des brioches

brioche French

La brioche

Wouldn’t it be nice, to have a Brioche Day every week, so that you never run out of it? A full day dedicated to baking and eating brioche. I would be so happy to mark this day on my calendar. Growing up, we used to have a Weekly Fish Day, every Friday, so why not a Brioche Day?

Brioche has to be my favorite viennoiserie, whether to bake or eat. There is so much pleasure associated to a homemade brioche. Think about the immense happiness that arises from biting into the sweet airy, moelleux bread which, after one slice, invites you to a second one. With me, however, it starts with the smell, that very one of yeast which ferments and diffuses its wonderful aroma in the whole house. As a kid, whenever my mum used to bake a brioche, I loved to hang out in the house, never going too far, but preferring to stick around only to be able to watch the steps involved in her making of the brioche. I would sneak in to smell it, every now and then, lifting the towel covering the dough discreetly so as to check the puffiness of the dough. I found this pretty fascinating actually. If I could have trapped the brioche fragrance in a jar which I could have opened at will only to inhale, I would have been a very happy girl.

Making Brioche

But although I love brioche, I do not make it as often as I wished. Because between you and me, for all of us who have already baked brioche, we know that it takes time. And, wouldn’t we all love to have more time at hand, to cook the subject of of our deepest fancies? Just like with any type of bread, a brioche requires attention.

And so instead of making only one brioche, I baked two. Let me explain, because there is a reason. I needed to have stale brioche for another baking project, and really, can brioche really ever get stale? Certainly not in our household! You will soon see what I am talking about, but in the meantime, I hope that you enjoy a piece of the simplest pleasure with the simplest brioche. Ce n’est vraiment pas compliqué ! (Not difficult at all!)

The Simplest Brioche (1 loaf, mold 10 ” long)

You need:

  • 8 3/4 oz (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 3/4 oz butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 dose dry baker’s yeast (1 Tbsp)
  • 2 Tbsp fine sugar
  • 1/3 cup warm milk
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 egg yolk for glaze

Steps:

  • In a bowl, mix the flour with the yeast, make a hole in the middle.
  • Add the warm milk mixing with the tip of your fingers (if using a stand mixer, pour the milk slowly and steadily while mixing, with the hook attachment.)
  • Add the sugar and a pinch of salt, then add the soft butter, piece after piece, waiting each time that each piece is asborbed.
  • Then one by one, add the eggs, mixing well between each. Work the dough until it is elastic and detaches from your fingers more easily (or from the bowl of the stand mixer).
  • Cover and let rest in a warm place, away from drafts, for two hours, until it doubles in size.
  • Work the dough again for 10 min and divide it in four balls. Place them in a greased rectangular mold and cover. Let rise for an hour again.
  • Preheat the oven at 400 F.
  • Brush the brioche with the egg yolk mixed with a dash of sugar. With a pair of scissors, make small cuts at the top of each ball.
  • Place in the oven to bake for 10 min then reduce the heat to 350 F and bake for about 20 to 30 min.
  • Remove, unmold and let cool on a rack.
Le coin français
Brioche des plus simples (1 rectangulaire de 26 cm)

Ingrédients :

  • 250 g de farine
  • 80 g de beurre mou
  • 2 gros oeufs
  • 1 sachet de levure du boulanger sèche (Briochin 5,5 g)
  • 2 càs de sucre fin
  • 80 ml de lait tiède
  • 1 pincée de sel
  • 1 jaune d’oeuf pour dorer la brioche

Étapes :

  • Dans un bol, mélangez la farine avec la levure de boulanger sèche et faites un puits au milieu.
  • Ajoutez doucement le lait tiède et mélangez du bout des doigts (si vous utilisez un mixeur à pied, versez le lait doucement et utilisez le crochet pour mixer.)
  • Ajoutez le sucre et une pincée de sel, puis le beurre mou coupé en morceaux. Attendez à chaque fois que le morceau précédent est bien mélangé avant d’ajouter le suivant.
  • Puis, un à un, ajoutez les oeufs. Mélangez jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit élastique et se détache facilement de vos doigts ou du bol du mixeur (environ 8 mns).
  • Couvrez avec un linge propre et laissez reposer dans un endroit chaud, à l’abri des courants d’air, pendant environ 2 heures, ou jusqu’à ce la pâte ait doublé de volume.
  • Travaillez à nouveau la pâte et divisez-la en quatre boules que vous façonnez avec la paume de vos mains. Placez-les dans un moule de 26 cm beurré, et couvrez pour laisser à nouveau lever (1 heure).
  • Préchauffez votre four à 200 C.
  • Badigeonnez la brioche avec un jaune d’oeuf battu avec un peu de sucre. Avec une paire de ciseaux, faites de petites entailles dans chaque boule.
  • Mettez au four pendant 10 min à 200 C, puis réduisez la temperature à 180 C pour poursuivre la cuisson pendant 20 à 30 min.
  • Retirez du four, et démoulez sur grille pour laisser refroidir.
Tagged as: Bread , Breakfast , Dessert , French Inspired
Save to del.icio.us

55 Comments »

The comments for this entry can be syndicated via RSS. You can trackback from your own site.

  1. Elle est très belle cette brioche, je croquerais bien dedans !

    Comment by bergeou — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 10:30 am

  2. Trés belle ta brioche!

    Comment by izou — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 10:55 am

  3. Stale brioche doesn’t sound possible, certainly not with only one loaf.
    Can’t wait to see if it was able to get stale! A pumpkin kitcheaid - what flare!!

    Comment by Tanna — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 11:06 am

  4. Très belle brioche et très simple en effet.
    Il faut que j’essaie pour voir si c’est meilleur que lorsque je laisse la map travailler toute seule (qui donne déjà un résultat plus sympathique que les brioches de supermarchés).
    Bonne journée !

    Comment by adeline — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 11:09 am

  5. Elle a l’air vraiment delicieuse

    Comment by Jess — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 11:11 am

  6. Comme d’habitude tes photos sont à tomber!!!!! C’est vrai qu’elle paraît simple à faire cette brioche…. Il va falloir que j’essaye!

    Comment by Clairechen — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 11:14 am

  7. Thanks Bea! I’ll have to try this soon

    Comment by Michel — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 11:36 am

  8. Ta brioche a l’air fluffy, il est vrai que sa preparation prends beaucoup de temps mais a la fin on est tellement content de l’avoir sur notre table qu’on oublie le reste. C’est drole Beatrice, je viens de me rendre compte que ton mari avait raison, tout est orange chez toi!!!! I

    Comment by Rose — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 12:11 pm

  9. I always thought I had to have those lovely little brioche tins to make brioche at home, and I am loathe to crowd my already over-stuffed cupboards with specialized equipment that rarely gets used. Thank you for providing me with a brioche recipe that can be made with what I already have!

    Comment by Sarah — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 1:35 pm

  10. I’ve never made brioche myself, but I’ve got a pretty KitchenAid, so I’m well equipped to make one:) (I remember Melissa’s post about brioche and her KitchenAid adventures)..

    Comment by Pille — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 1:55 pm

  11. I am really liking the simplicity of this recipe, such a beautiful loaf and the photos are fantastic as always!

    Comment by Laurie — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 1:58 pm

  12. This looks both lovely and deceptively simple - I’ll have to try your recipe over Easter.

    I should also tell you that I have been following your blog for a while, and have created a feed on Livejournal, which is now being watched by 4 people :) There is an option to comment on the feed directly, but I don’t think it has been used this far. If you’d like ot keep an eye on it, you can find the feed here: http://syndicated.livejournal.com/beaskitchenfeed/profile

    Thank you for sharing your joy of cooking, and your talent for making pretty photos.

    Comment by Ea — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 2:17 pm

  13. so yummy!

    Comment by leonine19 — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 2:21 pm

  14. I am all about Brioche day!!!

    Comment by peabody — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 3:49 pm

  15. I’m so jealous that you have a Kitchen Aid and even more jealous that you have delicious brioche :)

    Comment by Kat — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 5:17 pm

  16. My husband made the most wonderful brioche for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It was rich and luxurious, and we couldn’t stop eating it! Your recipe looks much simpler, and I’m going to share it with him.

    (By the way, saw your lovely photo and recipe in Edible Boston today. Congrats!)

    Comment by Lydia — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 5:36 pm

  17. Oooh, I see that you are back from your vacation and busy baking up a storm already. That’s wonderful as I missed your beautiful food pictures when you were gone. By the way, I bought a DSLR (gasp!) and haven’t figured out its full potential yet…for example, when I shoot in macro setting, the flash pops up when there is plenty of natural sunlight and the flash refuses to unpop-up? Anyway, glad that you are back and I look forward to more yummylicious baked goodness from you. :)

    Comment by Rasa Malaysia — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 7:30 pm

  18. Ooooh yes, there should definitely be a brioche day. And it would be my favorite day of every week. Actually, at work we only make brioche on saturdays, and that is my favorite day. Gorgeous photos!

    Comment by Natalia — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 8:33 pm

  19. C’est marrant ca. Quand j’ai fait mes pains au caramel, j’ai aussi fais une brioche simple. J’en mangerais tous les jours.
    J’adore l’idee d’un parfum a la brioche! Photos superbes!

    Comment by Helen — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 8:46 pm

  20. Hello! I’ve been reading your blog for a little while now and am only now delurking. The food is amazing and the pictures are lovely. I’d really like to try this recipe, but I’m wondering if it’s possible to do with your hands or a regular mixer? And if so, are there any special tips?

    Comment by Jelena — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 10:29 pm

  21. Béa, your brioche looks delightful. I too love the smell of leavening bread. That acidic tang holds so much promise. When will you be sharing your project for the second brioche with us?

    Comment by Rob — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 10:46 pm

  22. I bought brioche tins about twenty years ago and they still haven’t been used. Maybe some day! I’ve bookmarked your recipe just in case I get around to it. Yours does look tasty Bea.

    Comment by barbara — On April, 2nd, 2007 at 11:11 pm

  23. Hi Bea,
    Your brioche looks fabulous! I made some brioche a few weeks back and I am toying with the idea of making a chocolate variation soon… Love your pictures!!

    Comment by Li — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 12:31 am

  24. Cette brioche me semble bien bonne. Tes photos sont toujours autant magnifiques…

    Comment by Emy... — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 1:24 am

  25. Moi aussi j’adore la brioche … et quelle odeur divine que celle de la brioche qui cuit …

    Comment by Fabienne — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 1:38 am

  26. I’m trying to find a recipe for brioche with no sugar added. It can be purchased in France and is delicious toasted and served with foie gras. Could I simply use your recipe and leave out the sugar (and maybe add more salt)?

    Comment by Roanne — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 1:45 am

  27. Elle est superbe cette brioche et à l’air délicieuse !

    Comment by Ganesha — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 1:49 am

  28. Responses to come….

    Comment by Béa — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 6:32 am

  29. Le probleme, c’est le temps, sinon ce serait tous les jours brioche. Le parfum a la brioche, tu devrais le breveter :)

    Comment by Gracianne — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 6:50 am

  30. I love brioche and that’s why I am not willing to bake (or rather burn) it at 400 C!
    :-)

    Comment by Uli — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 7:21 am

  31. I’ve never made brioche before, but I used to think it was much harder than your recipe sounds, I will have to give this a try, I love it!

    Comment by Brilynn — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 11:09 am

  32. Merci Bergeou.

    Izou, merci aussi.

    Tanna, yes not possible, you are so right! ;-) Yes I think it is time to change my Kitchen Aid, don’t you think? Enough of orange.

    Adeline, ah oui, rien à voir avec la brioche de supermarché! ;-)

    Jess, merci.

    Clairechen, tiens-moi au courant si tu essaies. Au moment où j’écris ce message, il y en a une dans le four.

    Michel, hope you like it!

    Rose, yeah! Glad! A bigger one is easy as well.

    Pille, ahhah, good! So no excuse to not make it. You are well equipped to.

    Laurie, thank you, once more.

    Ea, thanks a lot for the note. I will definitely have a look at the link you added.

    Leonine, merci.

    Peabody, a neat idea, isn’t it?

    Kat, ahah, maybe it is time for you to get to the Kitchen Aid part.

    Lydia, oh nice. Hope your husband likes it. As I am writing I have one in the oven. ANd thanks for the congrats. I am pleased you got to get a copy of Edible Boston.

    Rasa Malaysia, congrats. I am sure you will have fun learning tons about your camera. If your flash pops open, that means you are in automatic mode. Switch to manual to control it.

    Natalia, thank you. I think you can petition for that day. I am sure we could find enough people.

    Helen, ah oui, moi aussi, c’est un plaisir simple mais si bon.

    Jelena, thank you for your visits and note today! Definitely, you can do this brioche by hand. What is required however is to work the dough much longer (good for the arms ;-)) I made it by hand in the past when I did not have a Kitchen Aid. DO not use a regular mixer however. Better by hand if you do not have a Kitchen Aid. Good luck!Hope you like it

    Rob,the second project is to come (already eaten for sure, ahahah!) Thanks for your visit, once more.

    Barbara, 20 years, wow, you are someone funny! I think time has come!

    Li, yes chocolate is a great idea, I bet. I want to see the result.

    Emy, merci.

    Fabienne, ah oui, tu as tout à fait raison. D’ailleurs, je sens jusqu’à mon bureau celle qui est en train de cuire à l’heure où j’écris.

    Roanne, I am sure you can, although the sugar adds to the dough rise as well. I do not think you need more salt. Try without sugar first to see. (although 2 Tbsp is not too much by any means)

    Ganesha, merci.

    Gracianne, ah oui, c’est comme tu le dis, c’est le temps.

    Uli, good for you.

    Brilynn, I hope you like it. Thank you!

    Comment by Béa — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm

  33. Une recette que je vais essayer, moi qui en fait tous les 3 jours pour mes gourmets

    Comment by Sophie — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 2:34 pm

  34. I made the brioche this morning (I had free time) and it was excellent! Half of it has been devoured already (not just by me though). I did make it with my hands and it was a slight workout, but it was fun too. Thank you for sharing this great recipe! I can’t wait to see what you do with the stale brioche.

    Comment by Jelena — On April, 3rd, 2007 at 7:37 pm

  35. I am always curious to see new brioche recipes. My brioche making has turned into a bit of a joke with my husband and I as I try to make it every week. (So yes, I completely endorse the brioche day idea). It’s also a joke because it always ends in frustration: In particular, my brioche never rises as much as I’d like, (though all my other breads do). I have been starting it Friday night, refridgerating it, and taking it out around 9am on Saturday–and it finally gets a bit of rise in the evening…any thoughts/hints? Is it all that butter weighing it down–I’m thinking the fridge is not a good idea, despite what many recipes say… Anyway, even a denser than desired brioche is still a brioche and therefore, quite yummy and worth the effort!

    Thanks for the great photos of New Zealand by the way. Breathtaking!

    Comment by Sara — On April, 4th, 2007 at 4:45 am

  36. Elle est MA-GNI-FI-QUE… et tellement simple à faire! Incroyable!!! Je la fait ce soir!

    Comment by Clairechen — On April, 4th, 2007 at 8:51 am

  37. Ma pâte ne lève pas…..?? as tu un conseil à me donner ?? MERCI

    Comment by CAT — On April, 6th, 2007 at 5:55 am

  38. Sophie, super, j’espère que tu vas aimer.

    Jelena, oh nice surprise. I am happy you liked it and yes great for you. By hand requires more work but is worth it.

    Sara, this brioche recipe definitely has less butter than other recipes I have played with. I have not tried with the fridge as a matter of fact. my dough always rise by warmer source of heat. And glad to hear you enjoyed the NZ pics.

    Super Claire

    CAT, hmmm, as-tu assez travaillé la pâte? A la main? Au mixeur? J’espère que tu n’as pas utilisé un robot. A défaut de robot à crochet, il vaut mieux travailler la pâte à la main, mais plus longtemps. Aussi, le lai t ne doit pas être trop chaud. Enfin, faire monter la pâte dans un endroit avec un température de 20 C minimum. J’espère que cela aidera. Bonne chance !

    Comment by Béa — On April, 6th, 2007 at 8:15 am

  39. I’ve always wanted to make brioche and your beautiful pictures have convinced me to finally give it a go. Thanks!

    Comment by Amy — On April, 7th, 2007 at 8:27 pm

  40. so great to see it~ yummy!

    Comment by YOYO — On April, 7th, 2007 at 9:34 pm

  41. Visiting from the bread pudding page - of course I’ll give it a try. Once made an “Americanized” recipe for a picnic to Bath County (visiting the Jefferson Baths - oh, life is good!). One woman was from France and she turned up her nose when I said our bread was brioche! Ha! …but how brave of me, hehe.

    Comment by Patois — On April, 9th, 2007 at 6:59 am

  42. I maked this recipe and was awsome .Delicius !!!

    Comment by Sylvia — On April, 14th, 2007 at 7:10 am

  43. [...] behind bread pudding. “I actually did not use bread,” I said smiling. “I used a homemade brioche [...]

    Pingback by Berry Brioche Puddings — Puddings de brioche perdue aux fruits rouges by La Tartine Gourmande — On April, 26th, 2007 at 7:43 am

  44. Ca y est, j’ai testé ta brioche… elle est extra ! Un bonheur pour les papilles ! L’article et les photos seront sur mon blog le 08 mai, ah la programmation ! Merci pour cette recette…

    Comment by LSgirl67 — On May, 3rd, 2007 at 3:51 pm

  45. Finalement la recette est en ligne aujourd’hui !

    Comment by LSgirl67 — On May, 7th, 2007 at 4:11 am

  46. Hi,
    I tried making brioche today evening, and it turned out absolutely gorgeous! The lone loaf got demolished within minutes between us 3 flatmates.
    Some observations, I used 1 full egg and only the white of the second one, saving the yolk for the glaze. I also needed to use extra flour since the dough went crazy sticking to my hand.
    I am a novice baker, and it would greatly help if you could provide some intermediate pics or some visual cues of what the dough should like between stages. I understand that’s difficult though…
    All said, the final loaf was a beaut! Uniform light crumb, rich taste with a slightly crisp eggy top… it made my day!
    Thanks very much!

    Comment by Gauri — On May, 31st, 2007 at 2:16 am

  47. This was very easy. It was my first time making brioche so this is definitely a good first-timer recipe to use. The egg yolk glaze is a must to for a nice browned, crisp crust.

    I had to add about 1/2 cup more of flour, as the two eggs made the batter very wet and not like dough at all.

    Overall, this was easy, but not the best-tasting brioche. The bread had a different flavor than I am used to compared to bakery-bought brioche. Would make again with slight reservations.

    Comment by Chris — On July, 28th, 2007 at 12:49 pm

  48. Wonderful recipe. Very easy to follow. Perfect results the first time! See my photos here:
    http://dwmgraphics.com/2007/10/brioche-day.html
    Love your blog/site/photos. Thanks!

    Comment by Deb — On October, 3rd, 2007 at 4:52 pm

  49. Hi, I am just trying out this recipe, and the dough does not look as smooth as in your pictures. It still is somewhat sticky. Does this mean there is too much liquid in the dough still? Should I add a bit of flour prior to baking? Thank you!

    Comment by Loic — On December, 28th, 2007 at 2:33 pm

  50. [...] Filed under: Uncategorized — Julie @ 7:32 pm I got this recipe from La Tartine Gourmande, and it was really, really easy.  I only have one picture I took, but there are a ton on the link [...]

    Pingback by Easy Brioche « Julie Cooks! — On January, 1st, 2008 at 2:32 pm

  51. [...] puddings ; inspired but adapted from an idea by Julie Le Clerc)You need: 4 slices of stale homemade brioche 1 cup milk 2 large eggs 1/4 cup fine sugar 4 Tbsp heavy cream 4 Tbsp melted butter 1 tsp vanilla [...]

    Pingback by Forever I Do’s by Kim Wedding Blog — On February, 1st, 2008 at 6:34 pm

  52. Hi. I am making your recipe right now. Are you sure the amount of flour is correct? 1 2/3 c? The dough seems very wet (1/3 cup milk, 2 eggs, almost a stick of butter). I hope this turns out. Sorry, I don’t know how to write French :(

    Comment by sygyzy — On February, 2nd, 2008 at 1:05 am

  53. Hello sygyzy,

    Yes the proportions are right. If you can weigh the ingredients, it should help you be more accurate too. Hope it turns out nice. Also, the dough needs to be worked enough that it becomes elastic. So first it is wet, then it changes as you work the dough.

    Comment by Béa — On February, 2nd, 2008 at 5:58 am

  54. This is a great blog…I am in the process of delving into wedding planning and all the research is starting to pay off. I enjoy reading articles and blogs like this it is heartwarming. I am planning a christmas wedding 2008 and I love all the ideas.
    http://navillus99.blogspot.com

    Comment by Navillus99 — On February, 15th, 2008 at 12:27 am

  55. mistake:

    “Place in the oven to bake for 10 min at 400 C, then reduce the heat to 350 F and bake for about 20 to 30 min.”

    I think you mean 400F.

    Comment by gary — On February, 26th, 2008 at 11:01 am

Leave a comment

Copyright © 2005 - 2008 by Béatrice Peltre. All rights reserved. Photo licensing info.