Braided Brioche Bread: Soft and Fragrant for a Delicious Snack!

Brioche is a French type of bread enriched with eggs and butter. It can be enjoyed in both savory and sweet dishes, but for this recipe, we decided to make sweet braided brioches. To make the brioche, you will need flour, egg yolks, milk, butter, sugar, and fresh yeast. If you can’t find fresh yeast in a store near you, don’t worry, you can use dried yeast as well. Once the dough is formed, it’s left to rise, then braided. The brioche braids are brushed with an egg wash (which gives it that beautiful gold color), and then sprinkled with sugar (which gives it a crunch). The buns can be enjoyed on their own, or with a delicious fruit or chocolate spread.

Tips

If you don’t have fresh yeast, you can use dried yeast. Use half the quantity specified for the fresh yeast.

Make sure that the yeast you use is still active and not expired. The yeast mixture should become foamy after about 10 minutes. If not, the yeast might have expired.

Use all-purpose flour, or if you prefer more gluten development, use bread flour. The brioche buns will be chewier.

Don’t skip the butter and milk (and don’t opt for low-fat varieties), it enriches the dough and adds more flavor.

An egg wash gives the milk brioche a shiny crust, so don’t skip this step.

How to Store Braided Brioche Buns

Do not store the brioche buns in the fridge. Instead, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (or place it in an airtight container) and keep it for up to 3 days. You can also store individually wrapped buns in the freezer for up to 3 months, Allow them to thaw at room temperature before reheating them in the oven.

How To Make Braided Brioche Bread

In a large bowl whisk together the warm milk, egg yolks, and sugar.

Use your fingers to crumble in the yeast. Whisk to combine.

Pour the liquid mixture into a bowl of sifted flour.

Start mixing the ingredients with a fork, then continue to knead until a dough forms.

Add softened butter and knead the dough for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

Cover and set the dough aside for 1 hour, then punch out excess air.

Cut the dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Set the balls aside for 15 minutes.

Form each ball into a rope around 20 cm/8 inches long. Braid 3 ropes together to form a braid, and pinch both ends of the braid together well. Repeat with other balls.

When all of the braids are formed, transfer them onto a prepared baking sheet and set aside for 30 minutes.

Brush the braids with egg wash and sprinkle generously with white granulated sugar.

Bake at 190°C/370°F for 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Enjoy!