This plush, moist, and tasty brioche bread made with an active sourdough starter is exactly the kind of sourdough recipe you were looking for. Perfect for breakfast, coupled with melted butter and your favorite warm beverage. Each enticing bite making you feel all warm and gooey inside. And here’s how to make it!
Table of Contents
- What is a Brioche?
- How to Make Sourdough Brioche
- Tips for the Best Sourdough Brioche
- How to Store Sourdough Brioche
- How to Eat Sourdough Brioche
- Brioche Anyone?
- Sourdough Brioche Bread FAQs
Sourdough Brioche Bread Recipe
Try this brilliant no-knead sourdough brioche loaf recipe and you won’t be disappointed!
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Ingredients
- 370g All Purpose Flour or Bread flour
- 36g Sugar
- 7g Salt
- 60ml Room Temperature Milk
- 110g Melted Butter
- 3 Eggs
- 120g Sourdough Starter
- 1 Egg Yolk for Egg Wash
Instructions
- Feed it 6 to 10 hours before you plan to start making the dough. The starter should double in volume, produce lots of bubbles, and successfully pass the float test for this recipe. Note that your starter needs to be at 100% hydration for this recipe.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then add room temperature milk, butter, eggs and sourdough starter. Mix until the dough has formed, with no dry spots remaining. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rise on your kitchen counter for 4 hours. Then perform a set of stretches and folds every 30 minutes. Since this is a high hydration dough, it will cling to your fingers, and feel sticky to work with. You can easily fix this by wetting your hands before handling the brioche dough to make it easier for you to work with. Always cover the dough after performing a set of stretches and folds, before placing it into the fridge.
- Cover the brioche dough well, to avoid it developing a dry layer. You can cold ferment your dough for 16 to 24 hours, or 48 hours depending on your personal preference. The longer it is cold fermented the more distinct the final taste will be.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for one hour.
- Transfer your brioche dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, shaping each piece. Fold the dough over itself until you achieve a tight ball, then arrange the shaped dough into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Let the dough rise for an additional 2 to 4 hours, and remember to cover it loosely with plastic wrap, leaving it in a warm spot. Once the dough is ready it will increase to almost twice its primary size, feeling soft and light to the touch. Take care not to proof your dough, otherwise, you will risk the dough collapsing when baking.
- Preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking. In a small bowl, separate one egg yolk for the egg wash. Using a cooking brush, lightly coat the sourdough brioche dough with the egg wash before baking.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the brioche has developed a wonderful golden brown shade, and reaches an internal temperature of 190°F. If it begins to brown at the top too soon, or too much, cover the loaf with aluminum foil and continue to bake.
- Remove the sourdough brioche loaf from the loaf pan, and let it cool on a cooling rack. Don’t slice the loaf until it has cooled completely for at least one hour, as slicing too soon can create a gummy and slightly unbaked texture.
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: bread
What is a Brioche?
A brioche is an enriched bread, made using plenty of milk, eggs and butter. Brioche bread provides a flavorful outcome, compared to regular bread made with salt, water, yeast and flour.
These ingredients give the brioche loaf a soft crumb, which is incredibly tender and very tasty. So imagine what you could create when you add a sourdough starter to this recipe!
How to Make Sourdough Brioche
Are you ready to get your hands messy? Try this brilliant no-knead sourdough brioche loaf recipe and you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients
- 370g All Purpose Flour or Bread flour
- 36g Sugar
- 7g Salt
- 60ml Room Temperature Milk
- 110g Melted Butter
- 3 Eggs
- 120g Sourdough Starter
- 1 Egg Yolk for Egg Wash
Instructions
- Feed Your Starter: Feed it 6 to 10 hours before you plan to start making the dough. The starter should double in volume, produce lots of bubbles, and successfully pass the float test for this recipe. Note that your starter needs to be at 100% hydration for this recipe.
- Mix the Dough Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then add room temperature milk, butter, eggs and sourdough starter. Mix until the dough has formed, with no dry spots remaining. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
- Bulk Fermentation: Let the dough rise on your kitchen counter for 4 hours. Then perform a set of stretches and folds every 30 minutes. Since this is a high hydration dough, it will cling to your fingers, and feel sticky to work with. You can easily fix this by wetting your hands before handling the brioche dough to make it easier for you to work with. Always cover the dough after performing a set of stretches and folds, before placing it into the fridge.
- Cold Fermentation: Cover the brioche dough well, to avoid it developing a dry layer. You can cold ferment your dough for 16 to 24 hours, or 48 hours depending on your personal preference. The longer it is cold fermented the more distinct the final taste will be.
- Room Temperature: Remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for one hour.
- Divide and Shape: Transfer your brioche dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, shaping each piece. Fold the dough over itself until you achieve a tight ball, then arrange the shaped dough into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Proofing: Let the dough rise for an additional 2 to 4 hours, and remember to cover it loosely with plastic wrap, leaving it in a warm spot. Once the dough is ready it will increase to almost twice its primary size, feeling soft and light to the touch. Take care not to proof your dough, otherwise, you will risk the dough collapsing when baking.
- Preheating: Preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking. In a small bowl, separate one egg yolk for the egg wash. Using a cooking brush, lightly coat the sourdough brioche dough with the egg wash before baking.
- Baking: Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the brioche has developed a wonderful golden brown shade, and reaches an internal temperature of 190°F. If it begins to brown at the top too soon, or too much, cover the loaf with aluminum foil and continue to bake.
- Cooling: Remove the sourdough brioche loaf from the loaf pan, and let it cool on a cooling rack. Don’t slice the loaf until it has cooled completely for at least one hour, as slicing too soon can create a gummy and slightly unbaked texture.
Baking Schedule
A baking schedule should work for you and your sourdough starter, as every starter is different.
Here’s what typically works for me when I plan to make any kind of sourdough bread.
Day 1
- 12 PM: Feed your starter
- 6 PM: Make the dough
- From 6 PM – 10 PM: Bulk ferment, then stretch and fold
- 10 PM: Cold Ferment for 16 hours
Day 2
- 2 PM: Let the dough rest for 1 hour at room temperature
- 3 PM: Shape and proof
- 5 PM: Time to bake!
Tips for the Best Sourdough Brioche
To achieve a successful bake – as you would with all of your sourdough recipes – here are some useful tips to ensure a brilliant sourdough brioche bread.
- When baking bread, it’s important to ensure that your ingredients are at room temperature, especially when you intend to bake a sourdough recipe. Cold ingredients can slow down fermentation, and inactivate your starter.
- Your butter should be melted and lukewarm, not hot! Let it rest for a few minutes, before adding it to the rest of your ingredients.
- Use a starter that has been fed with an equal amount of flour and water.
- Let your dough rest in warm spots, as cold spots will slow down fermentation, meaning that your recipe will take longer than you intended. Examples of warm spots include: Near a heater, the top of your fridge, or close to the stove.
- Waiting for your brioche loaf to cool down completely before slicing, makes a huge difference to the final texture and flavor.
- Make sure that your starter is active and bubbly before making the dough, as an inactive starter can risk compromising this sourdough brioche bread recipe.
How to Store Sourdough Brioche
A brioche loaf normally remains fresh for 24 hours when stored in an airtight container, at room temperature. For your sourdough brioche loaf to remain fresh for up to one week, store the loaf in an airtight container, and consume within the next 3 to 5 days.
You can also freeze sourdough brioche for 2 months. Before freezing, ensure that your loaf has cooled completely, then wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or a freezer-safe bag (push all the air out) before sealing and placing it in your freezer.
How to Eat Sourdough Brioche
This brioche loaf can be eaten in any way you wish. Simply coat a glob of butter over a slice of sourdough brioche, and enjoy with a cup of hot cocoa.
If you want to delight your taste buds further then how about a brioche cinnamon toast? Slather the bread with butter, and sprinkle some brown sugar, and cinnamon powder, and brace yourself before taking a bite, because you will certainly enter the gates of heaven.
If you happen to have any leftovers, you can turn the brioche slices into French toast, trust me when I say that brioche French toast for breakfast is absolutely phenomenal!
Brioche Anyone?
Now that you know of the incredible results you can achieve from baking this bread, I’m sure you’re eager to get your hands messy when handling this sticky dough.
Remember that melted butter, and warm milk is greatly appreciated in this sourdough brioche recipe!
For other sweet sourdough recipes:
Sourdough Brioche Bread FAQs
Can Brioche be Made From a Sourdough Starter?
You can definitely use a regular starter to make brioche, as long as it is fed, active, and bubbly.
Is Sourdough Brioche Sour?
When using a sourdough starter with a shorter fermentation time in your sourdough brioche recipe, you’ll find that the results are mild-tangy and not too sour.
What Makes Brioche Different to Most Breads?
Brioche is unlike most breads, in the sense that it is made with an enriched dough, and tastes a little sweeter.
What is Brioche Best for?
Brioche is enjoyed globally as a delicious substitute for normal bread. You can use brioche to make French toast, sandwiches and more.
