This classic French bread is rich and slightly sweet, with a soft, golden crust and a yellow, buttery, cakey crumb. It is widely eaten in France – with coffee for breakfast, as a roll with dinner, or as a base for any number of desserts. At River Cottage, we like to toast brioche and serve it with a smooth chicken liver pâté and a little fruit jelly. Contrary to popular belief, as bread goes, brioche is pretty straightforward. The dough is very soft to handle though, so kneading in a stand mixer is easier. You can make and bake brioche all in one day, but it benefits from sitting overnight in the fridge – the very soft dough stiffens as it chills, making it easier to shape.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 small loaves

　　3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (14.1 ounces/400g) white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

　　1 1/2 teaspoons (0.18 ounce/5g) instant yeast

　　2 teaspoons (0.35 ounce/10g) fine salt

　　6 tablespoons warm milk

　　2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28g) superfine sugar

　　

To Glaze

1 medium free-range egg

　　2 tablespoons milk

　　

Step 1

To knead by hand: Mix together all the dough ingredients in a large bowl to form a dough. Knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth and shiny.

　　

Step 2

Or, to use a stand mixer: Fit the dough hook and add all the dough ingredients to the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until combined and mix for about 10 minutes, until smooth and shiny.

　　

Step 3

Shape the dough into a round, place in a bowl, and cover tightly. Leave in the fridge overnight.

　　

Step 4

The next day, divide the dough into 2 pieces and form into the shape of your choice. Lightly flour the loaves, lay them on a wooden board or linen cloth, and cover with a plastic bag. Leave them somewhere nice and warm to proof until almost doubled in size; this could take 3 or 4 hours, as the dough is cold.

　　

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 400°F. For the glaze, beat the egg and milk together. Transfer the risen loaves to a baking sheet and brush all over with the glaze. Bake for about 10 minutes, then lower the oven setting to 350°F and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 500.0 calories

　　120.0 calories from fat

　　13.0g total fat

　　11.0g saturated fat

　　5.0mg cholesterol

　　5130.0mg sodium

　　87.0g total carbs

　　1.0g dietary fiber

　　55.0g sugars

　　9.0g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　The River Cottage Bread Handbook by Daniel Stevens.As well as baking fresh bread every day in the River Cottage headquarter kitchens, Daniel Stevens leads the ever-popular Build and Bake courses, which equip students with the skills to build their own outdoor wood-fired oven. Daniel has been cooking and baking in professional kitchens for several years, both in Hertfordshire, where he grew up, and more recently in Dorset, where he now lives. He has been part of the River Cottage headquarters kitchen team since 2006.