Just like many of you, I'm not a big fan of the strong sourdough tang in sweet breads. That's why I'm thrilled to share my sourdough brioche bread recipe! It's a delightful twist on the classic, with a milder flavor and less richness. Perfect for those who crave a softer, subtler taste in their brioche. Trust me, once you try this version, you'll be hooked!
Imagine a bread that's as versatile as it is delicious, and you've got sourdough brioche!
Whether it's for a next day brunch or making it into French toast when it dries a bit, this sourdough brioche recipe fits perfectly into a family kitchen flow. And you can make it into tons of different shapes!
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Ingredients
- Sweet stif starter (active and bubbly): makes the dough rise and ferment, without bringing any tang to the sweetness of brioche bread. Since this is not something you probably do on a regular basis, I included the recipe for making a sweet stiff starter from your own sourdough starter in the recipe card! But basically, you prepare your starter as usual, then mix in sugar (20% of the flour amount).
- Bread flour and all-purpose flour: these flours combine for the perfect balance, ensuring a tender crumb and supporting the structure of our enriched dough.
- Sugar: to sweeten our brioche and to help the yeast in the starter raise the bread quickly, so it does not get that distinct sourdough taste.
- Milk: adds moisture and softness, crucial for that melt-in-your-mouth effect we love in brioche.
- Salt: you always need a pinch of real salt to enhance all the flavors in our bread.
- Eggs: to enrich the dough, contributing to the tender texture. Plus, one egg yolk extra for egg wash.
- Butter: the key to a soft, luxurious texture. Make sure to use room temperature butter, so it mixes into the dough seamlessly.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Sourdough Brioche Bread
STEP 1: The night before, make a sweet stiff starter to encourage wild yeast growth (recipe in the recipe card below). This step is crucial for making this recipe, as it affects the rising times and makes this brioche tang-free.
STEP 2: To make the dough, combine your sugar, milk, salt, eggs, butter, and the bubbly sourdough starter in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Use the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed. Add both flours and mix some more. Expect a sticky dough – knead for 20-30 minutes. Resist the temptation to add excess flour; just enough to form a tight ball.
STEP 3: For bulk fermentation, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let it rest in a warm spot. It should nearly double in size and last about 5 hours. This first rise is crucial for developing flavors and texture, so don't rush it!
STEP 4: After bulk fermentation is done, transfer the dough into the fridge. The purpose of this is to ensure the dough is cold and hard because it will shape better this way. I usually leave it in for about 1-2 hours. But don't leave it in the fridge for too long, or it will start to become tangy, and we want to avoid that (or at least I do!).
STEP 5: Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and divide it into 16 equal pieces. The easiest way to do this is with a dough scraper, but a sharp knife works too. Let these small pieces of dough rest briefly for easier handling.
STEP 6: For the second rise, place the dough balls in parchment paper-lined loaf pans (or coat your loaf pan with butter or oil. Allow them to rise in a warm place until they're puffy - this should take about 3 hours at room temperature.
STEP 7: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush the bread with egg wash for that nice golden brown finish. Bake for about 30 minutes, but keep an eye on them. The richness of the dough makes this bread brown quite quickly.
STEP 8: Once baked to perfection, let your sourdough brioche bread cool on a wire rack, and don't cut into it while it's still hot - that is essential for developing a soft texture.
Hint: it you're not sure when to stop mixing the dough, the windowpane test can help you. I find that for enriched doughs, the dough will never be as beautifully thin and elastic before a bulk ferment. But is should still stretch easily and be very elastic, so trying to stretch it very thinly can help you determine when it's ready.
Variations & Add-ins
- Eggs: got extra eggs? Use 3 instead of 2. Just remember to add about 30 grams more flour to balance the extra liquid.
- Butter: feel free to use either unsalted or salted butter. If you opt for salted, just reduce the added salt in the recipe - I would only use a sprinkle of it in that case.
- Flour: you can experiment with different flour types for varied textures (but this is a bit advanced). Using more all purpose flour will give you a slightly softer bread, but it will lack structure. If you want that picture-perfect bread, use a little more bread flour, but it will not be as soft. I prefer the version of the original recipe, but do not be afraid to experiment!
- Sweet add-ins: for a sweeter twist, consider folding in chocolate chips, dried fruit, or a swirl of cinnamon sugar. Just using raisins is my go-to way of doing this, since it requires no effort at all.
- Savory Options: sprinkle with finely chopped herbs and brunch with garlic butter for the added savory depth to your brioche.
💭Crucial Success Tips
- You'll be tempted to add flour when this dough is in your stand mixer, looking like a shaggy mess. But just wait about 10 minutes and go from there - if the dough still looks too wet, add the flour. But there's a good chance it will start to slowly form a bowl, and in that case, you don't need any more flour.
- Don't be afraid to use a lot of flour when you're shaping the rolls. It's better to use a bit too little in the dough and then compensate by flouring everything heavily while shaping than to use too much flour at the beginning.
- When you divide the dough into 16 pieces, leave them to rest for 5 - 10 minutes to relax the gluten bonds. I know it sounds like another thing that doesn't do anything at all, but believe me: it does! You'll have such an easier time shaping them, especially because the dough is quite wet.
- If your brioche bread starts to brown on the tops too quickly (and you still have quite a bit of baking time left), you can resolve this situation by putting a piece of aluminum foil over the bread, which will prevent the browning.
FAQ
Yes, of course! Don't limit yourself too much. With sourdough bread recipes, I feel like it's only a matter of understanding how each dough behaves and what properties you can give it by adding that ingredient or the other. Personally, I use this basic brioche recipe for a number of things and only tweak it a little bit - for example, for sourdough dinner rolls, I would use a bit less sugar and maybe just one egg to make it slightly more neutral (and not as sweet). A few other ideas to use this dough for: sourdough braids, sandwich bread for french toast, and hamburger7hot dog buns!
I wouldn't suggest it. By doing an overnight proof, the bread will ferment a bit more and adopt a slight sourdough tang. If you have no problem with this, go ahead and proof the dough overnight if that suits your schedule better!
Please ask away in the comment sections! Your feedback helps me to add more tips to the recipe and also helps out the next person wondering the same thing.
More Sourdough Recipes
Looking for other sourdough recipes like this? Try these:
📖Printable Recipe
📖 Recipe
Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Brioche Bread
Jump to VideoEquipment
- 1 stand mixer with a hook attachment
- 2 loaf pans
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- 1 plastic wrap or damp tea towel
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 Dough scraper or a very sharp knife for dividing the dough
- 1 Pastry brush for egg wash, optional
Ingredients
For Sweet Stiff Starter (using 1:3 ratio)
- 143 grams all-purpose flour
- 51 grams water
- 41 grams soudough starter active
- 25 grams sugar
For Brioche Dough
- 360 grams bread flour
- 240 grams sourdough starter sweet stiff starter
- 120 grams milk whole milk works best
- 95 grams butter unsalted is best
- 60 grams all-purpose flour
- 20 grams sugar
- 5 grams salt
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- STEP 1: The night before, make a sweet stiff starter to encourage wild yeast growth (recipe in the recipe card below). This step is crucial for making this recipe, as it affects the rising times and makes this brioche tang-free.
- STEP 2: To make the dough, combine your sugar, milk, salt, eggs, butter, and the bubbly sourdough starter in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Use the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed. Add both flours and mix some more. Expect a sticky dough – knead for 20-30 minutes. Resist the temptation to add excess flour; just enough to form a tight ball.
- STEP 3: For bulk fermentation, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let it rest in a warm spot. It should nearly double in size and last about 5 hours. This first rise is crucial for developing flavors and texture, so don't rush it!
- STEP 4: After bulk fermentation is done, transfer the dough into the fridge. The purpose of this is to ensure the dough is cold and hard because it will shape better this way. I usually leave it in for about 1-2 hours. But don't leave it in the fridge for too long, or it will start to become tangy, and we want to avoid that (or at least I do!).
- STEP 5: Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and divide it into 16 equal pieces. The easiest way to do this is with a dough scraper, but a sharp knife works too. Let these small pieces of dough rest briefly for easier handling.
- STEP 6: For the second rise, place the dough balls in parchment paper-lined loaf pans (or coat your loaf pan with butter or oil. Allow them to rise in a warm place until they're puffy - this should take about 3 hours at room temperature.
- STEP 7: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush the bread with egg wash for that nice golden brown finish. Bake for about 30 minutes, but keep an eye on them. The richness of the dough makes this bread brown quite quickly.
- STEP 8: Once baked to perfection, let your sourdough brioche bread cool on a wire rack, and don't cut into it while it's still hot - that is essential for developing a soft texture.
Video
Notes
- If you're not sure when to stop mixing the dough, the windowpane test can help you. I find that for enriched doughs, the dough will never be as beautifully thin and elastic before a bulk ferment. But is should still stretch easily and be very elastic, so trying to stretch it very thinly can help you determine when it's ready.
- You'll be tempted to add flour when this dough is in your stand mixer, looking like a shaggy mess. But just wait about 10 minutes and go from there - if the dough still looks too wet, add the flour. But there's a good chance it will start to slowly form a bowl, and in that case, you don't need any more flour.
- Don't be afraid to use a lot of flour when you're shaping the rolls. It's better to use a bit too little in the dough and then compensate by flouring everything heavily while shaping than to use too much flour at the beginning.
- When you divide the dough into 16 pieces, leave them to rest for 5 - 10 minutes to relax the gluten bonds. I know it sounds like another thing that doesn't do anything at all, but believe me: it does! You'll have such an easier time shaping them, especially because the dough is quite wet.
- If your brioche bread starts to brown on the tops too quickly (and you still have quite a bit of baking time left), you can resolve this situation by putting a piece of aluminum foil over the bread, which will prevent the browning.
Nutrition
Baking Schedule
Option 1: Same Day Sourdough Brioche Bread
- 7:00 AM - Prepare your sweet stiff starter - use 1:1 ratio and keep it warm to make it peak as quickly as possible.
- 12:00 AM - Mix your dough; start the first rise.
- 5:00 PM - Dough into the fridge.
- 7:00 PM - Shape and begin second rise - put the dough somewhere warm to speed up the rise a bit!
- 9:00 PM - Bake your bread.
- 9:30 PM - Bread cools down.
Option 2: Overnight Sourdough Brioche Bread
- 8:00 PM (Day Before) - Prepare your sweet stiff starter - use 1:3 or even 1:4 ratio to make sure it peaks in the morning and not during the night.
- 8:00 AM (Next Day) - Mix dough; begin first rise.
- 1:00 PM - Refrigerate dough.
- 3:00 PM - Shape; start second rise.
- 6:00 PM - Bake your bread.
- 6:30 PM - Bread cools down.
How To Store Sourdough Brioche Bread
- At Room Temperature: Keep the sourdough brioche bread in an airtight container. It stays really soft for up to 2 days.
- In the Refrigerator: If you plan to somehow heat up the brioche bread (like making french toast) you can store it in a container, and it should stay fresh for about 5 days.
- Freezing for Longer Storage? You can try, but I wouldn't bother. This bread is good because it is soft and tender, and it loses those qualities when we freeze it. If you have leftovers you can't eat, I strongly suggest making some french toast or pudding!
Pin it For Later
Debi says
This looks delicious!
leisha says
This looks delicious!
Marta says
This recipe is amazing. I tried it for the 1st time last night and baked it today. Holy cow.
Definitely a keeper
Tina says
You just made my day Martha! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to leave a comment! =D