This luxurious Vanilla Brioche is the ultimate indulgence, featuring a tender, airy crumb enriched with butter and eggs, and subtly sweetened with fresh vanilla bean. Unlike standard sandwich bread, brioche has a rich, cake-like texture that makes it perfect for French toast, paninis, or simply served warm with butter. The combination of high butter content and long fermentation creates a golden crust and a soft, pillowy interior. It is an excellent choice for weekend brunches, special breakfasts, or as a decadent side for soups and stews. While it requires patience due to the rising times, the result is a sophisticated, aromatic loaf that elevates any meal.
Vanilla Brioche
Description
This luxurious Vanilla Brioche is the ultimate indulgence, featuring a tender, airy crumb enriched with butter and eggs, and subtly sweetened with fresh vanilla bean. Unlike standard sandwich bread, brioche has a rich, cake-like texture that makes it perfect for French toast, paninis, or simply served warm with butter. The combination of high butter content and long fermentation creates a golden crust and a soft, pillowy interior. It is an excellent choice for weekend brunches, special breakfasts, or as a decadent side for soups and stews. While it requires patience due to the rising times, the result is a sophisticated, aromatic loaf that elevates any meal.Ingredients
Directions
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Dissolve the active dry yeast in warm milk in a small bowl and stir until completely dissolved.
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Scrape the seeds from a split vanilla bean and stir the pulp into the yeast mixture.
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Add 1 cup of flour to the yeast mixture and stir to form a smooth batter.
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Cover and let the mixture sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours to allow fermentation.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204&# 194;°C).
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Place 2 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl.
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Add 4 eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly with a wooden spoon after each addition until the dough is sticky and thick.
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Add warm water, sugar, and salt, mixing vigorously until well combined.
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Add 3 sticks of softened butter and work it into the dough by hand until fully blended.
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Add the remaining 2 eggs and mix well into the dough.
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Add the remaining 2 cups of flour, blending into the dough and breaking up any lumps with your fingers.
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Incorporate the fermented yeast mixture into the dough.
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Knead and fold the dough by hand for about 5 minutes until everything is well mixed and the dough is sticky and moist.
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Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
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Lightly butter two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans or 12 standard muffin cups with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
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Punch down the risen dough with your fingers.
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Divide the dough into 2 equal portions for loaves or 12 equal portions for rolls and place them in the prepared pans.
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Brush the tops of the dough with beaten egg yolk.
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Cover and let rise again in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
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Bake loaves for 25 to 30 minutes, or rolls for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
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Remove from the oven and cool in the pans on wire racks for a few minutes.
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Turn out the loaves or rolls onto the wire racks and cool completely.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 2
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 293.9kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 3.0g5%
- Saturated Fat 0.7g4%
- Cholesterol 0.6mg1%
- Sodium 479.2mg20%
- Total Carbohydrate 58.3g20%
- Dietary Fiber 5.2g21%
- Sugars 1.9g
- Protein 9.9g20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Ensure the milk and water are warm (about 110 degrees F) but not hot, as excessive heat can kill the yeast.
The dough will be very sticky due to the high butter and egg content; do not add excessive extra flour, as this will result in a dense bread.
For storage, wrap cooled brioche tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for longer storage. Reheat in a toaster or oven to restore crispness.
You can substitute vanilla bean paste or high-quality vanilla extract if fresh vanilla beans are unavailable, though the flavor will be less intense.
