Easiest No Knead French Braided Brioche

Soft, pillowy, and buttery, this French braided brioche loaf has that perfect bakery texture that brings me right back to France. It’s the kind of bread that’s hard to resist—tear off a piece, and before you know it, you’re reaching for another.

What I love most? There’s no kneading or fancy appliance involved for a great success, and it’s deceptively easy to make if this is your first time. You just mix, rest, braid, and bake. It’s perfect for special breakfasts, with a bit of butter and jam (the fancy fig one I save from my mom), or even better—turned into French toast when it’s a day or two old. A little patience goes a long way, and the result is totally worth it for these 2 braided loaves.

If you enjoyed my Pull apart bread and my Sweet Christmas Bread, I have no doubt this will also be added to your French bread repertoire.

Jump to:

• ⭐ Why I Am So Proud of This Brioche Loaf
• 🥣 Pro-Tips for Ingredients
• 🧈 Some Fun Swaps
• 📖 Instructions
• 💭 Recipe FAQs
• More French Breakfast Recipes
• No Knead French Braided Brioche

⭐ Why I Am So Proud of This Brioche Loaf

• Foolproof and easy: No need to stress about complicated kneading techniques or fancy equipment to make the best brioche bread recipe.
• Buttery perfection: Soft inside with a hint of sweetness that’s just right.
• Beautiful and impressive: The braided design looks gorgeous, it makes an amazing edible gift.
• Family-friendly: Great for both adults and kids—enjoy it with a little butter or jam!
• Versatile: Eat it fresh, or when it starts to get stale (if you have any leftovers), turn it into French toast!

🥣 Pro-Tips for Ingredients

As you gather your ingredients, here are a few notes on some of them.

• Milk: Use 2% or whole milk if you can—it gives the brioche that rich, soft crumb. You'll need it warm, not hot.
• Flour: All-purpose flour works fine, but bread flour will give the dough a slightly chewier texture if you have it on hand.
• Yeast: I use active dry yeast.
• Eggs: Room-temperature large eggs help the dough mix better.
• Vanilla extract: Use quality pure vanilla extract to get that warm, aromatic flavour.
• Unsalted butter: Make sure it’s softened so it incorporates easily. Cold butter will make the dough harder to work with.
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is perfect.

🧈 Some Fun Swaps

Here are a few ideas if you want to make it your own twist:

• Flavoured extracts: Try orange blossom water or almond extract in place of vanilla for a twist on the flavour.
• Chocolate swirl: Add a bit of melted chocolate into the dough before braiding for a delicious marbled effect.
• Citrus zest: Grate in some orange or lemon zest for a bright, refreshing aroma.
• Sweet toppings: Sprinkle pearl sugar or slivered almonds on top before baking for a crunchy, sweet finish. How about some sesame seeds?

📖 Instructions

Alright, let’s get into it! Let me walk you through it with no complicated steps, just easy instructions. Here’s how it goes:

First, in a mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients, flour and instant yeast (picture 1) and pour the warm milk (picture 2). Cover it with a hand towel and forget about it for 30 minutes or so in a warm place.

Now, add in the previously whisked eggs, the soft butter and the vanilla extract and mix with a hand mixer (or stand mixer if you absolutely want), you will have a batter looking mix (picture 3).

Next, pour in the sugar and gradually add the flour. Simply use a wooden spoon to stir it in. You will get a slightly sticky, it is normal, dough (see picture 4).

Lastly, let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours - but 2 is better (see picture 5). Cover your dough with a clean dish towel and put it in a room temperature room. No kneading needed! Let it rest, rise and do the work! This is your first rise or first proofing.

Tip: I like to turn on my oven and turn it off. I let my dough rest on top of the stove, the kitchen is warmer this way (not in the oven, on top). This is your warm spot.

The satisfying part: punch down your dough to remove the gas. Cut your dough into 2 equal pieces and cut each part into 3. Now, braid your dough on a lightly floured work surface as you see below on picture 6 below and place it on a oven tray covered with parchment paper. Allow your dough to rise for an hour, this would be your second proofing.

Tip: To handle the sticky dough, flour your hands not the dough itself.

Almost done! Using an egg wash (egg yolk and water), brush the braided brioche thoroughly, even in the little folds of the braided. It will give a nice shinny finish to your baked brioche.

Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and then you get this perfect looking French braided brioche. It delivers with a soft, pillowy sweet bread! Allow to cool a little on a cooling rack.

The best part: you got this delicious, French braided brioche, bakery quality, without kneading or big appliance. Just some patience as it is important not to skip the 2 proofings.

💭 Recipe FAQs

More French Breakfast Recipes