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.
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⭐ 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
I am surprised you have any left! Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If it starts to dry out, use it to make pain perdu (French toast) or put it in the toaster to warm it up (texture will be different but still delicious).
A little stickiness is normal, but if it's too hard to work with, lightly flour your hands instead of adding more flour to the dough itself.
Totally! Wrap it in plastic wrap, then pop it into a freezer bag. When you’re ready, thaw it at room temperature or warm it up in the oven. The texture might not feel as pillowy but it is still delicious.
Absolutely! You can mix in chocolate chips, dried fruit, or even sprinkle pearl sugar on top before baking. Also, you can add any other extract of your choice if vanilla is not your vibe.
No! You can it like small dinner rolls and bake it in a loaf pan (roll 6 to 8 dough balls and place them in the pan and allow to proof).
More French Breakfast Recipes
No Knead French Braided Brioche
Ingredients
For the 1st step
- 1 and half cup flour
- 7 g yeast
- 1 cup milk
For the 2nd step
- 5 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 stick butter ½ cup or 113 g
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups flour
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon milk
Instructions
For the 1st step
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and yeast. Gradually pour in the warm milk and stir until combined. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
For the 2nd step
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, soft butter, and vanilla extract together, then add them to the bowl with the previous mixture.
- Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to mix until you have a batter-like consistency.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Gradually add the sugar and flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. The dough will be slightly sticky—this is normal!
First proofing
- Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature (or until it doubles in size). For best results, allow the full 2 hours.
- Shape the brioche: Punch down the dough to release the gas. Divide it into two equal portions, then divide each portion into three pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and braid them. Place the braided dough on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Second proofing
- Cover the braids with a towel and let them rise for 1 hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 360°F.
- Egg wash: Whisk together an egg yolk and a teaspoon of milk, then brush it generously over the braided dough, making sure to coat all the folds for a shiny finish.
- Preheat the oven to 360°F. Bake the brioche for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant.
- Let the brioche cool slightly before serving. You’ve just made bakery-quality French braided brioche at home—soft, pillowy, and irresistibly buttery!
Notes
- For the proofing: Keep the dough in a warm spot, like on top of your stove with the oven turned off, to encourage rising.
- Flour your hands to handle the dough more easily—no need to flour the dough itself.
- Add a flavour such as orange or almond extract or even a zest of lemon.
kitchenr jon says
Wow, that's a beautiful brioche! And your child is so lucky to eat so well at school. Our oldest just started senior kindergarten and is loving being back at school. It's really great being able to pack lunches full of delicious homemade food, although at times it does get a bit tiring. That's why we are glad he likes helping make the lunches, so hopefully in a year or two he can do it all on his own.
Mélanie says
Thank you Jon, M. is not eating all his lunch I'm preparing but we'll get there. How old are your boys? I'm looking forward for M. to prepare it alone ahaha. Poor thing, he just entered JK.
Our Fresh Kitchen says
This looks absolutely delicious. It's a must try in my kitchen. You made me crave for some bread.
Sarah | (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean says
Looks beautiful, and delish! My poor son is allergic to wheat, and just looking at a picture of this bread makes me sad for him...because bread is THE. BEST. Oy. Great to find out about your blog via FBC! Cheers!
Mélanie says
Oh no Sarah, I am so sorry to hear that. Given your blog, I gather that you are talented and able to make delicious recipe nonetheless!
Swati says
That's a beautiful brioche! My daughter is a big fan of home baked breads and bet she would love this too. Goes on my baking list for this week. Glad to have found your blog via FBC☺
Mélanie says
Thank you so much Swati! Your daughter will love it!
Lisa @ Food Well Said says
Gorgeous! Brioche (well most bread making in general) scares me but may have to add this to our Thanksgiving breakfast menu!
Mélanie says
Thank you Lisa, let me know once you have tried it! You'll love it!
Candice Wingerter says
Great photos Melanie!! The bread looks just delicious!!
Mélanie says
Thank you Candice!
Melissa says
oh i have a weakness for brioche... just reading this made my mouth water. I could literally eat a whole loaf in one sitting - with butter of course!
Mélanie says
Ahh just found your message in spam Melissa, sorry for that! Thank you so much for stopping by :)
Liliana says
Looks lovely! Although my daughters are young women now, I am sure they will come over for brioche.
Mélanie says
For sure, there are no age for nice treats Liliana :)
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Hi, Melanie! Brioche is one of my favourite breads ... freshly homemade must be beyond delicious at any time!
Mélanie says
Thank you Helen, it was a big hit in my house and my in-laws too!