Brioche bread is known for its signature buttery and sweet taste. It’s typically used for sweet sandwiches, French toast, and anything that plays into its sweet and rich flavors. Now, I’ve spent a long long time trying to perfect this brioche recipe. It is designed to be egg-free or vegan, but don’t think that means you are missing out on any flavor or softness. This recipe is not meant to be a good vegan brioche recipe, but it is simply an all around delicious recipe regardless of it being vegan or not.
Looking at this recipe might feel intimidating, but once you read it through carefully, you will be making the fluffiest brioche in no time, and by no time, I mean 1 hour and 15 minutes (plus proof time).
You can use this brioche for French toast, sandwiches, bread pudding, PB&Js, toast with jam, or just to snack on!
This recipe features a Japanese milk bread technique called "tangzhong." Essentially, when applying this technique, you cook about a tenth of your total amount of flour with a 50/50 mix of water and milk until it forms a thick paste. This paste helps keep your dough hydrated and creates the fluffiest and most tender final product. Since this recipe is egg-free/vegan, the tangzhong ensures that the rolls stay soft and pillowy.
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus proofing)
SERVINGS: 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS:
Tangzhong:
60 grams all purpose flour
150 grams milk of choice
150 grams water
Yeast:
150 grams milk of choice
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Dough:
540 grams all purpose flour (or 50/50 all purpose with bread flour)
½ cup milk/yogurt
12 tablespoons unsalted, softened regular or vegan butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
⅓ cup granulated sugar
METHOD:
Tangzhong: Start by creating your tangzhong. Whisk together your flour, milk, and water allotted for the tangzhong in a small pot. Then place the pot over a medium flame and keep whisking until it forms a paste. This should take about 2 minutes. Once it forms a paste, immediately take it off the heat and set it aside.
Dough: Measure out the flour, sugar, and salt allotted for your dough and mix together in a bowl. Place your tangzhong on top of this dry mixture and let it sit while you prepare your yeast. Do not mix it together.
Yeast: To activate the yeast, we will mix the yeast with some warm milk and sugar. Heat up your milk allotted for the yeast until it is 110°F. It should be lukewarm. If it is too hot, let it cool down until it is warm like bath water. Pour the yeast packed in and 1 tablespoon of sugar and gently stir. Let the mixture sit for 5-7 minutes. The yeast mixture will foam up a little which means that the yeast is activating.
Dough: After your yeast has activated, pour it into your dry ingredients. Using the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer, mix together on medium everything until fully combined. When all of the ingredients are incorporated, the dough should feel pretty sticky.
Add in the room temperature yogurt and let it mix in. Then, slowly add in the butter one tablespoon at a time. Wait for each tablespoon to fully incorporate and disappear before adding the next. After all of the butter is incorporated, continue kneading and mixing for 5 minutes until the dough begins to become less sticky. Do not add extra flour.
Proofing: After about 5 minutes of kneading, spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in that bowl. Shape it into a ball, cover, and place it in a warm room (about 70° F) for 60-90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. Alternatively, place the covered bowl in the fridge for up to 9 hours or until it has doubled in size. You will know your dough is done proofing if it has doubled in size and springs back slowly, leaving a small indent if you gently poke it with your finger.
Assembly/Shaping: While the dough proofs, take two loaf pans and butter the sides of them using softened butter. Once the dough is done proofing, place it on a floured surface and divide it into two halves.
Put each portion of dough in a buttered loaf pan and cover with a towel or saran wrap while you preheat the oven.
Baking: Preheat your oven to 375° F. Then bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes. To check if the loaves are done you can stick a toothpick in them and see if it comes out clean. Alternatively, you can use a thermometer and take out the loaves when they reach 205° F.
Let the loaves cool completely before removing from the loaf pans and slicing.
made this? DM us a picture or tag us @agktchn!