What’s the best type of bread out there? French baguette? A loaf of Brioche Bread? Another type?
I have always been partial to a French Baguette. Crispy on the outside and so fluffy on the inside. When warm, lathered in butter, it is such a great breakfast. Mmmm… However, let’s talk about a delicious loaf of sweet Brioche bread.
I recently had a Brioche French Toast and decided I needed to try my hand at my very own homemade loaf of Brioche Bread. Oh my goodness, this one competes for best bread in my book!
It is the total opposite of a French baguette. There is nothing crispy about it, and instead it is completely soft and slightly sweet. It goes perfectly paired with fruit jams or just a light layer of butter.
I made two of these at once recently and we ate one of the loaves right out of the oven. Oh my goodness, heaven on a plate.
With the second loaf, I decided to try making my own French Toast. I often see Brioche French Toast on menus at restaurants and always wondered what the hype was about.
I finally tried it and yeah, I see what’s the big deal. It is 100x better than regular ol’ white bread French toast. Since the bread is already sweet, it really turns into such an amazing breakfast. This has become a tried and true favorite.
Best part of this loaf of Brioche bread?
You can freeze it! I still think a fresh loaf is best for buttering, but if you’re only planning to use it for French toast, slice it and store it in a freezer bag.
It keeps wonderfully for about 2 months and all you have to do is thaw out the slices you want before drenching in the French toast batter and making it. Seriously, one of my favorite breakfast hacks in this busier season of life for me! I can always have a special Saturday breakfast prepared without the mess and hassle.
This bread is fairly simple to make. Easy ingredients, straightforward directions, but it does take a while between all the rising times and bake time. So if you are planning to make this for French toast or something of the kind, I do suggest preparing the bread in advance to save you the hassle on the morning of.
Stick around and I’ll show you how to turn this into a delicious French toast for this weekend!
If you make this, be sure to tag me on IG or send me an email. I’d love to see! :)
Brioche Bread
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons milk lukewarm
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
Egg wash:
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ teaspoon honey
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the yeast, milk and honey, stirring with a spoon until combined. Let it sit for about 5-7 minutes or until frothy.
- Add the eggs, flour, salt and butter and mix on low speed for two minutes with your dough hook attachment. The mixture will begin to come together at this stage, or you might need to mix for another minute.
- Raise speed of mixer to 6 (or medium) and mix for another 8-10 minutes. As it kneads the dough, it will become smooth and a little sticky.
- Transfer dough to a floured bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature or in a slightly warm environment for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough, flip over in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to 12 overnight).
- Remove the dough from the fridge about 15 minutes before ready to use it.
- In the meantime, grease a 9”x5” bread loaf pan with butter and sprinkle the bottom with just a tiny bit of flour.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is more or less an 8”x4” rectangle.
- Starting at the long side, roll up the loaf and place seam side down in the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F. Combine the egg and honey and whisk until smooth. Brush over the top of the loaf and then bake for 30-40 minutes (cover lightly with foil if the top is browning too quickly.)
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for half an hour. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely (or enjoy slightly warm with butter…I won’t tell!).
- Refrigerate leftover bread for up to 10 days.
If you enjoyed this breakfast, you might enjoy these options as well:
Challah Bread
Challah French Toast
