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The BEST Flaky Honey Brioche Bread…for your weekend baking. This light, buttery, super soft, and eggy brioche bread is swirled with hints of sweet honey, and makes for the most delicious, extra fancy companion to your morning coffee. This bread is great on its own, toasted with butter and topped with cinnamon sugar (so good). Or use it to make your favorite french toast – the options are endless. The perfect way to start your day!
I don’t know why, but I almost never share recipes like this. For some reason I feel like I always need to share crazy different and unique recipes. I forget that really good “basics” are just as important! I made this brioche a few weekends back. Mostly because I really wanted a good bread to use in my favorite baked blackberry french toast. Up where we live in the mountains, good bread can be incredibly hard to come by. Most of the time I can find a good Challah bread, but the last few weeks the bread pickings have been slim.
My guess is that all the snow over the past month has really set the stores back. For one, with the highway being closed on and off, trucks have had a hard time getting up here to make deliveries. Two, because of all the snow, the town has been packed to the brim with skiers. Leaving the grocery stores pretty much wiped clean daily.
first fold (in half with butter inside)
second fold (into an envelope)
rolled into a log (like a cinnamon roll)
(log cut in half to create 2 loaves)
Long story short, I couldn’t find good bread, so I made my own Brioche! And I am now sharing it with you guys. Because, oh my gosh, it’s possibly one of the very BEST breads I’ve ever made.
Yes, my homemade naan is amazing and will always be a favorite (always). But it’s a flatbread, so very different. And the beer bread in the cookbook? Totally still a favorite, but again it’s just very different, and nothing like a soft Brioche.
This bread is a game changer.
When I set out to make this, I was in no way planning to share the recipe. But as I was making the dough and swirling in the honey, it hit me that you guys might really enjoy the this recipe. I mean, everyone loves bread, right? And we all want to bake over the weekend, right?
Yes, we do!
Plus, the light in my kitchen and the colors of this bread were just too pretty. I had to photograph it and I had to share. Because it’s just a dang good recipe and that is always most important!
Ok, so the details.
If you’re afraid of bread making, please do not be. It’s easy (and made easier if you have a stand mixer…hint, hint, invest if you love to bake). To sum it up, to the mixer you’ll add milk, yeast, honey, eggs, flour, salt, and butter…that’s the dough. Six very simple pantry staple ingredients that are really simple to throw together.
Mix the dough, then allow about an hour for the dough to rise. Then it’s time to roll it out and layer with very cold butter (see photos!). The layers of extra cold butter are what make this a “flaky” brioche, instead of a more traditional brioche. It’s kind of like a cross between brioche and a croissant, DELICIOUS.
The key is to roll the dough out twice. I know it might seem like over-kill, but this will distribute the cold butter throughout the dough, creating buttery, flakiness with every single bite. Again, so DELICIOUS…and I promise it’s not hard or even that time consuming.
My other trick? Quickly chilling the dough in the freezer! Saves so much time!
After you roll the dough, divide it into two loaf pans, and let rise. Then brush the dough with a beaten egg to get an extra glossy top that looks beautiful after baking.
As the dough bakes, the smell of freshly baked bread will waft throughout your house. Truly the perfect scent to welcome in the first weekend of spring. I highly recommend enjoying a slice or two warm, fresh out of the oven. Just add a little butter and honey. I also highly recommend serving this as morning toast, or for Sunday brunch.
This is honestly the best when toasted with butter and spread with a sweet berry jam…or no, wait, with butter and cinnamon sugar. Yes, that’s my personal favorite (should I share my recipe for cinnamon toast???).
Another great thing about this recipe? It makes two loaves!! You can freeze the second loaf, or do as I do, and bake up my favorite spring brunch recipe, blackberry ricotta french toast. It’s always a crowd favorite.
You see? Endless options with this bread. Meaning, bake it soon, because it’s perfect for all your springtime brunching and snacking needs!
Ohhh, and I just thought of this too…PB&J sandwiches? Maybe toasted? Yes, I have to do this. See, endless options. Enjoy!
If you make this flaky honey brioche bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Flaky Honey Brioche Bread.
Servings: 10 makes 2 (9x5 inch) loaves
Calories Per Serving: 435 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup warm whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup honey
- 5 eggs - 4 used in dough, plus 1 egg beaten for brushing
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold salted butter, sliced into thin pieces
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast, honey, 4 eggs, flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons room temp butter and mix until combined, about 2-3 minutes more.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 3. Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle that’s about 12x18 inches. Lay the thin slices of cold butter on one half of the dough, pressing gently to adhere. 4. Fold the other half of the dough over butter, covering it completely. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, roughly 12x18 inches. Fold 1/3 of the dough into the center, then fold the other 1/3 over the top of the first layer so you have three dough layers (like an envelope). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for 15-20 minutes until chilled. Alternately, you can chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. 5. Meanwhile, butter two (9x5 inch) bread pans. 6. Remove the dough from the freezer. Roll the (envelope shaped) dough into a rectangle (about 12x18 inches). Starting with the edge of dough closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edges to seal.7. Cut the dough in half and place seam side down in prepared pans. Cover and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour. 8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the bread pans on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. Transfer to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes or until dark brown on top. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a cooling rack. Slice and serve warm or cold.
Notes
*Adapted from Martha Stewart.
This one has issues. Dough was way too soft to be rolled. Had to add so much additional flour that it was no good. I’ve had it before and the same thing happened. I think it’s the flour amount in the recipe and the fact that it’s a range and there isn’t a description of what the dough consistency should be. There also aren’t photos of the dough so we’re all left to speculate.
Hi there,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if there is any way that I can help! xTieghan
I made this into croissants so i did more fold and chill. They turned out amazing and hubby loves them for sandwiches because they have more structure. Thanks
Hey Janice,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Hi! Can I freeze this dough and bake it later? I am making several loaves for my sons wedding in September I love this bread warm, so I was thinking I could thaw it and bake it for the meal.
Thank you
Hi Tammy,
Totally, that will work well for you!! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xx
Poderia me passar a quantidade de manteiga em gramas ?
Hi Edna,
226 gramas. xTieghan
I just made this. It is very tasty but not as airy as yours looked. I didn’t get the air pockets you did. I’m not sure the dough was right. It was somewhat soft and sticky and didn’t appear to rise alot in the pans. Not sure where I went wrong.
It’s good but I am disappointed it didn’t look like yours. I’d like to try it again.
Hi Annette,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, sorry to hear you had issues. Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? What kind of yeast did you use? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I’ve had the same thing happen. Mine is very dense and the dough is very sticky. Is there a yeast you prefer to work with? I’m using Red star active yeast.
Hi Ali,
Red star is great, but since you used active yeast rather than instant did you activate it first? That could be your issue! xx
This is so delicious. So excited that I tried this recipe. Definitely will be making this again.
Hi Michelle,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner. xxTieghan
Have made this twice now and really love! So delicious on its own or as French toast.
Hi Allison,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
Any tips on how to adapt for Gluten Free? just a straight flour swap? or do you have any tips/ things to add in?
Thank you :0
Hi there,
I would just use an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi, all of my butter seeped out during cooking. Was the second proof supposed to be in the fridge? I made sure to press the butter in the dough and sealed the ends after cutting.
Hey there,
Sorry to hear this! Did you chill in step 4? Was there anything else you may have adjusted? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
This is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. I’ve made it twice this week. That’s 4 loaves. Gone. The crust is flaky like a croissant. It’s so good just toasted with some jam (I used blackberry rhubarb chutney and it was amazing), the butter just melts & the bread is perfectly chewy and flaky. I didn’t have instant yeast so I let the yeast bloom with the warm milk & honey for about 10 minutes before I added the other ingredients. Worked great. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. The dough is a little bit stickier than I’m used to with bread, but it’s still easy to work with. Thank you for this amazing recipe. It’s quickly become a family favorite.
Hey Hilary,Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
This bread is wonderful; I prepared the dough last night and laminate the butter in it. I did do more layers than the recipe called for, I am never good at laminating but always do end up with layers somehow. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Hello! Thank you very much for this! I tried it once and my family loved it. I rolled it too long though that i ended up with 3 loaves. Intentionally, we consumed the third loaf bit by bit just to see the shelf life and we didn’t place it in the fridge. It kept well for 5 days. We couldn’t help ourselves from consuming it, so if it will last more than 5 days, i wouldn’t know 🙂 Oh BTW, i live in the Philippines where our average temp for August is around 28-30C and humidity around 40-50%.
One question though, if i wanted to make it a sweeter, maybe increase the honey to 1/2 cup, where would i make the adjustment for the hydration? Would increasing the flour to 4 1/2 cups work or would this “dilute” the sweetness? Thanks
Hey Judith!
So happy you love this recipe. I would add the 1/2 cup honey, the work in additional flour. I don’t think that will dilute the honey enough to notice. Hope that works. Let me know how it goes!!
Hi,
Would we be able to freeze the second loaf? Have you ever had success with that?
Hey Evlyn,
That should be just fine to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Can I halve this recipe? I definitely dont need two loaves of this heaven!
Hey Jordan,
Yes, that would work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this recipe about six times with my sister-in-law last spring. This bread is SO OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD. We are both loaves plain within two days of baking them. The flakiness and buttery-taste is to die for. We also live in CO, where baking can be super tricky. We changed not one thing about the recipe and our loaves were perfect each time.
I’m trying my hand at making these loaves again right now and accidentally used active dry yeast instead of instant yeast. Will every thing go to plan? Or did I need to do something special with the active dry yeast?
Hey Katie,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! When using active dry yeast, you need to dissolve that in the warm milk and honey first. xTieghan