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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 bread is amazing! Smells and tastes like a warm croissant. Made the bread to use in the French toast sticks recipe, but the other loaf was gone in a matter of hours, enjoyed by the adults and kids alike.
Hey Kim,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
I love this recipe, the bread is soft and buttery with a hint of sweetness, just lovely. BUT your website is extremely difficult to use. The page jumps all around, it close, opens regardless where I try to open your website. I finally too screen shots of the recipe! I’m sure you have some wonderful recipes based on this one, but I cannot take how annoying it is to use your website
Hey Sandie,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! So sorry you are having issues with the site, everything is working on our end! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
This recipe turned out so delicious! The flaky layers and lovely roll inside are so amazing and the flavor is light and buttery! It goes so well with a bit of butter and preserves. Yum!!
Hey Renee,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
hi! i just got done mixing all the ingredients in the mixer is mu dough supposed to be sticky?
Hey Alyssa,
The dough should be sticky, but not too sticky! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
AMAZING!
Thank you! xTieghan
I made this today and OMG it is sooo good!! It was my first time making bread and the instructions were easy to follow and helped ease my anxiety. I will definitely be making this again!!
Thank you so much Sylvia!! xTieghan
TL;DR: this recipe is a great alternative to classic brioche and tastes delicious! May take a couple of tries to get right but it is well worth it.
The third time was a charm for me and this recipe!
The first time, I sliced the butter too thick and while baking the butter caused large gaps in the loaf and I wasn’t able to properly laminate the butter throughout the loaf. It tasted delicious but wasn’t great for toasting and spreading.
The second time, while scaling the recipe to metric, I messed up the amount (doubled it!) of cold butter and it was very buttery. Again, still delicious, smaller gaps between the layers, but very heavy and greasy.
The third time, redid my math and took some comments below into consideration. I grated the cold butter rather than sliced it and started with all 4 cups of flour rather than 3.5 or 3.75 cups. Grating the cold butter ensured that it was evenly spread out throughout the loaves and left very small gaps between the flaky layers. I also noticed some people commenting that their active dry yeast would not proof properly, but I have had no issues using it like instant yeast.
For my fourth attempt, I’m considering doing a second lamination for even more layers! Thank you for the recipe, I will be making this for ages!
Hi Samantha!! I am so happy this recipe turned out amazing for you the third time! Thank you so much for trying this one! And also love that you tried it until it turned out perfect for you! xTieghan
Loved this! It turned out perfectly flaky and delicious. Perfect with a little apple butter to get in the fall spirit 🙂
Amazing! Thank you Maggie! xTieghan
Absolutely dying to make this! Was just wondering if you might have the metric measurements of the recipe?
Hey Daniella! I am so sorry, but I don’t have those measurements. Have you tried using an online calculator? So sorry I could not be of more help! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I made this today to have a little bread with our soup for dinner. But after tasting it… Dinner turned into having a little soup with my bread. ? When I rolled it out with the first fold of butter (in half), I was concerned my layers of dough were thinner than they should be so after folding it into the ‘envelope’, I folded it into thirds again in the opposite direction before placing in the freezer. It came out beautifully with a gorgeous, flaky top, and such a soft fluffy crumb. I served it with Salted Honey Butter. I’m excited to make some to freeze and pull out on a chilly Fall or Winter night…or morning… Or afternoon… Actually.. Any time of day during any season. ?
Sounds amazing!! I am so happy this bread turned out so well for you Sarah! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made this today and it is delicious! After I rolled it and let it rise, I noticed that some butter had seeped out the bottom. I was worried it wouldn’t be flaky but it was!
I am so happy this still turned out so well for you, Shelly! Thank you! xTieghan
Looks so good. I’ve been making Einkorn Dutch Oven Bread weekly for my fiancé and I. No need for store bought bread anymore. Seeing your recipe makes me think I need to branch out to new things. Looks so yummy!!
Thank you Cheryl! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, mine came out nice and flaky but not quite puffed out of the pan and crinkly and yummy looking as yours does. Any tips for the presentation?
Thanks!
Karen
Hey Karen! What size loaf pan are you using? Is it a littler larger? Mine are about 9×5, which is standard. You could try using a slightly smaller loaf pan to help the bread pop up more. Or you can try baking 1 loaf instead of 2, but you will need to bake the bread for a longer time and tent it with foil at the end of cooking. hoping this helps!
Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi,
Recipe was great! Turned out well.
I had to use an extra cup of flour as it was very sticky.
Used only 1/2 cup of the butter as it seemed a lot when I cut it and layered on the dough.
Want to try this by adding raisins or mixed fruit.
Also thinking of cutting slices of the dough and putting them in muffin tins and adding fruit on top.
Thank you so much Aru! I am really glad this turned out well for you! xTieghan
I used active dry yeast and mixed it in with the milk and honey but it’s not really foaming or bubbly like it is when I usually make bread…I’ve done this several times-tried new yeast, checking the temperature of the milk, mixed up the way of putting the yeast, milk, and honey in but none of it has worked. Does it sometimes just not foam much? I saw pictures from an old ig story of yours-doesn’t look like that. I haven’t gone ahead and made the bread since I don’t want a ruined batch of bread but maybe just try that?Any tips?
Hey Rose,
So sorry you are having issues with the yeast. It is key for the milk to be warm, not too hot or too cold otherwise the yeast will not activate. I hope this helps for next time, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan