A super-soft bread that’s sturdy enough for your favorite toppings, this brioche sandwich bread is enriched with eggs and sugar for a beautiful, versatile loaf.
You won’t believe how soft and delicious this brioche sandwich bread is. It’s perfect for a loaded grilled cheese and makes the absolute BEST French toast.
It’s stickier and slower to rise than most bread recipes, so let’s walk through it together.
How to make a brioche sandwich loaf
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Super-soft. One of the softest sandwich breads ever.
- Versatile. Leftovers are perfect for bread pudding or French toast.
- Sturdy enough for your favorite sandwich.
What you’ll need
- water
- milk
- unsalted butter
- eggs
- sugar
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- yeast
- a loaf pan
Step by step brioche sandwich bread
Warm the milk, water, and butter in a microwave-safe container. Combine all three ingredients together for one minute on low power. You want them warm but not hot.
Combine and knead all ingredients. Add the water mixture and the remaining ingredients into a bowl of your stand mixer or bread machine until soft and smooth Start by adding the amount of flour called for and then add more as needed. As the dough kneads, it will start to tighten up, so knead for a minute before you add much more flour.
Allow the dough to rise once. Place the dough in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl and cover it with greased plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until it is nearly doubled in size.
Shape the dough into a rectangle and then fold down the corners and top. (Shoulders in, head down.)
Roll it into a log and pinch the seams shut. Place it in a greased loaf pan with the seam side down.
Time for the second rise. Cover the loaf with greased plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise again for an hour, until it has increased 1-2 inches above the edge of your pan (or just under). Brush some beaten eggs around on top if you want extra shine! Toward the end when rising time is over preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Finally, we bake! The loaf will look very dark because of the egg wash, but don’t take it out too soon. Finished brioche should be 190 degrees inside.
Let it cool before you slice.
Tips for success
- The trickiest part of this recipe is knowing when to stop adding flour. Refer to the pictures above for help. If your dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour. Overly wet dough won’t rise high and won’t give you the soft loaf you’re looking for.
- Spray your hands with non stick cooking spray before your shape the loaf.
- Brushing the loaf with a beaten egg gives it a beautiful shine.
Storage Tips
Let the loaf cool completely before wrapping up. It freezes great either whole or sliced.
But we prefer to make sandwiches out of it for 2 days, then make French toast or bread pudding with anything that’s left.
More brioche recipes you’ll love
- Chocolate chip brioche rolls are perfect for breakfast and also freeze beautifully.
- Brioche burger buns make your homemade burger taste like they’re from a restaurant.
- And if you’d prefer to shape this recipe into dinner rolls, it works very well! Divide into 16 pieces, shape into rolls and allow to rise again. Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 for about 17 minutes.
Recipe for brioche sandwich bread
Brioche Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- Stand mixer or bread machine
- Loaf pan 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour may need up to 3½ cups
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons yeast instant or active-dry
Instructions
- Warm the milk, water, and butter. Combine the water, milk, and butter in a microwave-safe container such as a Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave on low for one minute.
- Combine and knead all ingredients. Add the water mixture and the remaining ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer or bread machine. for 5-7 minutes, until soft and smooth. Start with the lesser amount of flour, adding more until the dough becomes smooth. It will be slightly sticky but should clear the sides of the bowl. Add any additional flour slowly and give it a minute or two to knead in before adding more.
- Allow dough to rise once. Place dough in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until nearly doubled in size.
- Shape and rise again. Turn dough out onto a clean counter and stretch into a 9 x 24-inch rectangle. Fold down the top corners of the dough, then roll into a log. Pinch all seams shut and place seam side down into a greased loaf pan.
- Second rise. Cover the loaf with greased plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise again for an hour, until the dough has risen 1-2 inches above the edge of the pan. Brush with a beaten egg for extra shine. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center.
- Bake. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes until the loaf is deep golden brown. Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool at least an hour before slices. Brioche freezes very well once fully cooled and will stay fresh at room temperature for 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
This brioche sandwich bread is a delicious and super-soft addition to your everyday sandwich options. The recipe is a bit tricky, but with a little practice you’ll be able to make perfect loaves every time.
