Flaky Honey Brioche Bread

Styled and Written by MARÉ BRENNAN
Photograph by KELLY MOORE CLARK

This recipe for a light, buttery brioche bread with a hint of sweet honey could not be easier! You’ll never buy store bought bread again. Serves 10.

 
WHAT YOU NEED:
2/3 cup warm whole milk
2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
¼ cup honey
5 eggs (4 used in the dough, plus one egg beaten for brushing on  loaves before baking)
4 – 4 ½ cups all purpose flour (plus more for rolling out dough)
1 tsp kosher salt
4 TBSP  (1/4 cup) salted butter at room temperature
1 ½ sticks cold salted butter, sliced into thin pieces

In a stand mixer using the dough hook, combine milk, yeast, honey, 4 eggs, flower and salt. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of room temperature butter and mix until combined for another 3 minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. 

Punch down the dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle that is roughly 12 X 18 inches. Lay the thin slices of butter on one half of the dough, pressing the butter gently down into the dough.

Fold the other half of the dough over the buttered half and cover it completely. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle (about 12 x 18 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 3 dough layers, like an envelope. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for 15-20 minutes until chilled. 

Butter two 5×9 loaf pans, making sure to coat all the way to the top edges of the pans.

Remove dough from freezer. Roll the envelope shaped dough out to approximately 12 x 18 inches. On the longest side, begin rolling tightly. When you complete the log of dough, pinch the edges together to seal. 

Cut the dough in half, placing seam side down in each loaf pan. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread pans on a rimmed cookie sheet and brush tops of bread with a beaten egg. Bake 30-35 minutes or until tops are dark brown. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack for cooling. Slice and serve warm or toasted.