The Best Brioche Bread Recipe (for Beginners!)

Heat ¼ cup milk on the stove or in the microwave for 35-40 seconds. The milk should not boil, try to keep the temperature between 100 - 110 degrees Fahrenheit

In a small bowl, add 1 Tbsp of granulated sugar into the milk along with the package of dry, active yeast

Allow this to sit for 10 minutes or so to activate the yeast. Ensure that your yeast has risen before moving on to the next step

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 2 ¾ cup flour, 1 tsp salt, and remaining 1 tbsp sugar. Mix to combine

Add in the milk/yeast mixture as well as the 3 beaten eggs (only use THREE eggs + 1 egg yolk for this step. The remaining egg will be used in an egg wash before baking). Using a spatula, stir the resulting mixture well. It will be sticky and soft

Attach the dough hook and knead this dough on the lowest setting for about 5-6 minutes

Add the ½ cup softened butter into the dough a few pieces at a time. Add some butter, allow the mixer to incorporate it, then add the next round of butter. The whole process should take around 5 minutes or so

Once all of the butter is incorporated, put the mixer on medium speed and knead the dough for 10 minutes. If a large part of the dough remains on the edges of the mixer bowl, add 1-2 tbsp of flour. The dough will be sticky, but you can easily remove it from the bowl using a silicone spatula. It should be soft and tacky to the touch, but should not stick to clean fingertips

Place the dough in a glass bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and leave at room temperature for about 1 hour until doubled in size

After the dough has doubled in volume, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. This will make your bread soft and airy

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, punch it down several times, and divide into 6 equal parts. Shape the parts into balls. After kneading, flatten each of the balls with your hands

Arrange in a 10x5-inch loaf pan. Arrange the pieces of dough so that there is enough room for them to rise. Leave the dough at room temperature, covered, to rise for 1 ½ - 2 hours

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

After the bread has doubled, crack the last egg into a small bowl and add 1 tbsp of water. Whisk to combine. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the bread with an egg wash. Sprinkle the dough with the 1 tsp sesame seeds

Place the bread in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until you get a golden brown crust, the bread sounds hollow when you knock on it, and an internal temperature reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit

Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the loaf tin. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Serve and Enjoy!