At a Glance
An enriched wheat sourdough (brioche-style) combining the flavor depth of a sourdough levain with eggs and butter for a tender, airy crumb. Use cold stages and gradual butter incorporation to maintain dough structure and produce reliable oven spring.[1][2][7]
Not suitable if:
- • You need a quick same-day loaf → use a faster beginner recipe
- • You don't have an active starter → create a starter first
🛒 Recommended Products
We recommend the following tools for this recipe:
Digital Kitchen Scale
Essential for accurate measurements of flour, water, eggs and butter
Large Mixing Bowl
Room to mix enriched dough and perform slap-and-fold
Dough Scraper
Helps handle sticky, enriched dough during folds and shaping
Dutch Oven
Provides steam retention for strong oven spring and even crust
Bread Lame
For controlled scoring on a soft enriched loaf
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Ingredients
Weigh all ingredients on a kitchen scale. Precise hydration and butter ratio matter in enriched doughs.[6]
| Ingredient | Amount | % | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread flour (strong wheat) | 500g | 100% | High protein (11.5–13%) gives needed structure |
| Water | 250g | 50% | Cool water (15–20°C) to keep dough manageable |
| Whole eggs | 120g (about 2 large eggs) | 24% | Room temperature |
| Milk | 60g | 12% | Optional: scald and cool for extra tenderness[3] |
| Active sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 150g | 30% | Bubbly and at peak activity (~4–6 hours after feeding depending on temp)[1][6] |
| Fine salt | 12g | 2.4% | |
| Sugar or honey | 30g | 6% | Helps browning and tenderness |
| Unsalted butter | 200g | 40% | Cold, cubed; add gradually after gluten development to form an emulsion[5][8] |
Schedule
Weekend Version
Build levain Friday night, bake Saturday afternoon for best flavor
Weekday Version
Mix in evening, shape and retard overnight, bake next morning
💡 Tips
- If dough becomes too warm during butter addition → chill 20–30 min to firm butter and continue[1][5]
- Overproof risk increases with warm kitchens → use the fridge to slow fermentation and improve flavor[1][4]
Step by Step
Autolyse and mix
In a large mixing bowl combine flour with water, eggs and milk. Rest 20–30 minutes to hydrate flour and begin gluten formation.[6]
⏱ 20–30 minutes
Add starter and salt; develop gluten
Mix in active starter and salt. Use gentle slap-and-fold by hand or mixer to develop gluten until a thin windowpane appears (10–20 min mixer, longer by hand). A dough scraper helps manage sticky dough.[1][5]
⏱ 15–40 minutes
Gradual butter incorporation
With dough cooled to ~18–20°C (chill briefly if necessary), add cubed cold butter in 4–6 additions. Fully incorporate each batch before adding the next to form a stable emulsion; stop and chill if butter starts to separate.[5][7]
⏱ 20–40 minutes
Bulk fermentation / strengthen
Bulk rest at cool room temp with 2–3 folds or slap-and-folds every 30–45 minutes until dough shows slight rise and airy structure. Enriched dough ferments slower—look for a 30–50% volume increase, not double.[4]
⏱ 2–4 hours (varies)
Shape and cold retard
Degas gently and shape to desired format (loaf, braid, or buns). Place in a floured banneton or pan. Cold retard in fridge 8–18 hours for flavor and handling ease.[1][2][4]
⏱ 10–20 minutes shaping; 8–18h retard
Bake
Preheat oven with a Dutch oven or cloche to 230–250°C (450–480°F). Transfer dough onto parchment paper, score with a bread lame. Bake covered 15–20 min for steam, then uncover and reduce temp to 180–200°C (350–400°F) until internal temp reaches 96–98°C (205–208°F) measured with an instant-read thermometer. Total bake time depends on shape: loaf 35–50 min, buns 18–25 min.[3][6]
⏱ 35–50 minutes
Cool
Remove with oven mitts and cool on a rack at least 2 hours. Cooling completes crumb set and prevents gummy texture.[2][5]
⏱ 2+ hours
Tips & Variations
Variations
Tangzhong for extra tenderness
Make a 20g flour + 100g water tangzhong, include in dough liquid
→ Softer, longer-lasting crumb (useful for sandwich brioche)[2]
Brioche buns
Divide into 70–90g pieces, proof and bake 18–22 min
→ Pull-apart texture ideal for burgers or breakfast
Honey and milk glaze
Brush with milk + 1 tsp honey before baking
→ Shiny, sweeter crust
Pro Tips
- 💡 Always add butter gradually and keep dough cool to avoid emulsion breakage[5][7].
- 💡 If you have a mixer, use it for final butter incorporation for consistent results[1].
- 💡 Cold retard not only improves flavor but makes shaping enriched dough much easier[1][4].
Common Issues
Problems and quick fixes:
Storage
Bread box or cloth bag
3–4 days
Keep loaf whole and cut side down to retain moisture
Plastic wrap then freezer bag
3 months
Slice before freezing for easier portions
Reheat slices
Use within 24–48h for best texture
Refresh in a 160°C/325°F oven for 5–7 minutes
⚠️ Avoid long-term refrigeration — it accelerates staling through starch retrogradation[5]
Sources
-
[1]
Sourdough Brandon – Fluffy Sourdough Brioche Bread – Sourdough Brandon – Link
-
[2]
The Pantry Mama – Easy Sourdough Brioche [enriched with butter + eggs] - The Pantry Mama – Link
-
[3]
Farmhouse on Boone / King Arthur Baking – Sourdough Brioche - Farmhouse on Boone – Link
-
[4]
Make It Dough – Sourdough Brioche by Make It Dough – Link
-
[5]
Home Grown Happiness / Make It Dough – The Best Sourdough Brioche Bread - Home Grown Happiness – Link
-
[6]
The Perfect Loaf / King Arthur Baking – Sourdough Brioche Recipe - The Perfect Loaf – Link
-
[7]
King Arthur Baking – How to Master Brioche with Sourdough - King Arthur Baking – Link
-
[8]
Plötzblog – Sauerteig-Brioche Rezept - Plötzblog – Link