Skip to content
German Pastry Chef, home

Pastries and Cookies, Basic Recipes, Classics

Brioche Recipe

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Golden homemade brioche knots

4.7 (25)out of 5, 25 ratings

Go to recipePrint
Prep
10 min
Bake
40 min
Total
50 min
Makes
12

For me there is almost nothing better than baking fresh brioche knots on a Sunday and enjoying them still warm with a little butter and a cup of coffee.

Ingredients

Makes 12

  • 1 ⅔ cups400 mlmilkWarm
  • 7 tbsp100 gunsalted butterSoftened. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter; European-style unsalted butter is closest. In the UK, unsalted butter.
  • 1 tspsalt
  • 2egg yolksFrom large eggs
  • 2large eggs
  • ½ cup100 ggranulated sugar
  • 5 ¾ cups720 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 1 cubefresh yeast1 cube = 42 g fresh yeast. German recipes use either a 42 g cube of fresh yeast or a 7 g packet of dry yeast; one cube equals about two packets. In the US use active dry or instant yeast; one ¼ oz (7 g) envelope replaces half a cube of fresh yeast. In the UK, fast action dried yeast (7 g sachet per half cube), or fresh yeast from a supermarket bakery counter.

As you like

  • raisins
  • chocolate chips
  • sliced almondsThinly sliced almonds. In the US use sliced almonds; in the UK, flaked almonds.
  • pearl sugarSmall, hard white sugar nibs that do not melt in the oven, used as a topping. In the US use Swedish pearl sugar (Belgian pearl sugar is much larger); in the UK, nibbed sugar or pearl sugar.

Method

  1. Make a little well in your flour and crumble the yeast into it. Also sprinkle a little of the sugar over the yeast and then cover everything with a splash of your warm milk. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes until the yeast starts to foam. Now add all the remaining ingredients and let your stand mixer knead a smooth dough for a few minutes. The dough should still be soft & slightly sticky; if it is too sticky, you can gradually add a few more tablespoons of flour.

  2. Now let your finished dough rest, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Then knead it again briefly and let it rise for another ½ hour. As soon as the second rest is over, you can start dividing your dough, braiding it or putting it into a pan.

  3. If you want to make small “rolls” or knots, it's best to weigh out 3 ½ oz (100 g) pieces of dough and shape them into balls or knots like in the pictures.

  4. Before you bake your brioche, let it rise again for about 30 minutes. Of course you can also brush your dough pieces or your loaf with milk, egg or water before baking.

Baking

  1. - 375°F (185°C) convection (fan) - 400°F (200°C) conventional (top and bottom heat)

    - Time for rolls, cones & knots about 12 minutes

    - Time for a loaf about 20 to 25 minutes.