This recipe for whole wheat brioche makes the most amazingly soft and airy breads. You can use this versatile dough to make loaf bread, rolls, buns, cinnamon rolls and more. Not only is it super soft, but it also tastes amazing and stays fresh longer than regular bread.
Jump to:
This recipe was adapted from Emma Duckworth Bakes Brioche dough.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Whole Wheat Flour: This recipe works with hard white wheat flour, or a combination of 60% hard white wheat and 40% soft white wheat, or somewhere around that ratio. We don’t recommend going higher than 40% soft white wheat.
- Salt
- Sugar: We use organic cane sugar, you can substitute honey.
- Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast. We have used both with great results.
- Milk: We recommend using whole milk. Because this is an enriched dough, whole milk will give you the best taste and texture.
- Eggs: You’ll need regular large chicken eggs.
- Butter: The butter is super important when it comes to the flavor of the dough. Make sure your butter tastes good and doesn’t have a stale flavor (this can happen if your butter is softened and then re-refrigerated).
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Hamburger buns: Divide the dough into equal portions (10 for regular size buns 8 for larger buns) Shape each portion into a ball by pulling the edges into the center until the top is tight. Place onto a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Press them down with your hand to about ½ inch thick. Leave about 2-3 inches between each bun. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 60 minutes). Brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake in an oven preheated to 400°F for 16-18 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 190°F.
- Hot dog buns: Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and shape into loose balls. On a lightly oiled surface, working with 1 ball at a time, press it into a 4 x 6 inch rectangle, then roll it up tight, starting on the long edge. Pinch the bottom seam and the ends together. Place about ¾ inch apart on a large greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 375° for 14-17 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature is 190°.
- Cinnamon swirl bread: For cinnamon swirl bread, you just sprinkle each dough piece with cinnamon sugar before you roll it up. This will give you straight lines of cinnamon in each slice of bread. If you want an actual swirl in each slice, roll all the dough out into a rectangle about 8x12 inches or so (this is how we shape our basic sandwich bread). Sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar and roll up into a log, then place into your greased loaf pan and continue on with the recipe. For a braided loaf (shown in the photo below), divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, roll each out into a rectangle, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and roll them up. Place the 3 rolls next to each other with 1 of their ends stacked on each other, pinch them together and braid the strands together. Pinch the other ends together. Tuck the ends under the loaf and place into a greased loaf pan. Continue with the recipe.
- Dinner rolls: Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, shape each piece into a tight ball. Place into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish, cover and let rise until doubled. Brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for. 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top and the internal temperature reads 190°F
Instruction Photos
Overview of instructions with photos. See recipe card for quantities and full instructions.
Step 1: Cut the butter into small cubes or thin slices and spread out a bit on a plate.
Step 2: Warm the milk to 90-100°F. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and the yeast in a 2 cup measuring cup or container.
Step 3: Add the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 4: Add the yeast mixture and eggs to the bowl of the stand mixer, attach the dough hook and mix on low speed until incorporated. Adjust the dough if needed by adding more flour (1 tablespoon at a time) or milk (1 teaspoon at a time). The dough should be sticky but thick. Continue kneading until it comes together in a ball, (about 5 minutes).
Step 5: Add the butter a couple pieces at a time, allowing them to partially mix in before adding more. After all the butter is added, knead the dough for another 7-15 minutes or until the dough passes the window pane test.
Step 6: Shape the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl or container. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, (about 60 minutes).
Step 7: Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces and shape each into a loose ball.
Step 8: Press each piece into a 4x6 inch rectangle (doesn’t need to be precise). If you want to make cinnamon swirl bread, sprinkle each rectangle with cinnamon sugar before rolling them up.
Step 9: Roll each piece into a tight log, pinch the bottom seam together.
Step 10: Place the logs into a buttered 9x5 inch loaf pan. When placing the logs in the pan, place the one you shaped first in the center, then work your way outward. This will help make the loaf look more even (not taller on one end).
Step 11: Cover and let rise another 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Step 12: Brush the top with beaten egg. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F with the rack in the center for 35-39 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 190°F and the top is a deep golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
Brioche bread is great for lots of things, including eating it plain! Some of our favorite ways to use brioche loaf bread:
- Cold sandwiches
- Grilled cheese or paninis
- French toast (we love making French toast from cinnamon swirl brioche bread)
Some other things you can make with this brioche dough:
- Dinner rolls
- Hot dog or hamburger buns
- Cinnamon rolls
- Sweet rolls
Storage
Store baked bread products in a sealed bag or container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
How to Freeze
Place baked bread products in an airtight, freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Tips From Our Kitchen
If you are grinding your own flour make sure to cool it before using. We like to put ours in the freezer for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the grinder.
If the dough is too soft to work with, place it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
If you are making rolls or buns, you can get away with making the dough a little on the softer side.
You do not want this dough to be too warm or it will be loose and hard to work with.
- Make sure the milk is not over 100°F
- The butter should be just slightly softened. Cut cold butter into small cubes right before you start making the dough and it should be the right temperature by the time you need it.
- Do not use hot fresh flour (when you mill/grind flour, it is usually on the warmer side). Put it in the freezer for a few minutes, or let it come to room temperature.
- Use cold eggs
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Whole Wheat Brioche Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter cold
- ¾ cup (180 g) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) granulated cane sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons (10 g) active dry yeast
- 3 cups (384 g) hard white wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons (39 g) granulated cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) sea salt
- 2 large (110 g) eggs
- beaten egg for brushing the top
Instructions
- Cut ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter into ½ inch cubes.
- Heat ¾ cup (180 g) whole milk to 90-100°F. Add 1 tablespoon (13 g) granulated cane sugar and 2 ½ teaspoons (10 g) active dry yeast. Stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes to activate.
- Add 3 cups (384 g) hard white wheat flour, 3 tablespoons (39 g) granulated cane sugar and 1 teaspoon (6 g) sea salt to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the yeast mixture and 2 large (110 g) eggs. Attach the dough hook and stir on low speed to combine, scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, the dough should be sticky but hold its shape. Let mix on low speed (speed 2 in a kitchenaid) for about 5 minutes or until well combined.
- Add the butter a couple cubes at a time, stop and scrape down the bowl a couple times. After all the butter is added knead on low speed for 5-15 minutes or until it passes the window pane test (see notes below).
- Turn the dough out onto the counter and shape into a tight ball. Place in an oiled container and let rise until doubled (about 60-80 minutes).
- Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces, shape each piece into a loose ball, then roll out into a rectangle about 4x6 inches and roll up into a tight log. Pinch the bottom seam together.
- Place seam side down into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan, repeat with the remaining dough balls, lining them up in the pan, cover and let rise until doubled. The dough should be just above the sides of the pan (60-80 minutes). Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 35-39 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 190. Let sit for 2-5 minutes and then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
We calculate these nutritional facts using an estimate and they can vary drastically between ingredients used and measuring technique. So, they are not intended for medical use.
KRKH
Makes an absolutely beautiful loaf! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was very easy to follow, and I appreciated all the details in your explanation. I cannot wait to try more of your recipes!
WholeWheatKitchen
I love reading comments like this, it means our work is paying off. Thank you so much!