Sourdough Brioche Recipe {Light, Buttery, & Fluffy}
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This Sourdough Brioche Recipe produces light, buttery, and impossibly fluffy brioche loaves with a tender crumb and rich flavor. Made with active sourdough starter, bread flour, and a generous amount of butter, this enriched dough delivers that bakery-style soft texture without commercial yeast.
This sourdough brioche bread recipe is one of my favorite sourdough recipes because you can make the dough ahead of time and bake the next day. Shape it into classic loaves, sourdough brioche rolls, or hamburger buns. If you love enriched bread with a buttery flavor, try my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls or my Sourdough Chocolate Babka.
Quick Look: Sourdough Brioche
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: 7 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 11 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 20 slices
- Calories: ~289 kcal per slice (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Soft, rich, and incredibly buttery with a tender, pillowy crumb and a subtle sourdough tang. Bakery-style brioche made at home using the Tangzhong method!
- Difficulty: Advanced — Requires the Tangzhong method, slow butter incorporation, and a long bulk fermentation, but the results are absolutely worth it!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Brioche Recipe
- Incredibly soft and fluffy: The tangzhong method locks in moisture, giving this sourdough brioche dough a soft crumb and airy texture that stays fresh for days. The high butter content and bread flour create a rich dough that melts in your mouth. I use the same tangzhong technique in my Sourdough Discard Donuts.
- Make ahead for easy baking: Mix the dough one day and let it cold-ferment in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. The next morning, shape it and let it complete its second rise in a warm spot before baking. This flexible schedule means fresh, warm brioche whenever it fits your day.
- Shape it your way: This versatile dough can be shaped into classic brioche loaves in a loaf pan, sourdough brioche rolls, sourdough brioche buns for hamburger buns, or even a braided loaf. It works for everyday sandwiches or special occasions.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Sourdough starter: For the best results with your sourdough brioche dough, use an active and bubbly sourdough starter.
- Tangzhong: This Asian method of heating milk and flour together allows the dough to absorb more moisture, which keeps the sourdough brioche extra soft and fluffy. I use the same method in my Sourdough Discard Donuts!
- Milk: Whole milk brings the best flavor to this brioche dough.
- Sugar: This Sourdough Brioche recipe isn’t overly sweet, but the sugar helps to create an extra soft crumb.
- Eggs: Brings delicious flavor, but also keeps the dough extra soft and tender.
- Bread flour: I highly recommend using bread flour over all-purpose flour. The higher protein percentage in the flour will result in the best rise and most chewy and soft sourdough brioche.
- Salt: Any unrefined salt will do, but my favorite is Redmond’s Unrefined Salt for some extra minerals!
- Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt by 4 grams or ½ teaspoon. You want the butter to be cool, but not rock solid. I like to remove the butter from the fridge 5-10 minutes before mixing it into the dough.
- Egg wash: A basic egg wash made with one egg and a little water or milk gives the brioche a shiny, golden finish when it bakes. It adds a gorgeous color to the crust, making your sourdough brioche even more mouthwatering. If you’re making rolls or a braid, the egg wash also brings a nice touch of flavor to the top.
Sample Baking Schedule
Baking Time For Day 1
|
Time |
Process |
|---|---|
|
9:00 – 9:15 AM |
Make Tangzhong, cool |
|
9:15 – 9:20 AM |
Mix dough |
|
9:20 – 9:35 AM |
Knead dough |
|
9:35 AM – 3:35 PM |
Bulk ferment dough at 70 degree F |
|
4:00 PM – 8:00 AM |
Cold Fermentation |
Baking Time For Day 2
|
Time |
Process |
|---|---|
|
8:00 AM |
Shape dough, let it complete its second rise. |
|
4:00 PM |
Top with an egg wash and bake. |
|
4:45 PM |
Cool to room temperature, slice and enjoy! |
How to Make Sourdough Brioche
- Before mixing the dough, prepare the Tangzhong. Bring a small saucepan or skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add the milk and flour and whisk constantly until a thick paste forms. (about 1-2 minutes)
- Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the Tangzhong to cool before preparing the dough. ( l like to spread it on a plate for quick cooling.)
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the active sourdough starter, cooled Tangzhong, sugar, cold milk, cold eggs, flour, and salt.
- Mix on low for about 5 minutes until all of the ingredients are incorporated and a stiff, thick dough forms. While the dough mixes, prepare the butter.
Helpful Tool
If you are using a KitchenAid stand mixer, one tool I highly recommend is hook shield! This prevents the dough from climbing up or clogging up your mixer. Since this recipe makes 2 loaves, it’s a lot of dough to knead. During my testing trials, the dough continuously climbed up my dough hook, but not with this shield. Cheap investment, but so helpful!
- The butter should be cold, but not rock hard. I like to remove it from the fridge 5-10 minutes before adding it to the dough. Slice the cold butter into 10-12 slices. While still mixing on low, add one slice of butter every 10-20 seconds.
- Once all of the butter has been added, increase to medium speed and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes more or until the dough passes the windowpane test.
Baker’s Note
While kneading the rich dough, the mixer will get warm, which in turn can heat the dough. It is important to keep the dough cool to prevent the butter from melting. If you notice that the dough is getting warm, stop kneading, cover and place the dough into the fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then continue with the kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
Signs that Your Dough Has Been Kneaded Enough:
- It is no longer sticky dough.
- Instead, the dough is smooth, elastic and tacky to the touch.
- The dough no longer tears when spread out thin enough that light passes through.
- Place the dough in a straight-edge bowl, covered with plastic wrap or a reusable shower cap and leave to double in size. At 70 degrees F, this took about 7-9 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, keep covered and place it in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
Baker’s Note
Brioche dough is very sticky, so a cold proof helps the dough to be more manageable while shaping. If you’d like to skip this step, place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours for easier shaping.
- Remove the dough from its container onto a clean work surface and divide the dough in half. Shape into two loaves such as a plain loaf, a loaf of 4-8 balls of dough/rolls or into a braid. Nothing looks better than freshly baked sourdough brioche rolls!
- Once shaped, place the dough into two greased 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans for taller loaves or 9 x 5 inch loaf pans for wider loaves. Cover and leave to puff up for its second rise. I placed my dough in my favorite proofing box at 90 degrees F for 4-5 hours. You could also place the loaves in an OFF oven with just the light on to help speed up this step.
- Just before the dough has completed its second rise, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With a pastry brush, top the dough with an egg wash.
- Place the loaf pans in the hot oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue to bake for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 180-190 degrees F.
- Let cool completely before slicing and enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Keep the butter cold but not rock hard when adding it to the dough. I remove it from the fridge 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it into 10 to 12 pieces. Add one slice every 10 to 20 seconds while mixing on low speed. I use the same butter technique for my Sourdough Chocolate Babka.
- Knead the sourdough brioche dough on medium speed until it passes the windowpane test. This means the dough can be stretched thin enough that light passes through without tearing. If the mixer gets warm, stop and refrigerate the dough for 10 to 15 minutes to keep the butter from melting. I follow the same approach for my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.
- Be patient with the second rise. Since this is an enriched dough coming out of the fridge, it will take extra time to double in size. The dough should look light and airy and should not feel cool to the touch before baking. Rushing this step will result in dense brioche.
- Brush the top with an egg wash just before baking for a shiny, golden brown crust. Start baking at 400 degrees F and immediately reduce to 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 180 to 190 degrees F. If the top browns too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
- This sourdough brioche recipe makes two loaves, but you can easily halve it for a single loaf pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or slice and freeze for up to a month. Brioche also makes incredible french toast. For another sourdough bread recipes option, try my Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Slice before freezing for easy access.
Sourdough Brioche FAQs
I have not personally tested this recipe with dairy-free substitutions, so I cannot guarantee the results. Brioche relies heavily on butter and milk for its texture and richness, so swapping them may change the final crumb. That said, oat milk and a dairy-free butter or margarine may work as substitutes if you would like to experiment. For a sourdough recipes option that uses less butter, try my Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners.
This sourdough brioche bread recipe is soft, buttery, and just the right amount of tangy. You get that classic traditional brioche feel with all the goodness of sourdough. And since it is made with fermented grains, it is easier on your gut. Studies have shown that sourdough breads are easier to digest than breads made with commercial yeast. For another enriched dough option, try my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.
Absolutely. For sourdough brioche rolls, divide the dough into 30 equal pieces (60 grams each), let them proof in a warm spot until nearly doubled, brush with an egg wash, and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes. For hamburger buns, divide into 15 pieces (120 grams each) and bake for 20-30 minutes. For another versatile dough, try my Sourdough Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread.
If you have a stiff starter (a low hydration starter), simply add a bit more water or milk to loosen it up before mixing with the other ingredients. This will help ensure the dough remains rich and soft. Be mindful of the balance between hydration and flour to get the perfect consistency for your sourdough brioche dough.
If you tried this Sourdough Brioche recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Brioche Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 40 grams all-purpose flour about 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon
- 200 grams milk 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon
Sourdough Brioche
- 150 grams active sourdough starter about 3/4 cup
- 240 grams tangzhong all of the tangzhong mixture
- 100 grams sugar 1/2 cup
- 100 grams milk, cold 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon
- 280 grams eggs, cold about 5 eggs
- 12 grams salt 2 teaspoons
- 750 grams bread flour about 5 cups + 1/3 cup
- 255 grams unsalted butter, cold 18 Tablespoons
- egg wash egg yolk + splash of milk
Instructions
Before mixing the dough, prepare the Tangzhong.
- Bring a small saucepan or skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add the milk and flour and whisk constantly until a thick paste forms. (about 1-2 minutes)40 grams all-purpose flour, 200 grams milk
- Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the Tangzhong to cool before preparing the dough. To do this quickly, spread the thick paste over a large plate, cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge. It should be cool enough within 5-10 minutes.
Mix the Dough
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the active sourdough starter, cooled Tangzhong, sugar, cold milk, cold eggs, flour, and salt. Mix on low for about 5 minutes until all of the ingredients are incorporated and a stiff, thick dough forms. While the dough mixes, prepare the butter.If you are using a Kitchenaid stand mixer, one tool I highly recommend is a dough hook shield! This prevents the dough from climbing up or clogging up your mixer. Since this recipe makes 2 loaves, it’s a lot of dough to knead. During my testing trials, the dough continuously climbed up my dough hook, but not with this shield! Cheap investment, but so helpful!150 grams active sourdough starter, 240 grams tangzhong, 100 grams sugar, 100 grams milk, cold, 280 grams eggs, cold, 12 grams salt, 750 grams bread flour
- To incorporate easily, the butter should be cold, but not rock hard. I like to remove it from the fridge 5-10 minutes before adding it to the dough. Slice the cold butter into 20-22 slices total.255 grams unsalted butter, cold
- While still mixing on low, add one slice of butter every 10-20 seconds.
- Once all of the butter has been added, increase to medium speed and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes more or until the dough is smooth, elastic, tacky to the touch and passes the windowpane test.While kneading the dough, the mixer will get warm, which in turn can heat the dough. It is important to keep the dough cool to prevent the butter from melting. If you notice that the dough is getting warm, stop kneading, cover and place the dough into the fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then continue with the kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
Bulk Fermentation:
- Place the dough in a straight-edge bowl, covered with plastic wrap or a reusable shower cap and leave to double in size. At 70 degrees F, this took about 7-9 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, keep covered and place it in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. Brioche dough is very sticky, so a cold proof helps the dough to be more manageable while shaping. If you’d like to skip this step, place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours for easier shaping.
Shaping:
- Remove the dough from its container onto a clean work surface and divide the dough in half (about 940 grams each). Press or roll the dough out with a rolling pin to remove air bubbles. Shape into two loaves such as a plain loaf, a loaf of 4-8 rolls or into a braid.
Plain Loaf Shape
- Remove and roll out the dough into a large rectangle, the width of the dough should be about the length of your loaf pan. Then roll the bread dough into a log, like you would a cinnamon roll. Curl the ends of the dough under itself and pinch the seams together.
- Place the shaped dough in the greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Roll Loaf Shape
- Divide one half of the brioche dough (940g) into 8 even pieces (about 117g).
- With one piece of dough, pull the corners of the dough towards the center, flip, and then roll each piece of dough into a round, tight ball. Repeat until all the rolls are shaped.
- Place the 8 dough balls in the greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Braided Loaf
- Divide the brioche dough (940g) into 3 even pieces (about 313g). Roll each strand to about 10 inches long.
- Connect the tops of each dough rope together, then spread them out on the work surface. Take the right piece of dough and cross it over the middle piece of dough. Then take the left piece of dough and cross it over the middle piece of dough. (Refer to photos above)
- Continue this pattern until the dough is completely braided. Curl the ends underneath itself before placing the dough into the greased loaf pans. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Second Rise
- Once shaped, place the dough into two greased 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans for taller loaves or 9 x 5 inch loaf pans for wider loaves. Cover and leave to puff up for its second rise. I placed my dough in my favorite proofing box at 90 degrees F for 4-5 hours. You could also place the loaves in an OFF oven with just the light on to help speed up this step.You want the dough to double in size. It should look light and airy. The dough shouldn’t be cool to the touch. Since this is an enriched dough and it is cool from being in the fridge, this step will take some time. Be patient. Don’t rush this step, otherwise the brioche will bake up dense.
Bake
- Just before the dough has risen at least 1 inch above the rim for the 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pan or to the rim for the 9×5 loaf pan, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With a pastry brush, top the dough with an egg wash.egg wash
- Place the loaf pans on the middle rack in the hot oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue to bake for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 180-190 degrees F.If the tops of the Sourdough Brioche is getting too dark, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake.
- Let cool completely before slicing and enjoy!
Perfection!!!! The recipe is absolutely perfect.The bread came out delicious and super soft. I think I will turn into as chocolate babka next time. Thank you!!!
This makes me so happy to hear! I’m thrilled you loved it. And chocolate babka is such a delicious idea. I actually have a sourdough chocolate babka recipe if you’d like to give that a try next time! Happy baking!
I have made your babka many times. It’s delicious!!!! Thank you!
This just made my day! So thrilled you love it.
can this be made dairy free? like using oat milk and margarine instead of butter?
Great question! I haven’t personally tested this recipe with dairy-free substitutions, so I can’t guarantee the results. Brioche relies heavily on butter and milk for its texture and richness, so swapping them may change the final crumb.
That said, oat milk and a dairy-free butter or margarine may work as substitutes if you’d like to experiment. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Omg I’ve been eyeballing this recipe for a while now and finally made it. Of course it turned out amazing just like every single other recipe I made from simplycity and a starter. I’m gifting one loaf and keeping the other one but I’ll sure be making this recipe again and again
Ahh, this makes me so happy to hear! I’m so glad you finally gave the brioche a try—and gifting one loaf is the sweetest idea (though keeping one is definitely a must). Thank you for baking along with me and for your kind words about my recipes—it means the world!
Family loves it! One loaf gone in less than 10 minutes!
So thrilled you are enjoyed it, Larisa! Thank you for sharing.
Can this recipe be halved to make only one loaf?
Yes, it can!
This sourdough brioche is so soft and buttery! My family loves it plain or turned into sourdough French toast.