The Best Sourdough Brioche (Tangzhong Method)
This ultra-soft sourdough brioche bread is about to become your new favorite! It is made with tangzhong, making the brioche stay fresh for days. It pairs just as well with eggs and bacon as it does with chocolate spread or jam.
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Cooking Thermometer
- Stand mixer
- Brød & Taylor Proofer (optional, but recommended for better temperature control)
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Two 9-in bread tins
Ingredients
Sweet Levain
- 30 g active white sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g whole milk cold
- 10 g sugar
Tangzhong
- 140 g whole milk
- 35 g all-purpose flour
Main Dough
- 460 g bread flour
- 250 g eggs approximately 5 eggs
- 30 g whole milk cold
- all the tangzhong (175 g)
- all the sweet levain (120 g)
- 60 g sugar
- 12 g salt
- 200 g unsalted butter softened
Other
- 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
Sweet Levain
- Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Cover the bowl and let the levain rise in a warm spot (78-80°F/26-27°C) for four hours, or until it has doubled in size.
Tangzhong
- Add milk and flour to a small pot. Heat up over medium heat while stirring with a whisk. Once the mixture has thickened and reached the temperature of 150°F/65°C, it is ready.
- Transfer the tangzhong to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap that is touching the entire surface of the tangzhong. Cool to room temperature before continuing with the next step.
Main Dough
- Add all the ingredients, except salt and butter, including the sweet levain and tangzhong, to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix until just combined. Rest/autolyse for 30 minutes.
- Add the salt and knead on medium speed for 5-10 minutes.
- Slowly add in cubed, softened butter, one cube at a time. When you have added all the butter, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and continue mixing at medium-high speed until the dough passes the window-pane test. This typically takes around 15-25 minutes, depending on your mixer.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and proof for three hours at around 75°F/24°C.
- After the three hours proof, you can transfer the dough to the fridge and let it cold-proof for 8-15 hours.
Shape
- Butter two 9-inch bread tins.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into two equal pieces. We want to work with one loaf at a time so place one of the dough pieces on a floured work surface and the other back into the fridge.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into seamless rounds and arrange them in one of your prepared bread tins. Repeat on the other half of the dough.
- Let the brioche breads proof for 7-10 hours at 75-78°F/24-26°C, until doubled in size.
Bake
- Preheat your oven to 360°F/180°C.
- Brush the tops of the breads with egg wash.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cover with aluminum foil if it browns too quickly.