Sourdough Brioche Recipe (Soft & Fluffy)

This sourdough brioche recipe is the one I keep coming back to: soft, buttery, faintly tangy, and tall enough to make proper toast soldiers. It's a genuine sourdough brioche bread too, no commercial yeast anywhere near it, just a well-fed starter doing the heavy lifting over a couple of easy days.

I first fell for brioche working at an Ottolenghi deli in London, and this version, with a hit of vanilla and lemon zest, is the one I've spent years getting right. Give it two lazy days and a stand mixer, and you'll have a loaf worth defending from the rest of the household.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!

Recipe Highlights

TEXTURE: soft, pillowy crumb with a tight, tender bite, more pull-apart than big open holes.

SKILL LEVEL intermediate. The shaping is easy; the patience over two to three days is the real skill.

WHAT'S SPECIAL: no commercial yeast and a stiff levain instead of a regular starter.

SEB'S RATING: 10/10.

Why a Stiff Levain Works Here

I've tested this loaf both ways: with my everyday 100% hydration starter, and with a Stiff Sourdough Starter instead. The stiff version wins, every time. Because a stiff levain holds far less water for the same amount of flour, you can pack more of it into an already wet, egg-and-milk-heavy dough without loosening it further.

That extra levain gives the yeast more to work with, and that matters here, since butter and sugar slow fermentation right down in any enriched dough. A stiff levain gives this brioche the extra push it needs to rise properly instead of sitting there sulking.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Strong bread flour: all-purpose flour will work in a pinch, but the dough won't rise as tall or be as easy to handle. The higher protein content in bread flour builds the gluten structure this enriched dough needs.
• Caster sugar: also called superfine sugar. White granulated sugar works too.
• Eggs: I use large eggs in the UK, so go for extra-large if you're baking in the US.
• Milk: full-fat dairy milk gives the best result.
• Stiff Sourdough Starter: at 60% hydration, active and ready to use: see above for why.
• Salt: fine sea salt.
• Vanilla bean paste: or one vanilla pod, optional but lovely.
• Lemon: zest only, optional.
• Unsalted butter: very soft, almost spreadable.
• Egg yolk: for the eggwash and that deep golden crust.

A quick flavour swap: if you'd rather skip the lemon and vanilla, swap the lemon zest for the zest of one orange, or stir through 1 to 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds instead. Both work well with the buttery crumb here, and if you want a whole loaf built around that combination, my Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Bread is worth a look too.

EQUIPMENT: You'll also want a stand mixer with a dough hook, this is a genuinely sticky dough to work by hand. For the tin, go for something around 1.8 litres (21 x 11cm / 8.5 x 4.5in) if you can get hold of one; a narrower tin pushes the dough up rather than out, which is what gives you the tall, sliceable loaf in the photos. A standard 9 x 5in tin works fine too, you'll just end up with a shorter, wider loaf and a slightly quicker bake.

Find the full ingredient quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

Method

OK, so here's the bombshell - it takes TWO DAYS to make, but there isn't that much hands-on time. Mostly, time is spent bulk fermenting, proofing and resting the dough. 

Day 1: In The Evening

Feed your starter just before bed. Mix the levain ingredients together in a small bowl and leave it semi-covered at cool room temperature for around 8 hours, or overnight. This makes 120g of levain, but you'll only use 100g in the dough; the extra accounts for what sticks to the bowl and spoon.

Day 2: Mixing and Bulk Fermentation

In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the strong flour, levain, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, vanilla and lemon zest, except the butter, and bring it together into a rough ball. No need to develop gluten yet, just get it combined.

Add the soft butter a little at a time, kneading and slapping the dough as you go. It will look very sticky at this stage; resist the urge to add extra flour. With a stand mixer, this takes around 10 to 15 minutes: start on low, then move up to medium once the butter goes in. By the end, the dough should be soft, elastic and glossy, and it should pass the Windowpane Test for Sourdough.

Pop it into a buttered bowl, cover, and leave to rise in a warm spot until it's roughly doubled. This first rise (bulk fermentation) takes about 3 to 6 hours depending on your kitchen. Once doubled, move the covered bowl to the fridge overnight.

Day 3: Shaping, Proofing and Baking

The dough should feel firm and much easier to handle now. Knock the air out, roll it into a log, and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight ball by pulling the edges out and folding them into the centre.

Line a loaf tin with baking parchment; a narrower tin gives you a taller loaf that slices and toasts beautifully. Arrange the balls snugly in the tin, cover loosely with greased clingfilm, and leave to prove in a warm spot for 4 to 6 hours, until just shy of doubled. Don't let it overproof, or the loaf can collapse in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush the top with egg wash and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until deep golden brown. Cool for at least 15 minutes before pulling it apart, or cool completely if you want clean slices.

Tips for Sourdough Brioche Success

🌾 Don't add extra flour, even when it's sticky. The dough looks unmanageable halfway through kneading; it isn't. It firms up properly once the butter is fully worked in.

⏳ Watch the dough, not the clock. Every kitchen ferments at a different speed. Use the timings as a guide, but go by how much the dough has actually risen.

📏 Choose a narrow loaf tin if you can. It pushes the dough up rather than out, giving you a taller loaf that's easier to slice for toast.

🥚 Egg wash generously, right before baking. A proper coat gives you that deep, glossy colour rather than a pale top.

🔪 Use a serrated knife once fully cool. It's a soft crumb, and a straight blade will squash it rather than slice it.

Serving Suggestions

This loaf is happiest simple: torn apart while still warm with salted butter, or toasted with good jam. For something more substantial, try it toasted with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, skip the vanilla if you're leaning savoury.

Slightly stale slices make excellent Gingerbread French Toast.

Recipe FAQs

Storage & What To Do With Leftover Brioche? 

Sourdough brioche keeps a little longer than a standard sourdough loaf thanks to the enriched dough. Store it well-wrapped in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze the baked loaf, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap or foil and store in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months; toast straight from frozen or thaw at room temperature.

What is more, our favourite way to use Sourdough Brioche which is going a little stale is to make French Toast! 

• Gingerbread French Toast
• White Chocolate & Orange Bread and Butter Pudding
• Savory French Toast With Bacon and Poached Eggs

Reader Review

"This brioche is an absolute beauty! Thanks for such detailed instructions!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Other Delicious Sourdough Recipes

If you like baking with sourdough, the opportunities are endless. Some of our favourite sweet sourdough bakes include: 

• Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
• Sourdough Chocolate Babka
• Sourdough Hamburger Buns
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Panettone

Christmas Sourdough ebook

Celebrate the holiday season with a unique twist this year with our 24 Christmas Sourdough recipes! Discover the magic of using active sourdough starter, sourdough discard, and leftover baked sourdough bread to create a memorable and flavoursome Christmas feast.

Get It Now for $10.00

Sourdough Brioche Bread (Fluffy and Buttery)

Soft and fluffy, with just the right amount of vanilla and lemon zest, this is our Best Sourdough Brioche we've ever made! Ideal for luxurious breakfasts, this brioche with a slight sourdough tang lends itself just as perfectly to savoury accompaniments. Just imagine a slice of toasted brioche topped with creamy scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 days d

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 days d 30 minutes mins

Course Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine French

Servings 16 slices

Calories 148 kcal

Equipment

• 1.8-litre (3-4 lb) narrow loaf tin, ideally around 21 x 11cm / 8.5 x 4.5in (a standard 9 x 5in tin also works; the loaf will be shorter and wider)
• Stand Mixer with a Dough Hook Attachment

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Stiff Levain:

• 30 g sourdough starter
• 60 g plain flour all-purpose flour
• 30 g water

Brioche:

• 240 g strong bread flour with at least 12% protein content
• 30 g granulated sugar
• 2 eggs large
• 60 ml milk
• 100 g stiff levain active
• 5 g salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla pod (optional)
• 1 lemon zest only (optional)
• 110 g unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 egg yolk for the eggwash

Instructions

 

Day 1: In the Evening

• Mix the sourdough starter, water and flour together in a small bowl until fully combined.
• Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 8-9 hours, or overnight, until doubled in size. This makes about 120g of levain; you'll only need 100g for the dough (the extra allows for what sticks to the bowl, jar and spoon).

Day 2: Mixing and Bulk Fermentation

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the strong flour, levain, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, vanilla paste and lemon zest. Bring together into a rough ball; you don't need to develop the gluten yet, just get everything combined. Knead by hand (expect a sticky dough) or use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
• Cut the room-temperature butter into small cubes. With the mixer running, add the butter one cube at a time, waiting for each piece to incorporate before adding the next. Once all the butter is in, continue kneading until the dough is soft, elastic and glossy, about 10-15 minutes in total. By hand, knead the butter in the same gradual way; the dough will turn very sticky before it comes together, then keep slapping and folding it on the worktop for about 15 minutes until it's soft, elastic and noticeably less sticky.
• Grease a large bowl with butter or oil and place the dough inside. Cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to bulk ferment in a warm spot until doubled in size, roughly 3-6 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Go by the rise, not the clock.
• Once doubled, cover tightly and place the bowl in the fridge overnight.

Day 3: Shaping, Proofing and Baking

• Line your loaf tin with baking parchment (see equipment note above for the ideal size).
• Take the dough out of the fridge and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. It should feel much firmer and far less sticky than the day before. Roll it into a log to knock out the air.
• Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tight, smooth ball by pulling the edges out and folding them into the centre.
• Arrange the balls snugly in the tin. Cover with a tea towel or lightly greased cling film and leave to proof again in a warm spot, ideally 21-23°C, for 4-6 hours, until just shy of doubled. If your kitchen is cool, turn the oven on its lowest setting for 2 minutes, then turn it off and place the tin inside to proof. Don't let the dough overproof, or the loaf may collapse in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. While it heats, lightly whisk the egg yolk and brush it generously over the top of the loaf.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until deep golden brown. Cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before pulling it apart. For clean slices, cool completely before cutting.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 227IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.5mg

Keyword Brioche, Brioche Loaf, Lemon Brioche, Soft Brioche, Sourdough Brioche, Sourdough Brioche Bread, Sourdough Brioche Loaf, Vanilla Brioche

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!