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Stir together this one-bowl, Overnight No-Knead Brioche Bread before bed. When you rise, it will be ready to shape and bake. It's the most tender, buttery bread that's wonderful for toast, sandwiches or for your next dinner party!
My mom was famous for her fabulous homemade bread. She would bake ten (yes TEN!) loaves at a time and made it seem like it was child's play. We all loved her bread and enjoyed it toasted for breakfast, warm and crusty in the dinnertime bread basket or for sandwiches of all kinds. When I served this bread to our son Nick for the first time, he took one bite and said, "This bread! It's better than grandma's!" I knew we had a winner!
Better and easier than grandma's bread...
And guess what? I used to watch my mom make her homemade bread and this no-knead brioche bread is WAY easier than the way she did it. Of course, she probably had really shapely arms because of all that kneading, but I can think of more fun ways to get shapely arms (or "guns" as my kids call them!).
The magic happens while you sleep...
The whole process from start to finish will take 10-12 hours, on average, but it's 99% hands-off time. Good bread can't be hurried when it comes to rising. And that's exactly where the majority of the time is involved with this recipe.
Your part is super easy. You simply stir together flour, sugar, yeast, salt, eggs, butter and water until it's well-mixed. Cover the dough, refrigerate and have yourself some sweet dreams. The magic will be taking place in the refrigerator. You'll know what I mean when you check things out in the morning. The dough will be light, airy, will have climbed up the bowl and be ready to roll (literally!).
I like to make four small (my pans are 3x6-inch) loaves of bread with this recipe, but you can also make two larger loaves.
Keep a stash of this no-knead brioche bread in the freezer
This no-knead brioche bread freezes beautifully. It's so nice to pull a loaf out for breakfast, lunch or dinner. As soon as my stash is depleted, I make another batch since it takes so little time. If I'm making it during the day, I can run out, do a few errands, have lunch with a friend, pick up groceries, and the dough just does its own thing while I'm gone.
I like to pop the little loaves back in the oven after thawing and get the crust nice and crisp. The hot bread is fabulous served sliced in a breadbasket. It's also wonderful for sandwiches (grilled cheese are amazing!), with salads or alongside soup (pictured below is my Fresh Spinach Soup - delish!)
Even if you've never made bread before, give this no-knead brioche bread a try! Because the recipe calls for instant (or rapid-rise yeast) there are no worries about activating the yeast. Instant yeast is combined with the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) and activates on its own when the warm liquid is added.
You might even get a reputation like my mom had as a famous little old bread baker!
Café Tips for making this Overnight No-Knead Brioche Bread
- This recipe calls for "hot tap water". What that means is water that feels hot if you dip your finger in it but not so hot that you need to quickly pull it out. If you want to use an instant thermometer, the temp should be between 118-122˚F (47-50˚C).
- This recipe calls for instant (or rapid-rise) yeast. Don't try to use regular dry yeast. Instant (or rapid-rise) yeast can be found at most grocery stores right next to the regular yeast. It usually comes in small packets which hold 2¼ teaspoons, but you can also purchase rapid rise yeast in bulk which is infinitely cheaper!
- When turning the dough out onto the counter to form the loaves, use plenty of flour. If the dough is sticking to your hands or the work surface, you need more flour. Just keep flipping the dough in the flour till it's not sticky.
- A baker's bench scraper is a wonderful tool when working with bread dough. It keeps your fingers from getting sticky as you can use the scraper to turn the dough in the flour to coat it. It's also a great clean-up tool to scrape any excess dough from the counter.
- I like to let the bread cool completely then slip individually into bread bags and pop them into a freezer. A few hours before serving I pull a loaf or two out to thaw, then re-warm the bread in the oven at 300˚F for about 10 minutes - or until it's nice and crusty.
- If you want to make the dough in less time, just don't refrigerate it. It will take 2-3 hours to rise and then you can proceed with forming the loaves. Bake as directed once the loaves have risen. The bread has a deeper flavor with the long, slow rise but if you're in a pinch, you can do it without the refrigeraton.
- You'll need 4 small baking pans to make this brioche bread, approximately 3x6-inches. I've had these Chicago Metallic pans for several years and really like them. They're non-stick and come out of the dishwasher looking like new.
- If you want larger loaves, you could also use two 8x4-inch pans.
- This no-knead brioche bread is fabulous with a smear of butter and a dollop of this Overnight Raspberry Freezer Jam (pictured above). If you missed the fresh raspberry season, no worries, the jam can be made from frozen berries.
Thought for the day:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Psalm 106:1
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
Stir together this one-bowl, Overnight No-Knead Brioche Bread before bed. When you rise, it will be ready to shape and bake. It's the most tender, buttery bread that's wonderful for toast, sandwiches or your next dinner party!
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 envelope instant yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons,7 grams, or ¼ ounce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups hot tap water
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon tap water
- soft butter for greasing the pans
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Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a medium-large bowl. Stir well to combine then make a well in the center.
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Melt butter in the microwave for 30-45 seconds on high power, until just melted. Remove from microwave and add the ¼ cup of milk. Stir with a fork then add the egg and stir again until well mixed.
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Add the milk mixture to the well in the center of the flour. Add the very warm tap water to the well then stir to combine. Continue stirring until all flour is incorporated. Cover the dough rightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight, 8-16 hours.
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Generously butter four 3x6-inch loaf pans and set them aside. (Alternatively, you could use two 8x5-inch loaf pans.)
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Generously flour a work surface and transfer the dough to the work surface. Turn several times with a bench scraper or spatula until the dough is well coated with flour.
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Using a bench scraper or spatula, divide the dough into four equal pieces. Turn each piece in the flour to coat all of the surfaces. Add more flour to the work surface if needed.
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Take one piece of the dough and flatten it out with your hands into a rectangle shape with the long side slightly longer than one of your bread pans. Turn to coat both sides with flour if any of the surfaces are sticky.
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Roll up tightly like a cinnamon roll, then tuck the ends under and shape with your hands into a loaf. Place in one of the prepared pans. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel and let the bread rise again until the loaves look like they’ve doubled in size, about 1-2 hours (if your house is chilly, it may take a little longer.
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When the loaves are close to being doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Prepare the egg wash by vigorously whisking together one large egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
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With a pastry brush, brush each loaf over the top with the egg wash. Try to be careful not to let the wash drip down the sides of the loaves into the pan.
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Place loaves in the preheated oven for 18-25 minutes or until golden brown. Check it after 15 minutes. If it's getting too brown on the top, cover it with foil for the last 3-8 minutes. (Larger loaves will take longer.) Remove bread from pans and transfer to a cooling rack. (If bread is stuck to the side of the pan anywhere (from the egg wash), loosen it with a small thin-bladed knife.) Enjoy!
See Café Tips above in post for more detailed instructions and tips.
Recipe adapted from Alexandra Cooks.
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DeeDee says
Every Cafe Sucre Farine I have tried has turned out exceptionally well. I have made these loaves twice and both times they have been delicious. The second time the loaves didn't rise as high so I will try slightly hotter water as suggested by another poster.
Has anyone made this recipe substituting half or 3/4 whole wheat flour for the white, and if so how did it turnout?
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So glad you enjoyed this, DeeDee!
Fa says
Hii i wondering how to calculate the engridients in grams if you dont mind.. ^^ really want to rebake it. Thanks a lot
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Fa, there is an option to switch to metric measurements right under the ingredient list. Enjoy!
Fa says
Oops my bad diddnt see it.. thank you for your reply chris!
Carol says
Could you use bread flour for this? Also how long should the larger loaves take? I kept putting them back in because I wasn't sure. Great recipe. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Carol, yes you could use bread flour. Regarding the time, I would bake the larger lovaes for 20 minutes then check every few minutes until golden or until an instant thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 190˚F.
Joshua says
Nothing like getting excited for a great looking recipe and then unexpectedly reading a religious quote that brings childhood flashbacks of being told I'd be tortured in hell if I didn't believe in god and hearing the bible being used to justify domestic violence against my mom!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Joshua, Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate hearing your point of view.
It makes me sad that men have so distorted God's beautiful Word, that Scriptures like this are offensive to you and I'm so sorry for the difficulties you experienced as a child. No child should have to go through that.
The Bible is not a book about religion but rather a relationship with the living, eternal Creator of the universe. I pray for God's richest blessings in your life.
Elyssa says
Thank you for using your platform to give thanks, its really beautiful to see, especially in times like these. God bless you and keep you!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Elyssa!💕
GrandT says
I recently made and reviewed your moist and delicious Banana Bread recipe and just had to come back to tell you about your Brioche Bread recipe. I made your bread yesterday and it turned out fabulous. I had been trying to make it for the overnight rest in the fridge but I always run out of steam in the evenings. So, I made it in the morning and let it rise on the counter 4-5 hours and then proceeded with the recipe. It turned out great, wonderful, delicious! My Grands will love this bread. Will be making again. I'm new to your site and can't wait to try some of your other recipes. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, GrandT!
Rose says
Can this be made into rolls?
I've seen uour recipe for dinner rolls but that requires 1 whole egg and 2 yolks...
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Rose, yes you could definitely make this recipe into dinner rolls!
Jodie-Anne says
Hi Guys,
Do you think this recipe would be okay for a bread machine? I'm very time poor and make all of my own bread, but in a bread maker.
Love your recipes,
Jodie-Anne
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jodie Anne, I haven't tested this recipe in a bread machine but I would think it would work.
Meghan says
This bread is my family's favourite! My husband loves it because it reminds him of his grandmother's coffee can bread. I have to say, the recipe is perfect. I can't make it TOO often though, because we're trying to lose weight and buttery, soft, sweet bread does not help. I omitted the egg wash because I ran out of eggs and it still looks lovely. I did the 4-hour rise on the counter and it was every bit as delicious as when it rose in the fridge overnight. This is my go-to bread now, thank you so much for the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
That's great, Meghan! Thanks for letting us know!
Gina says
I just made this and I’m very upset!
This is too easy, too delicious and that is dangerous! But, calories and kidding aside, this is going to bring a LOT of JOY in my house! I had almost given up on making bread, as I’ve tried countless times to make so many kinds of breads and some were good, but, I just don’t have the patience , it all just beat down my bread making confidence …and then i found this recipe!
Can’t wait for my daughter to come home and welcome her with her favorite type of bread… soft yummy Brioche.
Thank you for making me a better mom!
Chris Scheuer says
Ha! Thank you for the kind comment, Gina! I'm so glad you had success with this recipe 🙂
Seena Cox says
This has become our favorite homemade bread. I, however, had to make some slight adjustments. My first try was good; subsequent loaves didn't rise enough. After some research, I learned that instant yeast rises best with water temperature at 120 to 130 degrees. I also make sure my milk is warmed and try to let the egg warm to room temperature. Using a Wheat Montana flour makes it so soft and buttery.
I noticed also that allowing the bread to rise from the refrigerator then kneading just a little into the loaf sizes helped my bread rise to a very nice size. I let it rise in the pans as stated on the recipe. Without this step, I wasn't getting a really light bread nor one that was rising as much as needed.
Seems I'm making bread twice a week now; my husband loves it and wants hamburger buns from it as well. Not sure it's hefty enough for that!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your review, Seena! So happy you've enjoyed this recipe!
Hannah says
Made this amazing recipe and it turned out great on the first try! My grandparents loved it as well. thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
That's great, Hannah! Thanks for letting us know!
Lori says
So my 50 yr old fiance was talking about how he'd never had fresh baked bread and I couldn't believe it! We have very limited space so I went in search of an easy, simple recipe and stumbled upon this. It took almost no time (or space) to prepare and the results were phenomenal! I added a little extra sugar because I served it for breakfast and he has a morning sweet tooth. He's hooked! All of the bread was gone by that night (I got one slice, lol)! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!!
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome, Lori! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Kevin Hodgkins says
I have 2 questions. I have pan, which I believe it’s made for mini cornbread loaves. The measurements are 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches with room for 8 mini loaves. I would love to use that pan to make mini sub rolls for lunches. Any idea one the yield or how many that it might make? Also, I know breads are usually cooked to a certain internal temperature for the most optimum outcome. Would you happen to have an idea of what internal temperature this dough should be cooked to to allow for carry over cooking to finish it. Thank you and I look forward to trying this recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kevin, I honestly would have to test this recipe in your pan to be able to give you the yield. The temperature question though, I can answer. The bread should be right around 190˚F with an instant thermometer.
Sherry says
I wonder if this could be transformed into Cruffins???? I would LOVE a recipe!!!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sherry, I haven't tried that but it's a great suggestion. I will keep that on the back burner!
Joan says
does the dough need to come up to room temp before dividing and shaping into loaves?
Chris Scheuer says
Nope, it will come to room temp as it rises. Enjoy!
Joan says
I’m in the process of making this recipe and I notice there is no mention of oiling the bowl or the dough when you put it in the refrigerator to rise over night. In checking my dough after a few hours, I see a crust has formed and I took the dough out, oiled the bowl and top of dough and put everything back to rise. Have I messed up the dough for this batch and/or should the bowl be oiled?
Thanks, I do love your recipes and have used many
Joan
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Joan, you should be fine. Generally, when you cover the tightly dough with plastic wrap, the top does not form a crust.I will make that more clear in the directions.
Joan says
Thank you, it was my assumption and I should know. It is covered but with a shower cap, not as tight as Saran type wraps
Cathy says
Hi - so do we oil the bowl? Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
You do not need to oil the bowl for this recipe, Cathy.
Cathy says
Thank you. Can’t wait to try this bread!
Milan says
How would you recommend going about braiding it? Love this recipe but wondering if I could change the shape up!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Milan, if I wanted to braid this bread, I would probably just make one loaf. I'd divide the dough into 3 equal portions, then roll each into a long log and braid them together.
Kay says
Do you have a cook time for the two larger loaves? It just says “longer” and I don’t want to overtake them! Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kay, I would give them an extra 5-8 minutes and then check with an instant thermometer. The internal temperature for yeast bread should be 190˚F.
M. says
Good Morning, Chris. I'm not saying I messed up the recipe, but I WILL say it's very forgiving. I just took this bread out of the oven. My intention WAS one loaf tonight, one with Sunday dinner. (I baked the two larger loaves.) I'm glad there's time for me to get MORE of this lovely bread going so I can, indeed, have some with Sunday's dinner. Oh, my GOODNESS, this bread is beyond delicious. The recipe is easy and the bread is scrumptious. Thank yo so very much for sharing this recipe. Time for me to have a slice of brioche. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, M! Happy New Year!
Sue says
My Family said this was pure perfection! Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Sue!
Susan says
Absolutely, perfectly delicious. Love this recipe. Thanks.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks, Susan!
Stephanie says
1st time bread maker here! This was truly AMAZING!! Nice crust, soft buttery dough. We eat 1 loaf fresh and I'm about to pull the other out of the freezer to have with dinner. What a great technique. I'm sure I'll be making this again. You've made bread-making approachable for me! Thanks for sharing.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thank you for sharing your results, Stephanie!
Sara says
Happy Thanksgiving! I love your site and your recipes. I can't tell you how many pickles you have got me out of! When you say easy, it is! Bless you for all the amazing things you do.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Sara!
Ryan says
This turned out amazing. Fluffy and buttery and perfectly soft. This is definitely my new go-to bread recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Ryan!
Jill Phillips says
Was wondering if it would make a difference if you mixed it in the stand mixer?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jill, that will work fine!