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The BEST Flaky Honey Brioche Bread…for your weekend baking. This light, buttery, super soft, and eggy brioche bread is swirled with hints of sweet honey, and makes for the most delicious, extra fancy companion to your morning coffee. This bread is great on its own, toasted with butter and topped with cinnamon sugar (so good). Or use it to make your favorite french toast – the options are endless. The perfect way to start your day!
Why you’ll love it
- Soft, buttery crumb with light honey sweetness.
- Easy lamination for flaky layers—a brioche–meets–croissant vibe.
- Makes two loaves: enjoy one now, freeze one for later.
Ingredient notes
- Milk + yeast: Warm, not hot. If using active dry, proof first; instant can go straight in.
- Eggs + butter: Classic enriched dough—expect a silky, slightly tacky dough that firms up when chilled.
- Flour: Bread flour = extra chew/structure; all-purpose yields a softer crumb.
- Honey: Floral sweetness; slightly tenderizes the crumb.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and strengthens gluten.
I don’t know why, but I almost never share recipes like this. For some reason I feel like I always need to share crazy different and unique recipes. I forget that really good “basics” are just as important! I made this brioche a few weekends back. Mostly because I really wanted a good bread to use in my favorite baked blackberry french toast. Up where we live in the mountains, good bread can be incredibly hard to come by. Most of the time I can find a good Challah bread, but the last few weeks the bread pickings have been slim.
My guess is that all the snow over the past month has really set the stores back. For one, with the highway being closed on and off, trucks have had a hard time getting up here to make deliveries. Two, because of all the snow, the town has been packed to the brim with skiers. Leaving the grocery stores pretty much wiped clean daily.
first fold (in half with butter inside)
second fold (into an envelope)
rolled into a log (like a cinnamon roll)
(log cut in half to create 2 loaves)
Long story short, I couldn’t find good bread, so I made my own Brioche! And I am now sharing it with you guys. Because, oh my gosh, it’s possibly one of the very BEST breads I’ve ever made.
Yes, my homemade naan is amazing and will always be a favorite (always). But it’s a flatbread, so very different. And the beer bread in the cookbook? Totally still a favorite, but again it’s just very different, and nothing like a soft Brioche.
This bread is a game changer.
When I set out to make this, I was in no way planning to share the recipe. But as I was making the dough and swirling in the honey, it hit me that you guys might really enjoy the this recipe. I mean, everyone loves bread, right? And we all want to bake over the weekend, right?
Yes, we do!
Plus, the light in my kitchen and the colors of this bread were just too pretty. I had to photograph it and I had to share. Because it’s just a dang good recipe and that is always most important!
Ok, so the details.
If you’re afraid of bread making, please do not be. It’s easy (and made easier if you have a stand mixer…hint, hint, invest if you love to bake). To sum it up, to the mixer you’ll add milk, yeast, honey, eggs, flour, salt, and butter…that’s the dough. Six very simple pantry staple ingredients that are really simple to throw together.
Mix the dough, then allow about an hour for the dough to rise. Then it’s time to roll it out and layer with very cold butter (see photos!). The layers of extra cold butter are what make this a “flaky” brioche, instead of a more traditional brioche. It’s kind of like a cross between brioche and a croissant, DELICIOUS.
The key is to roll the dough out twice. I know it might seem like over-kill, but this will distribute the cold butter throughout the dough, creating buttery, flakiness with every single bite. Again, so DELICIOUS…and I promise it’s not hard or even that time consuming.
My other trick? Quickly chilling the dough in the freezer! Saves so much time!
After you roll the dough, divide it into two loaf pans, and let rise. Then brush the dough with a beaten egg to get an extra glossy top that looks beautiful after baking.
As the dough bakes, the smell of freshly baked bread will waft throughout your house. Truly the perfect scent to welcome in the first weekend of spring. I highly recommend enjoying a slice or two warm, fresh out of the oven. Just add a little butter and honey. I also highly recommend serving this as morning toast, or for Sunday brunch.
This is honestly the best when toasted with butter and spread with a sweet berry jam…or no, wait, with butter and cinnamon sugar. Yes, that’s my personal favorite (should I share my recipe for cinnamon toast???).
Another great thing about this recipe? It makes two loaves!! You can freeze the second loaf, or do as I do, and bake up my favorite spring brunch recipe, blackberry ricotta french toast. It’s always a crowd favorite.
You see? Endless options with this bread. Meaning, bake it soon, because it’s perfect for all your springtime brunching and snacking needs!
Ohhh, and I just thought of this too…PB&J sandwiches? Maybe toasted? Yes, I have to do this. See, endless options. Enjoy!
Serving ideas
- Sliced warm with butter + honey.
- Cinnamon-sugar toast (fan favorite).
- Thick-cut French toast or a brunch bread-pudding bake.
Make-ahead, storage & freezing
- Overnight option: After the first rise (or after shaping), cover and refrigerate overnight; this deepens flavor and makes laminating/shaping easier.
- Storage: Once cool, wrap tightly; best within 1–2 days at room temp.
- Freeze: Whole loaf or sliced; wrap well. Toast from frozen or thaw, then re-warm gently to refresh the crust.
Can I make this without a stand mixer?
Yes! Knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will take longer; use the windowpane cue to know you’re there.
How do I know the butter is the right temperature for laminating?
Cold to the touch but pliable. If it cracks, let it sit 1-2 minutes; if it smears, chill briefly and dust exposed spots with flour.
Bread flour or all-purpose?
Bread flour gives more chew and structure; all-purpose makes a softer, more tender crumb. Both work, choose your preferred texture.
How do I freeze for French toast later?
Let the loaf cool completely, slice, and freeze slices in a single layer, then bag. Toast or griddle slices straight from frozen for best texture.
If you make this flaky honey brioche bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Flaky Honey Brioche Bread.
Servings: 10 makes 2 (9×5 inch) loaves
Calories Per Serving: 435 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup warm whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup honey
- 5 eggs – 4 used in dough, plus 1 egg beaten for brushing
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold salted butter, sliced into thin pieces
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast, honey, 4 eggs, flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons room temp butter and mix until combined, about 2-3 minutes more.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 3. Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle that’s about 12×18 inches. Lay the thin slices of cold butter on one half of the dough, pressing gently to adhere. 4. Fold the other half of the dough over butter, covering it completely. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, roughly 12×18 inches. Fold 1/3 of the dough into the center, then fold the other 1/3 over the top of the first layer so you have three dough layers (like an envelope). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for 15-20 minutes until chilled. Alternately, you can chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. 5. Meanwhile, butter two (9×5 inch) bread pans. 6. Remove the dough from the freezer. Roll the (envelope shaped) dough into a rectangle (about 12×18 inches). Starting with the edge of dough closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edges to seal.7. Cut the dough in half and place seam side down in prepared pans. Cover and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour. 8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the bread pans on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. Transfer to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes or until dark brown on top. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a cooling rack. Slice and serve warm or cold.
Notes
*Adapted from Martha Stewart.
This post was originally published on March 22, 2019
It’s so disappointing that you thought, even for a moment, that this recipe wasn’t worth sharing! How glorious it looks! I can’t wait to try it. I hope I speak for all your readers when I say that much as we adore the crazy, different, interesting recipes, ones like this are most always welcome. Please keep sharing and don’t focus so much on always being “different”.
Cheers and keep the awesomeness coming!
xo, Melanie
You are too sweet! Thank you so much and I hope you love it, Melanie! xTieghan
I just tried this recipe and while it tastes great, it did not turn out like the recipe at all. Could you do a video tutorial and/or add pictures for every step? Mine looked nothing like yours by the time I rolled it at the end, it barely rised before the oven again. I was very confused during the rolling and folding. Did you mean fold it like a brochure? The word “envelope” was confusing and I wasn’t sure how small the cut the cold butter or how much space to leave between it. Could you also include a thickness when rolling the dough out? I rolled it to 12X18 but it was much thicker than yours. Any extra visuals would be much appreciated!
Hi Jessica, so sorry you had some trouble with the rolling. Yes, like a brochure, into thirds. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. If you felt your dough was too thick, just roll it into a larger rectangle until it is about 1/4 inch thick. We will work on creating a video for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Glad you still enjoyed this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I can’t wait to make this!! I’m so glad you shared this recipe, sometimes simple tastes best :))
Agreed!! Thank you so much Gabby! xTieghan
If you ever have extra time on your hands (I know, right?) it would be so incredible if you’d test some of your awesome breads and naan with a GF flour to include in the directions as an alternative. We love EVERYTHING we’ve made on your site so far and that’s the only area we haven’t delved into (breads). I’ve been drooling over your naan.
Thank you Meredith! Some people have commented about using GF flour, if you would like to try it! xTieghan
Hi! If I am to freeze half of the dough, what temperature and time would you recommend for baking the frozen half? Would it need to thaw first or just go straight into the oven? I’m assuming I should freeze if after cutting the dough into two halves. Looking forward to this! Thanks!
Hey Hannah! Yes, cut the loaves in the half and then wrap well and freeze. TO bake, place the frozen dough in the greased loaf pan, cover and let thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
The loaves are beautiful! I’m wondering how well this bread keeps? Does it stale fairly quickly like other brioche?
Hey Erin! This will stay fresh for up to 3 days, after 3 days I recommend freezing the bread. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
My dough is not rising?? What am I doing wrong?
HI! Can you give me some more info on how you made the bread? Did you change anything about the recipe or do anything differently? Any info will help me problem solve. Hope this bread turned out for you!
This is the best bread I’ve baked so far! Easy recipe and DELICIOUS. Toasted with nutella and jam = heavenly! Thank you! I will definitely be making this again.
YES! I am so glad you loved this bread, Katie! Thank you! xTieghan
Tieghan, please never think that we don’t like basics. I personally don’t even believe this to be a basic recipe as this is a mix between a brioche and croissant, but please also share these recipes! Thanks for this amazing idea. Need to make brioche asap!
Thank you so much Jenny! So happy you like this recipe! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, you mentioned that you can freeze the second loaf for later use, at what point would you freeze it? After you cut the full log in half? Before or after it rises in the pan? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Gretchen! Yes, freeze the second loaf half log has been cut in half. You can freeze up to 3-4 months, then thaw in the bread pan, overnight in the fridge. Bake as directed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
If you want people to have success in creating what you show in your photos and say in directions before the recipe contents, re-create it in your head as you are putting the pen to paper as we say in the field, as you are writing the instructions. Then read them again. Several steps are obviously missing here, no one will get the results you did following this recipe. You quickly answer positive comments but are slow when people comment in asking for corrections or clarifications.
Hi Henry! Thank you so much for your suggestions and I will implement them! xTieghan
Hey Henry,
Thanks for these suggestions. There was one typo in the recipe and I fixed it the day the recipe went live. I am sorry if something was confusing to you, please let me know if I can help you in any way with this recipe. As for responding to questions, I do my best to respond in a timely manner and get to questions ASAP. It can be very difficult to keep up at times as I can’t be glued to my computer all day long. But again, I do my best. I answered most of these questions late Friday night, the same day the post went live. Hope this clears things up for you and again, let me know if you have a specific question. Thank you for reading, Tieghan.
I am making this right now! I only see rolling out two times and wondered if you add more butter between each roll, and if an additional roll was left out. I also do not see a filling as mentioned in the one step. Hopefully you can respond quickly as the dough is rising.
Hi! Yes, roll the dough out twice, but do not add more butter in between each roll. There is no filling, only butter. I am not sure where you see directions for a filling? Hope this helps and enjoy the bread!
How would you adapt the baking time/temperature for higher altitudes? I moved from FL to NC and baking has become a challenge for me.
Hey Erin! I do not recommend adapting the recipe in any way. I believe it will work really well for you as I am in CO! Just be sure to not over bake the bread and it should turn out great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Like everything else you us!
Please share a video or step by pictures of the rolling and folding process, that would be helpful.
Thank you so much Chelsea! xTieghan
This looks amazing, but I don’t see the filling listed in the recipe, even though it’s in the instructions! Can you help, please?
Hi Michele, there is no filling in this recipe, only butter. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan