The French brioche is a classic yeast bread that's rich with butter and eggs, perhaps a cake-like bread. Today, we use the dough to make a brioche loaf, also known as brioche pain de mie in French, using a Pullman loaf pan. The recipe is simple and easy with a long chilling and resting time in between steps.
People often think brioche is hard to make, but on the contrary, it's rather simple and easy. I always knew soft Brioche buns or classic brioche or brioche a tete and yet never realized I could make it into a sandwich bread until one day when I had lunch at a deli in Lourdes (south of France). The bread they used was a brioche pain de mie. It blew my mind. Wow.
While you can make classic sandwich bread, brioche is a great way to elevate and add a bit more richness to your everyday sandwichs. I like making brioche sandwich bread when I have guests because it looks rather impressive. Brioche sandwich loaf also makes the best breakfast toast with butter and jam. Use leftovers to make amazing French toast, bread pudding as well as sandwiches.
About this brioche loaf
Unlike the classic Pullman bread, this brioche Pullman bread is buttery, rich with a crisp golden crumb. The loaf is delicious with defined brown crisp edges, which are so delicious.
The recipe takes longer to make because we do let the dough rise in the fridge for a good 6 to 12 hours. This helps the yeast develop more flavor and also makes it easier to work with. I highly recommend using a stand mixer because we do need to do a fair amount of kneading.
Brioche Pullman loaf vs. classic brioche sandwich bread (Save/Pin)
All bread made in a loaf pan can be used to make sandwiches, and yet to be characterized as a Pullman sandwich bread, you must have four square corners. Yup!! That's the defining characteristic of this bread. That shape actually comes from using a specific loaf pan that has a nifty sliding lid. You actually bake the bread with the lid on. So when the bread rises as it bakes it fill into the corners of the pan on all sides, giving it those perfect square corners.
I'm not really sure how true this really is, but I read somewhere that the Pullman railway company invented this bread, back in the old days, to make storage and transport easy. With this shape, they could stack the bread one on top of the other using space more efficiently.
The texture of the Pullman sandwich bread is supposed to be soft, light and fluffy. So, you must have a good recipe that's just right for the pan you have, so it will give you a perfect bread, not too dense nor too limp.
The Pullman loaf pan
This is not a pan you buy often. And just because you buy a Pullman loaf pan does not mean you can't make regular sandwich loaves in there. If you do not use the lid, what you get is a regular sandwich loaf with a round edge. I love those too! However, if you buy a regular loaf pan then you can't make a Pullman sandwich bread without the lid.
So, the smart choice according to me? If you must buy one loaf pan - buy the Pullman sandwich loaf pan. That way you can make the regular bread without the lid or a Pullman sandwich bread with the lid. You can see me use it without the lid when I made my white sandwich bread, as well as whole wheat sandwich bread - both these are made with this same pan but without the lid.
A Word on Quality
I cannot stress this enough. It is very important that you buy a good quality pan. Nothing is worse than to spend time on bread and to have it stuck in the pan, or the lid does not work after one or two bakes (often an issue with low-quality metal). A good quality pan will last you for years and will be a pleasure to use over and over again.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour – Often, bread flour is recommended for making homemade bread. But I have been making bread now for over 10 years and I always use all-purpose flour for my brioche.
- Instant dry yeast – Today, I am using instant dry yeast but you can also use 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast or 21 grams of fresh bakers yeast.
- Sugar – brioche is a sweet bread but you can certainly reduce the sugar by half.
- Butter – is the star of the show in brioche so use good quality butter with high-fat content.
- Eggs - Adds a lot of flavor to the bread, gives a tender crumb, and strengthens the texture.
- Milk - Enhances the flavor, and tenderizes the dough giving it a soft texture.
Step by step instructions (Save/Pin)
This recipe will make one 9 x 4 x 4 loaf (double the recipe for 13 x 4 x 4 loaf)
Prepare the dough
- In the mixer bowl, combine - warm milk, yeast, sugar, and eggs.
- Combine salt with the flour then add it to the mixer as well.
- Knead on medium speed for about a minute scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Once all the flour is incorporated.
- Knead the dough for two minutes until smooth.
- The dough will be soft and sticky - that's ok.
- Next, add the soft room temperature butter, one cube at a time.
- Once all the butter is in, knead again for 2 minutes until smooth and elastic and soft.
1st & 2nd rise
- Remove the dough from the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
- Form into a smooth ball.
- Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen cloth.
- Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.
- Then punch the dough down.
- Cover again and let rise in the fridge for 6 hours up to 12 hours.
Shape the loaf
- At this point, the dough will be very chilled and firm (because it's a butter-rich dough).
- Invert on to a lightly floured surface.
- Knead for just 30 seconds to make it smooth and pliable again.
- First, make a ball then roll it creating a nice tight sausage shape the length of the Pullman pan.
- Place into a sprayed Pullman loaf pan seam side down.
Prove loaf (3rd rise)
- Cover loaf pan with plastic wrap.
- Let rise in a warm place. This can take about 90 minutes up to 2 hours (because we started with chilled dough).
- Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides - spray the cover of the Pullman pan lid and place it on.
- Preheat the oven to 170 C / 350 F for at least 10 minutes.
Bake the loaf
- Place the loaf pan on the center rack in the hot oven.
- Bake the smaller loaves for about 30 to 40 minutes. Bake one large loaf for about 45 to 60 minutes
- The bread is done when you tap the bottom of your loaf and you will hear a hollow sound.
- Partially open the lid and let cool for 10 minutes - before you remove and let cool completely.
- Always let bread rest for at least an hour before you cut it - I know it's hard but it will keep the bread moist.
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions?
If stored properly, this white bread will stay for 4 to 5 days at room temperature. It can be frozen for a month or more too. Never store bread in the fridge as it dries out.
Yes, you can, but not this recipe. Use my classic Pullman sandwich bread recipe instead. Just omit the egg in that recipe. You may need ½ to ¾ cup less flour in the recipe. Everything else remains the same.
Pain de mie is a French term for soft white or brown sliced bread. 'Pain' means bread and '(de) la
Yes. A Pullman bread pan is a loaf pan with straight sides and a lid. So, when you bake it you have four right angles unlike traditional sandwich bread with a dome. While this recipe is especially calculated for a Pullman loaf pan you can definitely bake it in a regular sandwich loaf pan.
Ideally, it works best to buy a pan but if you want you can cover the top of a regular loaf pan firmly with foil. Of course, you will have a flat top but the rest of the corners will still be the shape of the original pan. So while not perfect it will be a squarish loaf.
Yes, with a few tweaks. Bread from white wheat flour will be softer in texture than whole wheat bread and needs a little less water. I recommend using my whole wheat sandwich bread recipe which uses both white and whole wheat flour.
This bread doesn't usually last long in our home and these never go to waste.
These are great to use in French toast as well as toasted or grilled sandwiches.
Any hard leftover bread can be pulsed in the food processor and used for coating schnitzel or breaded Crispy Chicken.
Yes, I have made Brioche buns, classic brioche a tete as well as brioche sandwich bread using this dough as my base.
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Brioche Loaf - Pullman Sandwich Loaf
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk
- 2 ¼ tsp (7 g) Instant dry yeast (1 packet)
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 2 ½ cups (310 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5.00 g) Salt
- 2 Eggs large
- 1 Egg yolks
- 4 tbsp (60 g) Butter unsalted
Instructions
Prepare dough
- In the mixer bowl, combine – warm milk, yeast, sugar, and eggs.
- Combine salt with the flour, then add it to the mixer as well.
- Knead on medium speed for about a minute scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Once all the flour is incorporated.
- Knead the dough for two minutes until smooth.
- The dough will be soft and sticky – that's ok.
- Next, add the soft room temperature butter one cube at a time.
- Once all the butter is in, knead again for 2 minutes until smooth and elastic and soft.
1st & 2nd rise
- Remove the dough from the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
- Form into a smooth ball.
- Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen cloth.
- Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.
- Then, punch the dough down.
- Cover again and let rise in the fridge for 6 hours up to 12 hours.
Shape the loaf
- At this point, the dough will be very chilled and firm (because it’s a butter-rich dough).
- Invert on to a lightly floured surface.
- Knead for just 30 seconds to make it smooth and pliable again.
- First, make a ball then roll it creating a nice tight sausage shape the length of the Pullman pan.
- Place into a sprayed Pullman loaf pan seam side down.
Prove loaf (3rd rise)
- Cover loaf pan with plastic wrap.
- Let rise in a warm place. This can take about 90 minutes up to 2 hours (because we started with chilled dough).
- Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides – spray the cover of the Pullman pan lid and place it on.
- Preheat the oven to 170 C / 350 F for at least 10 minutes.
Bake loaf
- Place the loaf pan on the center rack in the hot oven.
- Bake the smaller loaves for about 30 to 40 minutes. Bake one large loaf for about 45 to 60 minutes
- The bread is done when you tap the bottom of your loaf and you will hear a hollow sound.
- Partially open the lid and let cool for 10 minutes – before you remove and let cool completely.
- Always let bread rest for at least an hour before you cut – I know it’s hard but it will keep the bread moist.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Tips for making the perfect Brioche sandwich bread every single time
- Measure all ingredients ahead of time so you don't forget anything at the last minute.
- For accuracy, use a weight measure for the ingredients because every cup of flour can weigh differently depending on how you fill it.
- The milk must be warm (not hot) about 110F. If the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast, similarly, if the milk is too cold it will not activate the yeast.
- Though instant dry yeast has a long shelf life, it can get ruined. Always check the expiry date on the yeast. If unsure, combine the yeast with water/milk, sugar/honey, and oil/butter from the recipe and let stand 5 minutes. If it gets foamy the yeast is good to go if not, it's best to buy fresh yeast or check the temperature of the milk.
- Keep salt away from yeast as it can kill the yeast. I like to combine it with the flour then add it to the yeast mixture.
- A soft loose well-hydrated dough is not necessarily a bad thing, it often will give you a soft puffy bread, so don't be tempted to add more flour than mentioned in the recipe.
- Kneading is key to making good bread. While kneading by hand can be therapeutic, using a stand mixer is easier and quicker.
- Leave the dough at room temperature to rise until double in volume. While not recommended, when in haste, you can place it in a warm (not hot) oven this will expedite the rise.
- Bread does not have to be time-consuming. You can leave the dough in the fridge to rise for a few hours (even overnight) while you go about your chores. A slow rise will give more flavor to the bread.
- Always preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before you place bread in or the low temperature will spread the dough too much.
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Jeff Stone
I totally screwed up making this bread. I think my brain was stuck between my regular pain de mie and this brioche version.....and also with a regular brioche recipe in the back of my head somewhere. I missed the first proof, the recipe was too small for my mixer, the butter was too cold, my pan too large......I could go on. The bottom line is that I let the last proof go for almost 3 hours and threw it in the oven knowing it would be a disaster and it came out perfect. This is a great bread to add to my regular baking list. Thanks
Veena Azmanov
Ah Jeff. You are lucky. Brioche is a very enriched dough and does well with long slow proofing, that is why it still worked well. I am happy to hear things worked out well. Thanks for the feedback.
Ang
Hi, would you be able to provide a link to the pan you used for this recipe please?
Veena Azmanov
Hi Ang. The one in the video was a local brand and not such good quality so I had to replace it. I am now using the ones I have linked in the post. They are very good quality and the bread never sticks.
Dave
Veena-
Made two of the Pullman white loads successfully...one yesterday and one today. Decided to try the Brioche version but had issues. First rise took 2 hours, and there wasn’t much of a rise after taking out of the fridge. Just pulled the loaf out and it’s small. The yeast I used was the same as the other loaf I made successfully this morning. Unlike the white bread recipe I didn’t let the yeast sit in the milk, sugar and egg per the recipe. Any thoughts on what may be going on here?
Thanks -
Dave
Dave
Just watched the video...wondering if this recipe is for the smaller Pullman pan? I’ve got one that’s the larger 13” x 4” x 4”. Much less milk and flour than the white bread recipe which filled this larger pan with ease. Wonder if that’s why my first attempt didn’t fill the pan?
Veena Azmanov
I used the 9 x 4 x 4 pan. Brioche has much less milk because it has too many eggs and butter. If you want to use a 13 x 4 x 4 pan you will need to double the recipe. I hope this helps.
Dave
Thank you for the clarification. Huge difference this time around. Doubled the recipe and added an extra egg (dough looked too dry and I was using smaller eggs anyway). Bake time was only about 25 minutes...bread “thumped” hallow, and the outside looks beautifully light gold in color. Can’t wait to eat it. Thanks Veena!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Dave. Happy to hear you had great results. Yes, if you let it proof well the bread will be light and airy.
Your 13 x 4 inch pan took only 25 minutes? Mine usually takes about 35 to 40 mins.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Dave, What pan did you use for this one?
I made this Brioche last week and it worked perfectly with my 9-inch loaf pan.
It does take longer for rising and proofing because it's a very enriched dough.
But it should have worked even if you don't activate the yeast separately if the temperatures are correct.
Thanks
Samantha Sim
I have not baked in years so I was very afraid. But, due to the recent shortage in bread I had no choice but to make homemade bread. A friend suggested your blog and I am so grateful for that. Your recipes are spot on.
Every bread that I have tried from soft dinner rolls, sandwich bread, whole wheat bread, no-knead bread, flat bread as well as pizza dough - my family loved them all. Today I made this one and I can honestly say I this one will soon be a regular. LOVE it.
Your pizza sauce is another one that is going to be a regular. I now noticed you have some Indian recipes too. We love Indian food... going to make your curry powder soon.
Thank you so much for all the effort you put in this blog. It really is a haven of information.
God bless. Happy Mothers day to you lovely.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Samantha, for taking the time to write such a lovely comment and feedback. Welcome to my blog. I am so happy you are enjoying my bread recipes as well as other recipe. Will love to get your feedback on the Indian recipes as well if you try.
This is our favorite bread too. I think your family will enjoy it. Happy Mother's Day to you too
Svetlana
This recipe makes the best brioche loaf ever. I had small eggs so I added one more. The dough was quite soft so I almost added more flour but thanks to your tips and guidance I decided to let it be. Best decision. Everyone loved it. Thank you, Veena.
PS. LOVE your blog, especially how you write your recipes.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Svetlana. I am so happy you enjoyed this bread. Yes, the dough is soft but once the butter chills it's easier to work. So best not to add too much flour. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Jeanette
I was looking forward to this bread but it did not work for me. There a couple of issues. The recipe calls for 3 T of sugar but in the blog you say the recipe only uses 1 T (I used 3 T). The recipe calls for 60 ml or 1/4 c milk. In the video it looked like more than that in the bowl. More importantly, after adding the flour the best I could get was a dough that looked like dry crumbs. I double checked the amounts and I had added the right amount of flour (310 gm). I wound up adding an additional 1/4 c of milk, 1 T at a time, but in the end I had a very firm dough, like you would get after chilling the dough. Altogether I used my machine for 20 minutes to just get that dough. Something seemed very wrong so I dumped that batch. Any thoughts?
Veena Azmanov
Hey Jeannette,
First, I am so sorry that this bread did not work for you.
The sugar is 3 tbsp but you can reduce it to 1 tbsp. I have corrected the language so it is more clearer.
As for the dough. The only thing I can think of is that the eggs used were too small. The eggs do make up for the liquid in this recipe.
I have increased the milk by 2 tbsp now but I don't think that would make much of a difference from your feedback.
In any bread, you may need to adjust the water or flour by a few tbsp so I'm not sure why your recipe ended up in the bin.
I am looking at the recipe again and it is a standard recipe I use in all my brioche recipes. Many have tried it successfully.
In fact, if you look at the comments today. You will two new comments with positive feedback for this bread.
Again I am so sorry this did not work for you. I will be making this dough again this week just so I can test it again.
Thank you for your feedback.
Jeanette
Thank you for your quick response. I use large eggs in all of my recipes. I do want to try it again because it seems like a fairly simple recipe and I am always on the look out for recipes that use the pullman loaf pan and if others have good success it is worth another shot.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Jeannette. I am very sensitive about my recipes and Brioche are my very popular recipes. So, I had to go test it out based on your feedback. But, the recipe is correct.
I haven't baked my bread yet. Just prepared my dough.
The dough measurements are correct, the 1/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, and one egg yolk work perfectly for this quantity of flour. You can also use 1/3 cup milk, 2 egg yolks. and one whole egg.
I highly recommend you try it again and see for yourself.
If you do, let me know the outcome. Thanks
Jeanette Braisted
I tried the recipe again today. Used 2 eggs and 1 yolk, 1/3 cup milk and actually decreased the flour by 1/2 cup. It still took longer to come together and the raise times were longer but that was okay. End result was a very nice loaf of bread. Tender, moist, very nice crumb and held together nicely when sliced. I would make it again. Thanks for your help.
Veena Azmanov
I am happy to hear that the end result was a good outcome. I baked the bread today too. You can see my brioche on my Instagram stories. I made the bread exactly as the recipe says. Thanks for the feedback. happy you enjoyed the bread
George
Hi Veena, I’m really excited to try your recipe. I have a 13x4x4 Pullman pan. How would I need to modify the cooking time? Thank you!
Veena Azmanov
Yes, I have mentioned in the post - it will take between 40 to 60 minutes. After 40 minutes you can remove the bread and bake on the baking tray if the color is still pale. Thanks
George
How long should I bake it if using a 13x4x4 Pullman pan? 30-40 minutes, or longer? Really looking forward to trying this recipe out!
Veena Azmanov
Hey, George - Bake the smaller loaves for about 30 to 40 minutes. Bake one large loaf for about 45 to 60 minutes. Thanks
George
Thank you!
David Mader
I'm confused. In the "article" you say you like to use Instant yeast but "Active Dry" yeast can be used. Then, in the actual recipe you call for "Active Dry Yeast". My, very limited, understanding is that when switching from "Active" to "Instant" one uses a ratio of .75. So can you clarity, the actual amount of Instant yeast to use. I'm using SAF Instant Yeast, which King Arthur Flour prefers. Appreciate your feedback, look forward to trying the recipe.
Veena Azmanov
Hey David, I am using instant dry yeast not active dry yeast. The SAF instant yeast is all purpose instant yeast which I'm told works the same as regular instant yeast. So, you should be ok with using the same quantity mentioned in this recipe. I hope this helps
Toni
These were really good!! Can't wait to make it again! Turned out perfect
Veena Azmanov
Yeey, Thank you, Toni. So happy you had success with this recipe. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Pam Greer
This turned out perfect. While I love this for sandwiches, it is hands down my choice for french toast! It makes the best French toast!
Veena Azmanov
Yes, I agree....this one makes the BEST ever French toast. Thanks Pam.
Sue
This is an amazing post, Veena. I've rediscovered bread making in a big way the past couple of years, but I've never made anything like this, I love that pan! And the bread turned out perfectly. Definitely going to make it again
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Sue. You will love this bread. It's really easy too.
Beth
I haven't made this type of bread before but I love the unique look of it! I love trying new tools in the kitchen so I'm on my way to buy a Pullman Loaf pan!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Beth. You will love the Pullman loaf pan
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Everyone at my house loved it! Tasted SO good!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Shadi. So happy to hear that. Appreciate you coming back to write this feedback