Plant-Based Brioche Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Food52 Pantry

by: Posie (Harwood) Brien

May2,2021

5

8 Ratings

  • Prep time 8 hours
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Makes 2 loaves

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Fluffy, soft, and slightly sweet, this vegan brioche tastes just like the classic version. Instead of butter, cow’s milk, and eggs, it relies on plant-based ingredients like olive oil, oat milk, and aquafaba. —Posie (Harwood) Brien

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is shared in partnership with Planet Oat. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cupPlanet Oat Oatmilk
  • 1/2 cupolive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 1/4 cupgranulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup(12 tablespoons) aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoonsinstant yeast
  • 1 teaspoonsalt
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups(360g to 420g) all-purpose flour
  • Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Directions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the oat milk, olive oil, sugar, and aquafaba.
  2. Add the instant yeast, salt, and 3 cups of flour and mix until just beginning to combine, then switch to the dough hook and knead until the dough is smooth and shiny and elastic-looking. The dough will likely look very wet at first, but continue to knead it and it should smooth out and start to look shinier—this can take up to 15 or 20 minutes, so persevere! (This is also why it’s much better to use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook instead of attempting to knead it by hand.) If you find it’s really not getting satiny and smooth, and it’s sticking too much to the sides of the bowl and not coming together in a ball, then you can add a bit more flour—up to ½ cup—one tablespoon at a time.
  3. Once the dough is smooth and shiny, transfer it to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a reusable cover) and let it rise at room temperature for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size.
  4. After this rise, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it chill for a minimum of 4 hours or as long as overnight.
  5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and divide it in half. Divide each half into six even pieces and roll them into balls.
  6. Lightly grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans and place six balls in each pan, offsetting the balls slightly. Cover the pans and let rise at room temperature until very puffy, about 2 hours.
  7. When you’re almost ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  8. Brush the tops of the loaves with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer, until the loaves are golden brown. If you find that the loaves are browning too quickly, tent them with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Tags:

  • Bread
  • French
  • Vegan
  • Food52 Pantry
  • Snack
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • MaryMary

  • Änneken

  • jacky143

  • catiemoo

  • Lisa Stein

Popular on Food52

24 Reviews

MaryMary June 2, 2023

Can I use rice milk (Ripple) instead of oat milk. Can’t find oat milk without careegean (thickener/binder made of sawdust)

damnthatswild90 March 14, 2023

I've made this multiple times with all kinds of modifications (less oil, less sugar, whole wheat/AP flour blend) and have always had great success. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, it has even impressed many non-vegan family members!

kbn14k January 25, 2022

a video would be super too :D

kbn14k January 25, 2022

hello, I hope the author will answer my question. I had to add at least 3/4 cups more flour (original amount I put in was 3 cups). It just WOULD NOT stop sticking to the sides and used my Kitchenaid mixer on level 6 for 30 minutes (of course, stopping to scrape down the sides and add more flour. I'm in the first rise process now and hoping that the bread won't be tough from all that added flour. also, I live in Nevada where it is very arid and usually i have to add more liquid.

MaryMary June 2, 2023

Try less oil instead of more flour. I use rice milk (Ripple). Not arid here in Dallas, Texas.

Änneken February 5, 2021

This is going to be a staple in my house..what a wonderful recipe! Buttery & soft & light & airy...I used it to make Gena Hamshaw's vegan french toast with it and it was divine. Also an amazing vehicle for kaya (recipe on this site). Highly recommend!

Amy B. January 12, 2021

Can I use another sweetener? Granulated sugar is not vegan. I know it's only a 1/4 cup but it's processed.

Amy B. February 22, 2021

I just found a granulated maple syrup that can be use din place of sugar. Google it!

Lisa S. March 28, 2021

You can use organic sugar, that's not processed with bone char. Or sugar in the raw, which isn't white, it's brownish, but not brown sugar. That's the only sugar we have in the house. Love the crunch it adds to cookies, personally.

chinagem January 31, 2022

Organic sugar is vegan.

MaryMary June 2, 2023

Will change texture and taste if you use a sugar substitute. Perhaps applesauce? Or monk fruit?

rmandell September 30, 2020

I would just repeat everything that Barbara just said. I love this recipe. The bread was so soft, buttery and comforting. It did take longer to rise and a little bit more flour, and you do have to trust the recipe and knead a really long time, but it's totally worth it.

Barbara September 27, 2020

I truly would not have believed that this recipe did not have butter and eggs in it. It is fabulous and the recipe is easy to follow. The ingredients are readily available and the finished product is beautiful but even more so, delicious! I did use more flour than suggested to make sure it was less sticky. It may have been related to the humidity in the air that it required more flour. However, the end product worked well and rose well (although a bit longer than the recipe states). The aquafaba also worked well and I used the chickpeas for another recipe. It's a win-win with healthy choices and wonderful taste.

jacky143 September 18, 2020

Questions - what exactly is aquafaba? Is it literally the liquid from canned chickpeas? Is there something else that can be used?

Posie (. September 18, 2020

Yes, the liquid from the canned chickpeas.

debra September 16, 2020

Made these lovely loaves today. I am truly impressed. They taste delicious and I am not even a vegan or vegetarian. Much more cost efficient than traditional brioche recipes. I did have to use the full amount of flour (3.5 cups) and knead for just over 25 min. The loaves are not as tall as I would like but that is the only complaint. I think I will attempt cinnamon rolls with this recipe next.

Letty S. September 7, 2020

This recipe looks great, but I'm GF. Will the recipe work with AP, GF flour? Have you tried this substitute? I'm having a very hard time finding breads that are GF and dairy free and egg free!

Posie (. September 7, 2020

I hear you! That's a tough one--I haven't tried it with AP GF flour so honestly I can't say how well it would translate. I do think it's better to stick with a recipe that's designed specifically for those flours; I'd highly recommend one of these recipes: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/gluten-free-focaccia-recipe or doing a classic ciabatta using a GF AP blend, which I think could handle the change well.

Posie (. September 7, 2020

Not sure if my response was posted so trying again! I haven't tried it with a GF flour so I can't say if it would work although you could certainly try, but I'd recommend sticking with a recipe designed for those flours. This is a good one to try (https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/gluten-free-focaccia-recipe) or you could try a classic ciabatta using GF AP flour which I think could handle the change well.

catiemoo August 9, 2020

Sorry about all the reviews i submited one then a bunch came up

catiemoo August 9, 2020

Great recipe! Totally mimics Brioche and even tastes like it has butter in it! Thanks for another great recipe Posie! Love it!

catiemoo August 9, 2020

Great recipe! Totally mimics Brioche and even tastes like it has butter in it! Thanks for another great recipe Posie!

catiemoo August 9, 2020

Great recipe!
Totally mimics Brioche and even tastes like it has butter in it!
Thanks for another great recipe Posie!

Leigh July 28, 2020

This looks like a great recipe and I can't wait to try it. Could bread flour be used instead of all purpose flour?

Plant-Based Brioche  Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan brioche made of? ›

All-purpose flour creates a cakier vegan brioche whereas bread flour gives the brioche a slight 'chew'. Vegan butter creates a rich and tender texture that's typical of traditional brioche and makes it different from sandwich bread. Dairy-free milk. I prefer soy milk as it's higher protein and creates a richer brioche.

Why does brioche need to sit overnight? ›

Cold proof your dough: According to Martin, letting the dough proof in the fridge overnight provides extended fermentation time, which in turn develops more flavor. This step is extra-helpful since most brioche doughs are made without a preferment for flavor.

What is a substitute for butter in brioche? ›

Sure, you can substitute margarine for butter in brioche if you really want to. In terms of adding fat to create a softer, less chewy crumb by interfering with gluten formation, it will work. Not quite as well as an equal amount of butter, because margarine has more water in it, but it'll do the job.

What is a substitute for milk in brioche? ›

If you're just running low on milk and don't want to head to the store, use these swaps to save your baking.
  1. Cream or Half-and-Half. ...
  2. Evaporated or Powdered Milk. ...
  3. Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt. ...
  4. Water (or Water and Butter) ...
  5. Nut Milk. ...
  6. Soy Milk. ...
  7. Oat Milk. ...
  8. Rice Milk.
Apr 3, 2023

Why is brioche so expensive? ›

Brioche is one of the costliest bakery products because of its high proportion of butter and eggs.

Why is brioche so good? ›

Brioche is different to most breads because it's made with an enriched dough and tastes a little sweeter. . Because it's an enriched dough, you get that famous brioche texture of soft bread, the classic golden colour and quintessentially rich taste.

Why does brioche smell weird? ›

Yeast contamination can occasionally occur in bread after baking which can produce a chemical smell that is similar to acetone. Yeast does not survive the baking process, but bread can become contaminated with "wild" yeast during the cooling, slicing or packaging processes (post processing contamination).

Why is my brioche not fluffy? ›

If the kneading is not done correctly and the dough is not kneaded enough or is kneaded too much, this will affect the texture of the brioche. The dough should be left to rise in a warm place, away from any draughts.

Why add butter slowly to brioche? ›

Why should butter be added slowly to brioche dough? Adding the butter into your brioche dough is a fairly lengthy process, and the butter should only be added approx. one tablespoon at a time. This is so the dough maintains the stretchy gluten we've built up, and the butter is absorbed slowly.

What is the closest bread to brioche? ›

Challah bread is very similar to brioche, since it is made with eggs. It has a slightly sweet flavor and a soft, pillowy interior.

What do bakeries use instead of butter? ›

WHAT ARE BUTTER ALTERNATIVES FOR BAKING?
  • MARGARINE. Margarine is a fat that is made mostly from vegetable oil that's flavored to taste like butter. ...
  • SHORTENING. Shortening is 100% fat, made from hydrogenated vegetable oils. ...
  • OLIVE OIL & VEGETABLE OIL. ...
  • COCONUT OIL. ...
  • PUMPKIN PURÉE. ...
  • APPLESAUCE. ...
  • GREEK YOGURT. ...
  • BANANAS.

What do vegans use instead of butter on bread? ›

What are good vegan butter substitutes? In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.

Is there another name for brioche bread? ›

Brioche is considered a Viennoiserie because it is made in the same basic way as bread but has the richer aspect of a pastry because of the addition of eggs, butter, liquid (milk, water, cream, and, sometimes, brandy) and occasionally sugar.

What can I use instead of yeast for brioche? ›

You can substitute yeast with equal parts lemon juice and baking soda. So if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of yeast, you can use half a teaspoon of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of baking soda. Keep in mind that the bread will not need the typical proofing time and the dough will begin rising right away.

Can you refrigerate brioche bread? ›

Can you refrigerate brioche buns? The refrigerator may seem like a good method of storing brioche buns to maintain freshness, however, I would not recommend keeping brioche this way. The cool, but above freezing temperature of the fridge may actually cause your brioche buns to go stale faster or alter the taste.

What is brioche bread made of? ›

Brioche dough contains flour, eggs, butter, liquid (milk, water, cream, and sometimes brandy), leavening (yeast or sourdough), salt, and sometimes sugar.

What does vegan bread have in it? ›

Vegans can eat bread that does not contain animal products or byproducts. This includes breads that only use some variation on flour, water, yeast, and salt including ciabatta, baguette, focaccia, sourdough, pita, and ezekiel breads.

What does brioche bread contain? ›

Brioche is a yeasted bread enriched with butter, eggs, milk, and a little sugar to create a soft crumbly texture. The butter ratio is very high—often half to three-quarters butter to flour—and the bread is usually kneaded three times, as opposed to twice as in ordinary bread making.

What makes vegan bread vegan? ›

Vegan bread shouldn't contain any animal products, including dairy, eggs, or honey. While some baking companies claim to have vegan bread, not all do because they still use egg or honey in their breads. To get a truly vegan bread with many varieties you have to look at Food for Life.

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