Recipe · Brioche · Same-Day
82% Hydration Same-Day Brioche
Brioche is bread that thinks it's pastry. Eggs, butter, and milk soften the crumb to almost cake, but the gluten still has work to do. The cold ferment after mixing keeps the butter from melting out before the bake.
Total time
5 hours
Active
60 minutes
Hydration
82%
Difficulty
⌬⌬⌬
At 82% hydration, the dough barely holds its own shape. The reward is dramatic: large irregular holes, a crisp blistered crust, and the flavor that comes from very wet doughs that have spent a long time fermenting. The cost is technique.
A same-day schedule fits a Saturday afternoon. Mix in the morning, bake by dinner, and use commercial yeast at a percentage that matches the timeline. Flavor is honest but less developed; structure is reliable.
Ingredients
900g total dough. Yields 1 brioche loaf, ~810g baked.
| Ingredient | Grams | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | 419 g | 100% |
| Water | 293 g | 70% |
| Milk | 50 g | 12% |
| Salt | 7.5 g | 1.8% |
| Instant yeast | 5 g | 1.2% |
| Butter (softened) | 50 g | 12% |
| Eggs (whole) | 75 g | 18% |
Schedule
- Hour 0Mix flour, water, yeast. Autolyse 20 minutes.
- Hour 0:20Add salt, mix until smooth.
- Hour 0:30First fold.
- Hour 1:00Second fold.
- Hour 1:30Third fold.
- Hour 2:00Bulk ferment until visibly puffy.
- Hour 3:30Roll into a log, place seam-side down in a buttered loaf pan, proof 45-60 minutes until the dough crests above the rim.
- Hour 5:00Brush the top with beaten egg. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes until the top is deep golden and the internal temperature reads 195°F.
Method tips for this style
Add the cold butter in small pieces with the mixer running on low. Wait for each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next. The dough will look broken before it comes back together; trust the process.
What to expect
An almost custardy interior, very open and tender. Brioche at this hydration leans toward bread pudding territory; sandwich loaves get a slightly delicate slice.
What you'll need for this bake
Escali Primo Scale
NY Times recommended. 11 lb capacity, 1g accuracy, simple two-button operation.
OXO Bench Scraper
Stainless steel blade with measurement markings. Comfortable non-slip grip.
ThermoWorks Thermapen
Pro-grade accuracy in 1 second. Check water temp and bread doneness (190-210°F).
USA Pan 9x5 Loaf Pan
Commercial-grade aluminized steel in the standard 9x5 size. Straight walls and a corrugated base produce a tall, evenly browned sandwich or brioche loaf.
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