Sourdough Brioche

View Sourdough Brioche TikTok Video

Sourdough Brioche

The best, healthy sourdough brioche you’ll ever make! It’s pillowy soft, delicious, and made with simple ingredients like grassfed butter, pastured eggs, and honey. Most importantly, the dough is naturally fermented with sourdough starter so it’s gut healthy and nutritious. This sourdough brioche is perfect for breakfast with a little jam, an omelet, or topped with mashed avocado. 

The last time I was in California, I only had one day in LA and one breakfast to choose, and I was so excited to try SQIRLs viral Ricotta Brioche Toast. I ended up getting their 3 jam rainbow option. It comes with 3 different house-made jams (which were incredible) and ricotta on a thick slice of toasted brioche. I’m pretty sure they toast in a pan with some butter. It’s what inspired this video I posted on TikTok, and today I’m going to show you how to make my version of the brioche from SQIRL.

For this brioche recipe, the bread is naturally fermented with sourdough so its gut healthy, nutritious, and the perfect way to fuel your morning (or anytime of day). This recipe also makes a brioche that is light and flavorful (from the pastured eggs, grassfed butter, and honey) without being too rich.

It’s one of the reasons I’m so obsessed.

I promise it’ll quickly become one of your favorite sourdough breads and such an easy weekly staple. Also, unlike artisan bread I find that a slice of sourdough brioche really speaks for itself and needs minimal toppings. A little bit of jam or mashed avocado goes a long way. My favorite way to enjoy brioche is cutting one slice and topping it with a tiny bit of this miso and then a veggie omelet on top. The omelet is always loaded with mushrooms, spinach, and fresh herbs (and I eat it as an open face sandwich with a knife and fork).

My favorite ways to enjoy a slice of sourdough brioche:

• My fave sweet white miso & a yolky eggs on top
• ¼ mashed avocado with 3 poached eggs (salt & pepper)
• Mushroom, spinach, and herby veggie omelet on top 
• For a sweet snack: 2 TSP almond butter and 1 TSP of homemade strawberry chia jam 
• As a sandwich: sliced turkey, sprouts, thinly sliced cucumber, & a drizzle of balsamic
• French toast w/ a drizzle of maple syrup and over-easy yolky eggs
• Dipped + eaten with a salad on the side (EVOO & Balsamic)

✨Health Benefits of Sourdough Bread✨

Sourdough bread is unlike all other types of breads because they go through a long and slow natural fermentation with wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This ancient, 6,000-year-old tradition has remarkable health benefits. Sourdough fermentation makes wheat and other grains easy to digest and more nutritious because it degrades gluten, removes anti-nutrients, and breaks down FODMAPs and starches. Sourdough bread is chock full of fiber, prebiotics, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it an all-around microbiome superfood. 

Why you’ll love this sourdough brioche 

• Soft and fluffy: The lightest, fluffiest sourdough brioche recipe without any complicated steps.
• Insanely delicious: A thick slice of sourdough brioche at breakfast has quickly become a staple because it’s so darn good. 
• Easy to make: This brioche recipe is easy to make (easier than artisan bread) without any unnecessary or complicated steps.
• Healthy and energizing: This brioche recipe is made with simple clean ingredients only and naturally fermented with sourdough starter for optimal nutrition. This is quite literally the healthiest brioche you’ll ever eat. 

My Secret to Making This Sourdough Brioche Healthy

This sourdough brioche is made with simple clean ingredients like pastured eggs, grassfed butter, grassfed milk (or raw milk if you’re like me), and raw honey. The recipe also calls for a natural fermentation with sourdough culture.

LET’S GET SPECIFIC:

Sourdough Fermentation. This brioche is naturally fermented with sourdough starter instead of a rapid fermentation with commercial yeast. Sourdough fermentation makes grains easy to digest and nutritious because it degrades gluten, removes anti-nutrients, and breaks down FODMAPs and starches – this process also makes nutrients like B vitamins and minerals bioavailable. This sourdough brioche is chock full of fiber, prebiotics, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it an all-around microbiome superfood. 

Alll the Health benefits of sourdough

• Supports gut health
• Bioavailable nutrients
• Degrades Gluten
• Prebiotic Fiber
• Antioxdants
• Easy To Digest
• Low Glycemic

Organic, High-Quality Flour: I use a blend of organic (stone-milled) whole wheat and white bread flour because it provides the perfect balance of structure, flavor, and nutrition.

Lightly Enriched w/ Grass-fed Butter: This recipe calls for a modest amount of grassfed butter so the bread is flavorful and soft but not too rich or heavy. I love grassfed butter because it has anti-inflammatory and energizing properties, rich in Omega 3s, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) Butyrate, and vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, D, K and E. 

Pastured Eggs: Pasture-raised eggs are far richer in Vitam E, A, Vitamin D and Beta Carotene, and Omega 3s than commercial eggs. 

Lightly Sweetened with Raw Honey: My recipe is naturally and lightly sweetened with raw honey. I love honey because it’s antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory. 

Grassfed Milk or Raw Milk or Raw Kefir (or fave milk of choice): You know my go-to is always raw milk because it’s unprocessed and contains all the living probiotic bacteria and essential enzymes we want. Raw milk is easy to digest, anti-inflammatory and rich in Vitamin A, Magnesium, Zinc, and Vitamin B1. It’s also a great source of protein and healthy fatty acids like CLA and Omega 3s.

Clean, simple ingredients: Nothing artificial, no commercial yeast, and no preservatives.

Nutrition Breakdown of One Slice of Sourdough Brioche Bread

Macro-Nutrients

• 248 Calories
• 12.8g Fat (16%)
• 26.8g Carbs (9%)
• 3.4g Fiber (12%)
• 3.1g Sugar
• 6.7g Protein (13%)

Minerals

• 1.5mg Iron (8%)
• 0.2mg Zinc (2%)
• Manganese (1%)
• 0.8mcg Selenium (9%)

Vitamins

• 111.4mcg Vitamin A (12%)
• 1.8mg Vitamin B3 (11%)
• 0.2mg Vitamin B2 (12%)
• 0.3mg Vitamin B5 (5%)
• 48.6mg Choline (9%)
• 0.2mcg Vitamin B12 (7%)
• 0.5mg Vitamin E (3%)

Sourdough Brioche Bread Baking Schedule

This is what a typical bread-making schedule looks like for me.

P.S. Temperature AND the activity of your sourdough starter are the single most important factors that affect fermentation. The warmer your place, the faster your dough will ferment. The more active your starter, the faster and more effectively your dough will ferment. So please use my schedule as simply a jumping-off point for your own.

Prepare sourdough starter

• 9 PM: Prepare sourdough starter. Either feed your sourdough starter the night before to prepare or if your sourdough starter is in the fridge be sure to feed it every 12 hours, 3 days before you plan to bake.

Day One

• 9 AM – Soften butter slightly in your oven (until soft but not melty). Mix dough, cover, and let sit at room temp until it doubles in size (6-8 hours). Perform 3-4 sets of “stretch and folds”.
• 5 PM – Place in the fridge for at 12 hours but up to 24 hours. 

Day Two

• 9 AM: Shape loaf and place snuggly into loaf pan. Let the dough proof until it nearly doubles in size (4-6 hours)
• 3 PM: Bake!

Ingredients for Healthy Sourdough Brioche

This healthy sourdough brioche bread recipe uses simple ingredients to create a nutritious, fluffy bread perfect for everyday nourishment. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it.

5 CORE INGREDIENTS

• Bread Flour: A high-protein bread flour is needed for this recipe. I used King Arthur’s organic white bread flour with a mix of King Arthur’s stone-ground organic whole wheat flour.
• Water: Preferably warm water is best! Warmer water helps kickstart fermentation.
• Grass-fed Butter: You can use coconut oil or ghee for this recipe too. The texture might vary slightly with coconut oil.
• Sourdough Starter: Be sure you are using an active sourdough starter (not discard).
• Pastured Eggs
• Milk of choice: I like to use raw milk but you can use grassfed milk, nut milk, or even kefir (or raw kefir). You can also use water for this recipe but it will be less soft but still delicious.
• Honey or Coconut Sugar: I used raw honey for this recipe but coconut sugar or cane sugar will work great too. 
• Sea Salt: Enhances flavor (and nutrition) by slowing fermentation.

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

Eggs: You’ll brush your brioche with an egg wash prior to baking.

Equipment Needed for Sourdough Brioche

• Kitchen Scale – I recommend this digital scale or this non-digital scal
• 9×5 Pan: I recommend using a 9×5 or 8×4 Loaf Pan. I use this one here.
• Scoring Tool – I actually like to buy mine from Etsy sellers like this one but this one is also great. 
• Dough Scraper: Used for dividing our dough.

Tips for Making Sourdough Brioche

What flour is best for this recipe?

A high-protein bread flour is needed for this recipe. I used King Arthur’s organic white bread flour with a mix of King Arthur’s stone-ground organic whole wheat flour.

When is bulk fermentation done?

The best way to tell if bulk fermentation is done is when the dough has doubled in size, air bubbles form on top, and air pockets on the sides and bottom. The dough should feel airated.

Why do you do an overnight proof too?

The over night proof is really where the magic happens. At this point, the dough has risen sufficiently, so we’re ready to slow that process down. The cold temperature of the fridge will drastically reduce yeast activity, and your dough will likely rise a tiny bit overnight. But the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) will work all through the night, converting simple sugars into lactic acid and breaking down gluten proteins. This microbial activity develops flavor, improves texture, and enhances the nutritional value and digestibility of bread. 

Is an overnight proof optional?

I do not recommend omitting the overnight proof because of all the health benefits listed above and the improved texture/flavor of the final bread. The overnight proof will help contribute to the soft texture.

Can I make this brioche vegan?

Yes, definitely! Substitute olive oil, ghee avocado oil, or melted (not hot) coconut oil for butter and a “flax egg” for each egg. To make a flax egg, simply combine 1 TBSP flaxseed meal with 2 TBSPs water. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it congeals.

Can I use water instead of milk?

Yes, definitely but the dough will be less soft. Still perfect though!

Can I use coconut oil or ghee instead of butter?

Yes, you can. I highly recommend butter for the softest texture but coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil, olive oil, or melted (not hot) coconut oil.

Why does the dough seem so wet?

A brioche dough is a wet dough and will feel very different than artisan bread dough. Don’t be tempted to add more flour during the mixing process!

How to Store Sourdough Brioche Bread:

I recommend storing your bread covered on the counter for a day and then transferring it to the fridge on day 2. If you’d like to freeze your brioche bread, slice and securely wrap or place it in a food storage container. I love to toast my brioche bread after the first day in a toaster oven, toaster, or on the stove top. To heat on the stove, just place a slice on a preheated pan (to medium) for 1 minute on each side.

Looking for other sourdough bread recipes? Here are a few ideas:

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread

Beginner Sourdough Bread Recipe

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