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Bread machine brioche is delightfully rich and buttery, and surprisingly easy to make in a machine.
Brioche is one of those breads that most home bakers leave to professional bakeries. It can be tricky to make, as all the butter in the dough can prevent the gluten from coming together. If made wrong, it just becomes a sticky mess that won’t rise properly.
However, there is a trick to getting it to work…use a bread machine!
Bread Machine Brioche
The process for making bread machine brioche is a bit different than a regular “set it and forget it” loaf like a simple bread machine white bread.
Still, it’s not that complicated…just a single extra step.
Normally, you’d put all the “wet” ingredients into the pan, and then make an “island” above them with your flour for the dry ingredients. That still happens, but the only difference is you save the butter for later as a “mix in” during the knead cycle.
About 10 minutes into the initial knead cycle, you add the butter in 1 tablespoon at a time.
Bread Machine Brioche Ingredients
To make a one and a half pound loaf (12 slices), you’ll need:
Liquid Ingredients (Add First)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
Dry Ingredients( On Top of Liquid Layer)
- 2 cups bread flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons SAF yeast (or 1 3/4 tsp bread machine yeast)
Mix-ins (Add after 10 minutes of kneading)
- 7 Tbsp butter, unsalted, room temperature, cut into pieces
To make a two pound loaf (16 slices), you’ll need:
Liquid Ingredients (Add First)
- 1/2 cup milk, plus 1 Tbsp.
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
Dry Ingredients( On Top of Liquid Layer)
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour
- 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 3/4 teaspoons SAF yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast)
Mix-ins (Add after 10 minutes of kneading)
- 10 Tbsp butter, unsalted, room temperature, cut into pieces

How to Make Bread Machine Brioche Bread
Start as you otherwise would, placing the wet ingredients into the pan, and then making an island on top with the flour. Make a well in the flour for each of the other dry ingredients, including sugar, salt and yeast.
Set the bread machine to “basic white” and turn it on. Some bread machines start kneading immediately, and some go through a pre-heat cycle.
Either way, wait until 10 minutes into the knead cycle, and then add in the pats of butter. Add them one at a time, allowing the bread maker to completely incorporate the previous one before adding another.
This should take 1 to 2 minutes total, be patient. Do not add all the butter at once, it wont mix in properly.

My bread maker happens to have a “mix in” timer that goes off and starts beeping 10 minutes into the knead cycle. Most modern machines have this so that you can add in nuts, seeds or other seasonings. If yours doesn’t, just set a timer.
Once the butter is fully incorporated, close the lid and allow the bread machine to keep kneading. It’ll finish, and then go on to the rise cycle.

Brioche Dough vrs. Baked in Machine
You can make brioche dough in the bread machine and then take it out to bake in the oven, if you choose. That allows you to bake it into the cute little top knot shapes you see at bakeries.
Personally, I just want a loaf of brioche for french toast (or a decadent slice of toast with some homemade raspberry jam).
I just set my machine and allow it to bake right in the bread maker.
Either way, the controlled knead and rise of the bread machine make the process simple, and much easier than making brioche by hand.

Bread Machine Brioche Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Liquid Ingredients (Add First)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
Dry Ingredients( On Top of Liquid Layer)
- 2 cups White Flour, preferably bread flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons SAF Instant Yeast, or 1 3/4 tsp bread machine yeast
Mix-ins (Add after 10 minutes of kneading)
- 7 Tbsp butter, unsalted, room temperature, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Place the wet ingredients (except butter) into the pan, and then making an island on top with the flour. Make a well in the flour for each of the other dry ingredients, including sugar, salt and yeast.
- Set the bread machine to "basic white" and turn it on for a loaf of bread (or select the dough cycle if you intend to shape and bake the brioche in the oven).
- Wait until 10 minutes into the knead cycle so that the dough is mixed and fully formed. Often bread machines will have a mix in timer that goes off after 10 minutes of kneading, but if not, set a timer. Some bread machines start kneading immediately, and some go through a pre-heat cycle. Either way, most knead cycles are about 20 minutes long, so wait until it's been kneading for 10 minutes.
- Open the lid and add in the pats of butter while the machine kneads, keeping your hands and implements away from the paddles; just gently drop the butter in. Add them one at a time, allowing the bread maker to completely incorporate the previous one before adding another. This should take 1 to 2 minutes total, be patient. Do not add all the butter at once; it won't mix in properly.
- Once the butter is fully incorporated, close the lid and allow the bread machine to keep kneading. It'll finish, and then go on to the rise cycle.
- Allow the bread machine to finish its cycle, either for a fully baked loaf of brioche or for the dough. If baking in the bread machine, open the lid when baking is finished and allow the bread to cool slightly for 5-10 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool completely on a rack on the counter.
- If making just dough, remove the dough from the machine and shape as you'd like for baking in the oven. Allow the dough to rise in its shape for 30-45 minutes before putting it into a pre-heated oven (375 F). Oven baking time will depend on the bread shape and can vary between 15 minutes for small rolls to 45 minutes for a large loaf.
Notes
Liquid Ingredients (Add First)
- 1/2 cup milk, plus 1 Tbsp.
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
Dry Ingredients( On Top of Liquid Layer)
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour
- 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 3/4 teaspoons SAF yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast)
Mix-ins (Add after 10 minutes of kneading)
- 10 Tbsp butter, unsalted, room temperature, cut into pieces
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Bread Machine Recipes
Looking for more bread machine recipes?
- Bread Machine White Bread
- Bread Machine Honey White Bread
- Bread Machine Challah
- Bread Machine Focaccia
I have tried several bread machine brioche recipes, and this is the best one BY FAR. I made the 1.5 lb loaf and it rose to the very top of my machine. Light, fluffy, delicious.
I did have the problem that my bread machine has a 10-minute first kneading cycle. I solved that by just starting it over and adding the butter while it did the first knead again. Worked great! A slight sinking of the top, so maybe a touch more flour next time.
Thank you for this one; I will use it often.
Wonderful, so glad it worked out for you!
Looks so good want to try. Do you warm the milk a little most bread machine recipes say to warm the milk
Warming the milk slightly will speed up the rise. My bread machine has a “pre-warm” cycle that it runs as it get started, and many of the newer ones have that.
I just made this tonight and it was really tasty! I can’t believe that it turned out great. I followed your recipe to the letter. Thanks so much! I can’t wait for french toast tomorrow!!
It is the second recipe I make from you site and they were both perfect. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!
How do I scale the recipe down for a 1/2-pound loaf?
To make a half pound loaf, you’d divide the 2 pound loaf quantities by 4. I think you may have trouble getting your machine to work with less than a 1 pound loaf though, it’s just not enough ingredients in the pan to get the paddles to mix.
Using the Morphy Richards fast bake, settings- set to sweet bread in the menu. select light crust and 1.5LB loaf. Timer should say 2hr 50mins. Add butter after approximately 12 minutes (when it starts to beep) this is when you can also add chocolate chips if you choose too. When there’s approx 20mins left the dough should still look very pale like dough brush with milk or egg yolk, wait 10 mins and repeat. Turn off at wall once timer ends and leave to rest for 20 mins in machine lid closed, remove from tin onto cooling rack and let rest till cool, taste absolutely delicious super airy and light not like other home made breads. Great recipe. I added a splash more milk as my dough was very dry to begin with that’s why it’s always essential to watch the dough for the first 10 minutes of kneeding.
Hi. Can I use regular flour?
Yes.