This soft and eggless Vegan Brioche has a melt-in-your-mouth crumb and the most amazing texture. It’s the perfect choice for tasty sandwiches or delicious morning toast!
Traditional brioche is made with eggs, milk, and butter, but by swapping those for plant-based milk and butter and skipping the eggs, you can create a vegan brioche that’s just as good as the classic version.
This bread is incredible for french toast and sandwiches! My favorite sweet spread for this one is a good blackberry jam, but topping a slice of brioche with a no tomato caponata makes a fantastic and quick savory brunch.
Ingredients
Flour: We’re using all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. All-purpose gives this bread a lighter texture and a tender crust.
Salt: Fine sea salt works best.
Yeast: Instant yeast is easier since you don’t need to proof it—perfect for this recipe.
Sugar: Granulated sugar works great, but you can also use caster, brown, or even turbinado sugar.
Plant-Based Milk: Soy or oat milk are my top picks. To compensate for the missing protein from eggs, soy milk is ideal since it has the highest protein content among plant-based milks, closely followed by oat milk. Use unflavored and unsweetened.
Plant-Based Butter or Oil: If using vegan butter, get the unsalted solid stick type that’s wrapped in foil. If using oil, canola oil or olive oil are good options.
Maple Syrup: I like to top this bread with maple syrup to give the top some color and create a tender, slightly sweet crust.
How To Make It
Step 01. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients until combined.
Step 02. Add the wet ingredients, and with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix on medium-low until the dough forms. It may seem like there’s too much vegan butter, but the dough will come together after a minute or two. Knead for 6 minutes. The dough should feel smooth and slightly tacky and should come out of the bowl easily.
Step 03. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes or until doubled. This might take longer in winter or less time during summer.
Step 04. Once doubled, punch down the dough to deflate it. Remove it from the bowl. Divide the dough into 4 even pieces and let them rest, covered, for 10 minutes before shaping.
Step 05. On a clean surface, roll each piece of dough out with a rolling pin, then roll it up tightly, pinching to seal. Repeat with all 4 pieces and place them side by side in the loaf pan, pinched side down. Cover loosely and let rise for about 40 minutes, or until the dough looks puffy and light.
Step 06. Mix maple syrup with a teaspoon of plant-based milk for the vegan wash and brush it on the dough just before baking.
Step 07. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 180–190°F in the center of the loaf.
Overnight Fermentation
Want to start this brioche the night before and let it proof overnight for even more flavor? After kneading, follow these steps:
- Let the dough rise at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Then, place it in the fridge for overnight fermentation. Make sure it’s well-covered to prevent a skin from forming.
- The next day, remove the dough from the fridge, divide it into 4 pieces, and follow the rest of the instructions.
Tip: Do not leave the dough fermenting outside the fridge overnight or it will overproof.
Making Vegan Brioche Buns
You can also use this recipe to make vegan brioche buns:
- After the first rise, divide the dough into 8 pieces and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Shape each piece into a tight ball by folding the dough over itself and pinching it closed at the bottom.
- Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they have enough space to double in size without touching.
- Let them rise until they look puffy and light.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the middle.
- Brush the buns with the vegan wash and, if you like, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes or until golden on top.
Expert Tips
- Always check the expiration date on your yeast. Once opened, yeast loses strength after 6 months, so keep it well-sealed in the fridge.
- To get a soft brioche with a good rise, the dough needs proper kneading. It should feel soft, tacky, and should stretch without tearing.
- It’s better to add a little less flour than too much, so if you don’t have a scale, spoon and level your flour instead of scooping it.
- Make sure to let the dough rise in a warm spot. The top of your fridge or next to the stove (if you’re using it) are good spots. If your oven has a proofing function, use that. Cold spots will slow the rise.
- Don’t take the bread out of the oven too early! If the top is browning too quickly, cover it with foil and keep baking. Underbaking can result in a gummy middle.
Are you having trouble baking bread? I have 10 bread baking tips and tricks to help you achieve bakery-quality bread at home!
Storing and Freezing
After cooling, store the brioche in a bread keeper or airtight container to keep it soft for 3 to 4 days. Don’t store it in the fridge.
You can also freeze it. Slice the loaf, place the slices in a freezer-safe bag, squeeze out the air, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the slices thaw for about 10 minutes, then pop them in the toaster or a preheated oven at medium heat for 5 minutes.
Have you tried this Eggless Vegan Brioche? Please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card below, I'd love to know how it went!
📖 Recipe
Eggless Brioche Bread (Vegan Brioche)
Equipment
- Loaf Pan 9 inch
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 535 g all-purpose flour
- 7 g salt
- 24 g granulated sugar
- 7 g instant yeast
- 315 ml vegan milk lukewarm
- 113 g vegan butter room temperature, can be substituted with oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup plus 1 teaspoon vegan milk for vegan egg wash
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients until combined: all-purpose flour, instant yeast, salt and sugar.
- Add the wet ingredients: vegan milk and vegan butter or oil, and with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, knead on medium-low until the dough forms. It may seem like there’s too much vegan butter, but the dough will come together after a minute or two.
- Knead for another 6 minutes. The dough should feel smooth and slightly tacky and should come out of the bowl easily.
- Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes or until doubled. This might take longer in winter or less time during summer.
- Once doubled, punch down the dough to deflate it. Remove it from the bowl.
- Divide the dough into 4 even pieces and let them rest, covered, for 10 minutes before shaping.
- Prepare a 9-inch loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper.
- On a clean surface, roll each piece of dough out with a rolling pin, then roll it up tightly, pinching to seal. Repeat with all 4 pieces and place them side by side in the loaf pan, pinched side down.
- Cover loosely and let rise for about 40 minutes, or until the dough looks puffy and light.
- While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350°F, placing the rack in the middle.
- Mix maple syrup with a little plant-based milk for the vegan wash and brush it on the dough just before baking.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 180–190°F in the center of the loaf.
- Use the parchment paper to remove the loaf from the pan and cool it on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- Place dough into a clean bowl, cover and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
- After that time, store dough inside the fridge for the overnight fermentation. Make sure it's well covered so it won't develop a skin.
Do not leave it fermenting outside the fridge overnight, or the dough will overproof. - The next day, remove dough from the fridge. Deflate dough, punching it down and removing from bowl, and follow the remaining steps (6 to 12).
- After the first rise, divide dough into 8 even pieces, letting them rest for 10 minutes before shaping.
- Shape each piece into a tight ball by folding the dough over itself, pinching it closed at the bottom.
- Place shaped balls into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they have enough space to double without touching. Let it rise until it doubles. Buns will look puffy and light.
- Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes at 375°F, rack in the middle.
- Brush vegan wash on the top of each bun, and top it with sesame seed if desired.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the top.
- Always check the expiration date of yeast.
- To get a soft brioche with a good rise, dough needs to be properly kneaded. It needs to feel soft and tacky in your hands, and shouldn't tear up easily when stretched open.
- Always let dough rise in a warm spot. Look for a warm spot in your kitchen, or use the proofing function if your oven has it.
Leave a Reply