Laminated Brioche Feuilletée
Brioche dough laminated with butter like a croissant, baked into a tall, flaky-yet-tender loaf with visible layers from edge to crust. A weekend project worth the camera.
This is a hybrid: the rich, eggy crumb of brioche with the visible, shattering layers of a laminated pastry. Each slice falls into honeycombed strata when you tear it.
It takes patience and respect for temperature. The butter block must stay cold and pliable through every fold. If it cracks, you've gone too cold; if it leaks, too warm. The fridge is your friend.
Ingredients
Brioche dough (détrempe)
- 500 g bread flour
- 60 g sugar
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 10 g instant yeast
- 200 g whole milk, cold
- 3 large eggs, cold
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened
Butter block (beurrage)
- 280 g unsalted European-style butter, cold
Egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- 1
Mix the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook: combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk, and eggs on low until shaggy, then medium-low for 6 minutes. Add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes more.
- 2
Shape into a flat 8-inch square, wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
- 3
Make the butter block: pound the cold butter between two sheets of parchment with a rolling pin into a 6-inch square. Refrigerate.
- 4
Roll the chilled dough into a 10-inch square. Place the butter block diagonally in the center so its corners point at the sides. Fold the dough corners over the butter to enclose it like an envelope; pinch seams to seal.
- 5
Roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Fold in thirds like a letter (this is the first turn). Wrap and refrigerate 45 minutes.
- 6
Repeat the rolling and letter-folding two more times, refrigerating 45 minutes between each turn. You'll end up with three letter folds total.
- 7
After the final rest, roll the dough into a 9x18-inch rectangle. Cut crosswise into 10 equal strips. Coil each strip loosely and stand the coils on end inside a buttered 9x5-inch loaf pan, packing them in.
- 8
Proof at warm room temperature (around 75°F / 24°C — no warmer or the butter will leak) for 2 to 3 hours, until the dough rises about an inch above the rim and feels pillowy.
- 9
Heat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Brush the top gently with egg wash.
- 10
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deeply golden and the internal temperature reads 200°F / 93°C. Tent with foil if it browns too fast.
- 11
Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Cool completely before slicing — the crumb sets as it rests.
Tips
- → Use a high-fat European butter (84%+). American-style butter has more water and will leak during lamination.
- → If butter starts to smear into the dough, stop, refrigerate 20 minutes, and resume. Time on the bench is more dangerous than time in the fridge.
- → Tear off a piece while it's still slightly warm. Just once. Then let the rest cool properly.
FAQ
How is this different from a croissant?
Croissant dough has barely any sugar or egg. Brioche feuilletée is enriched dough that's been laminated — softer, richer, more cake-like in the crumb but still flaky.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Slice the cooled loaf, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 1 month. Reheat slices in a 325°F / 165°C oven for 5 minutes.
What can I serve it with?
Anything butter and bread love: salted butter and jam, soft cheese and honey, or torn into a custardy bread pudding the next day.
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