Quickest Buttery Brioche
Excerpted from 'The Art of Gluten-Free Bread' by Aran Goyoaga. Published by Artisan Books. Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Aran Goyoaga.
If you don’t have two days to make sourdough brioche, this is a great shortcut. There is no bulk fermentation either; only one proof and then straight into the oven it goes. The crumb is light, tender, and really fluffy. It is high in starch, but you really need it for brioche. The xanthan gum is listed as optional, but it does help create a crumb that has a bit more layering and pull. If using this brioche recipe to make buns or any variation that requires the dough to be stretched, I highly recommend using the xanthan gum to help provide structure, or the dough can be too soft to handle.
This recipe comes from Seattle-based baker Aran Goyoaga’s upcoming new cookbook, The Art of Gluten-Free Bread. Buy the book here. It can also be found in the article “These Are the Best Wines to Drink This Winter.”
We only recommend things we love. If you buy something through our site, we might earn a commission.
How to Make It
1
Prep the pan: Line an 8½-by-4½-inch (22-by-11.5 cm.) metal loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the edges.
2
Make the yeast-psyllium mixture: Sprinkle the yeast into a medium bowl. Add the milk and 1 tsp of the sugar and whisk until dissolved. Let the mixture sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. Add the psyllium and whisk vigorously until smooth. Let it gel for 5 minutes.
3
Make the dough: In a stand mixer, stir together the potato starch, tapioca starch, 100 grams sugar, the sorghum flour, salt, xanthan gum (if using), and orange zest. Add the yeast-psyllium mixture. Snap on the dough hook and mix the dough on low speed. Add the eggs and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and keep mixing until the dough comes together, 2 to 3 minutes. It will look dry and clumpy for the majority of that mixing time, but by the end, it should come together (or nearly together) into a ball. Add the soft butter, 1 tbsp at a time, while the mixer is running. Scrape the bowl as needed. Continue mixing for another minute until you have a soft and sticky dough that holds together.
4
Shape the dough: Lightly dust a work surface with tapioca starch. Scrape the dough onto the work surface and knead together a few times, shaping it into a ball. It will be soft, but by this point, it should not be terribly sticky. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (about 190 grams each). Shape all the pieces of dough into tight balls and place them inside the prepared loaf pan, snugly next to each other. (Alternatively, if you want to create a bit of a swirl effect in the crumb, roll each piece of dough into an oval that is about ¼-inch/6 mm. thick. Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter fold, then roll the dough into a cylinder. Add these pieces of dough into the prepared loaf pan.)
5
Proof the dough: Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and proof until nearly doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6
Preheat the oven: Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
7
Bake the brioche: Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and bake until golden brown and the dough has risen to the top of the pan, 30 to 35 minutes.
8
Cool the brioche: Let the brioche cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack some more. The brioche is best eaten when warm.
9
Note: If you don’t use the xanthan gum, use the smaller amount (245 grams) of milk.
Ingredients
2 ½ tsp (10 grams) active dry yeast
245 to 260 grams whole milk or oat milk (see note), heated to 105°F (41°C)
1 tsp (4 grams) plus 100 grams granulated sugar, divided
30 grams psyllium husk powder
200 grams potato starch
180 grams tapioca starch, plus more for dusting
90 grams sorghum flour
2 ½ tsp (10 grams) kosher salt
1 tsp (4 grams) xanthan gum (optional; see note)
1 tsp (2 grams) finely grated orange zest
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp (8 grams) vanilla extract or paste
100 grams very soft (but not melted) unsalted butter or vegan butter, plus more for greasing
For the egg wash
1 large egg, lightly beaten
