Rich brioche was once the food of queens, most famously Marie Antoinette. Now it’s a boulangerie staple—one of the few products that you’ll find in both French bakeries and patisseries, says master baker Apollonia Poilâne.


Apollonia Poilâne’s Classic French Brioche Recipe

Brioche is a buttery yeast bread from France. Apollonia Poilâne’s brioche is made with 100 percent white flour, eggs, plenty of butter, and a little sugar, creating a rich and airy bread with a tight crumb that begs to be dunked in hot chocolate. The egg yolks give the bread a golden interior, and butter adds extra moisture that results in a buttery flavor and deep brown crust. 

Brioche isn’t complicated to make, but it does require periods of long, gentle kneading due to its high fat content. As an apprentice, Apollonia mixed brioche dough by hand every day, so she won’t make you do the same. This is the only bread recipe where you’re strongly encouraged to use a stand mixer. She also uses sharp kitchen scissors to score a border around the edge of her loaf, creating the distinctive mushroom-like top associated with the rich white bread—try the same technique at home.

Rich brioche was once the food of queens, most famously Marie Antoinette. Now it’s a boulangerie staple—one of the few products that you’ll find in both French bakeries and patisseries, says master baker Apollonia Poilâne.


Brioche is a buttery yeast bread from France. Apollonia Poilâne’s brioche is made with 100 percent white flour, eggs, plenty of butter, and a little sugar, creating a rich and airy bread with a tight crumb that begs to be dunked in hot chocolate. The egg yolks give the bread a golden interior, and butter adds extra moisture that results in a buttery flavor and deep brown crust.

What Is Brioche?

Brioche isn’t complicated to make, but it does require periods of long, gentle kneading due to its high fat content. As an apprentice, Apollonia mixed brioche dough by hand every day, so she won’t make you do the same. This is the only bread recipe where you’re strongly encouraged to use a stand mixer. She also uses sharp kitchen scissors to score a border around the edge of her loaf, creating the distinctive mushroom-like top associated with the rich white bread—try the same technique at home.

How to Make Apollonia Poilâne’s Brioche

Apollonia Poilâne’s Brioche Recipe

Rich brioche was once the food of queens, most famously Marie Antoinette. Now it’s a boulangerie staple—one of the few products that you’ll find in both French bakeries and patisseries, says master baker Apollonia Poilâne.