Brioche Dough Calculator
Calculate brioche dough by baker percentage from flour weight.
Returns butter, eggs, milk, sugar, and yeast for light, classic, and Parisian brioche.
What makes brioche special:
Brioche is a French enriched bread where butter content can reach 50–80% of the flour weight — far more than any other bread. The result is a rich, tender, golden crumb with a flavor between bread and pastry. The high fat content inhibits gluten development, so brioche requires long mixing times and cold butter incorporation to build structure.
Baker’s percentage formula:
All ingredients in professional baking are expressed as a percentage of flour weight:
Ingredient weight = Flour weight × Ingredient percentage / 100
Brioche formulas by style:
| Ingredient | Brioche à Tête (rich) | Brioche Nanterre (medium) | Pain Brioché (lean) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour (bread, 12%+ protein) | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Butter | 65–80% | 40–55% | 20–35% |
| Eggs | 50–60% | 40–50% | 30–40% |
| Sugar | 10–15% | 8–12% | 5–8% |
| Salt | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Milk | 5–10% | 10–15% | 15–20% |
| Yeast (instant) | 1.5–2% | 1.5–2% | 1.5–2% |
Example calculation (Brioche à Tête, 500 g flour):
- Flour: 500 g (100%)
- Butter: 500 × 0.70 = 350 g (70%)
- Eggs: 500 × 0.55 = 275 g (~5–6 large eggs)
- Sugar: 500 × 0.12 = 60 g (12%)
- Salt: 500 × 0.02 = 10 g (2%)
- Milk: 500 × 0.08 = 40 g (8%)
- Yeast: 500 × 0.018 = 9 g (1.8%)
- Total dough weight: ~1,244 g
Critical technique notes:
The dough must be mixed until it passes the windowpane test — you can stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through it without tearing. This takes 15–25 minutes in a stand mixer at medium speed.
Butter must be cold but pliable (about 15°C / 60°F). Add it in small pieces after the dough has developed initial gluten. The dough will look like it falls apart — keep mixing. It comes back together.
Fermentation schedule:
- Mix and knead: 20–30 minutes
- Bulk ferment at room temp: 1–2 hours (until 50% risen)
- Refrigerate overnight: 8–16 hours (cold retard develops flavor)
- Shape cold (much easier to handle when chilled)
- Final proof at room temp: 1.5–3 hours
- Bake at 175–190°C (350–375°F): 25–40 minutes depending on size
Egg wash:
For the classic glossy golden crust, brush with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp milk + pinch of salt) before baking. Apply two thin coats — once before final proof and once just before baking.
Yield by pan size:
| Pan | Dough Weight | Bake Time |
|---|---|---|
| Brioche à tête (small) | 60–80 g | 15–18 min |
| Brioche à tête (large) | 350–400 g | 30–35 min |
| Brioche Nanterre (loaf) | 600–700 g | 35–40 min |
| Brioche buns | 80–100 g each | 15–20 min |
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.