Looking for ways to use up brioche? Here are 21 recipes with brioche bread.
Brioche bread is a lightly sweet yeast bread with a buttery and tender crumb made from enriched dough. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. It's delicious fresh, toasted, grilled, or used in puddings.
This post is focusing on how to use up a leftover brioche loaf.
What is brioche bread?
The best brioche bread recipe uses a lot of butter and eggs for rich color and flavor. Brioche dough is a sticky dough with high hydration, so it's much easier to make in a stand mixer with a dough hook than by hand.
Brioche can be baked in aloaf pan, as individual buns, rolls, or even as a base of a cake.
Sweet recipes with brioche bread
Brioche French toast.
Leftover brioche bread makes the perfect bread choice for french toast. The enriched and tender, sweet bread base soaks up the egg mixture in which it's dipped so that the inside becomes creamy and custardy.
The soaked bread pieces are fried in a generous dollop of butter until golden and crispy on the outside but perfectly moist on the inside.
French toast casserole
Another french toast recipe. Make life easier and turn leftover brioche into an overnight french toast casserole instead. Rip up brioche bread and spread it into a casserole dish. Pour over a custard mixture of lots of eggs, milk, and vanilla and let it soak into the bread.
Cover with aluminum foil and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake until golden.
Fried brioche sticks
Cut brioche into thick slices, then cut each slice into thick strips. Fry them in oil, just like you would donuts. After frying, coat them in cinnamon sugar.
Bostock
This is the very traditional French way to use day-old brioche. Day-old brioche is soaked in syrup, then topped with sweet almond paste and baked until it has a fluffy texture inside and is lightly golden and crispy on top,
Brioche Grilled Sandwiches
Brioche bread makes great sandwich bread! Stuff it with your favorite fillings. If your brioche bread is still fresh the sandwiches can be left untoasted. While, if it's on the stale side they'll be much nicer grilled.
Leftover turkey brioche sandwich
This leftover turkey sandwich uses brioche bread, leftover turkey slices, and cranberry miso mayo.
Brioche grilled cheese sandwich
It's a classic, simple, and sometimes underrated use for brioche bread. A brioche grilled cheese is so much better than one with white bread. When you grill brioche bread, the sugars in the dough caramelize a little and create a delicious crust and hint of sweetness. This couple with melted cheese brings a great combination of texture and flavor.
Generously butter one side of two slices of brioche bread, or spread over mayo. Place one piece of the bread, buttered-side-down onto a skillet on medium heat. Add on a slice of cheese and top with the second slice of bread (buttered-side facing up). Toast the bread in the skillet until golden brown, then flip it over and cook the other side until the cheese is melted.
Croque monsieur
A Croque Monsieur is a French grilled cheese sandwich taken to the next level. It's filled with cheese and ham, and the outside is spread with creamy bechamel sauce. Usually one would use a Pain de mie (soft white french bread), but it works well with brioche bread too.
Monte Cristo sandwich
A Monte Cristo is a bit similar to a Croque monsieur but instead of the bechamel sauce, it uses a milk and egg wash that the bread is dipped into.
Grilled brioche toast with toppings
Grilled toasts are a great brioche recipe. They can be sweet, like this grilled nectarine french toast, or savory. Try toasted brioche topped with creamy ricotta and a drizzle of honey. Or, top toasted brioche with sliced avocado and cherry tomatoes. The bread can be toasted on a baking sheet in the oven, or a skillet.
Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding
Bread and butter puddings are one of the most popular types of recipes with brioche bread. Brioche is the best sponge for the warm milk custards used in these recipes. It soaks up all the flavor over a long time and brings life to stale brioche bread. So, if you have stale brioche, here is a good reason to make dessert!
Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread Pudding - This is a rich and decadent dessert to satisfy a sweet tooth. It has a custard-like texture and chunks of melted chocolate.
Lemon curd brioche pudding with blueberries - Lighten up a bread pudding by using tangy and fresh lemon curd. A perfect summer dessert.
Mini brioche bread puddings - Make little puddings in individual ramekins.
Savory recipes with brioche bread
Panzanella Salad
Toasted pieces of good brioche bread, fresh vegetables, and herbs make up this delightful Panzanella salad.
Garlic bread
Homemade brioche bread or a baked brioche loaf from the grocery store makes the perfect base for garlic bread.
Roasted chicken with bread
Chunks of stale brioche bread make the perfect bed for roasting a chicken on. As the chicken roasts, the brioche bread will soak up all the drippings and makes a delicious bread gravy.
French onion soup
French onion soup is usually topped with baguette slices, but you could substitute it with buttery brioche too!
Strata
Strata is a savory bread and butter pudding, like this Butternut squash and mushroom brioche bread and butter pudding. It has savory custard, gruyere cheese, roasted butternut squash, mushrooms, and more.
Croutons
What's better than crispy, salty croutons in soup or salad! Chop slices of brioche into bread cubes and place them in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, dried herbs, and garlic powder, and drizzle over a little melted butter or olive oil.
Toast in the oven at 356°F/180°C for 10-15 minutes until golden brown, or roast them in the air fryer for 4 minutes until crispy.
Bread crumbs
Place stale brioche pieces in a very low-temperature oven and let them dry out until crispy. Cool them down completely then blend them up in rough or fine pieces with a food processor.
Pot pie topping
Pot pie is usually topped with puff pastry, but for an easy twist, you can use leftover brioche! Simply tear it into chunks and spread it over your favorite pot pie filling. Top with cheese and bake until golden.
Bread sauce
A classic British accompaniment to Christmas dinner. This creamy bread sauce uses blended brioche bread.
Brioche crackers
Thinly slice the brioche bread, into just under ¼ inch slices. Toast in a low oven until crispy. Serve with cheese and dips.
What's your favorite way to use leftover brioche?
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