Flavor of the week: Brioche – the rich French bread

Brioche is a bread of French origin that is more like a dressed-up loaf of bread.

A standard loaf of bread is generally made with water, flour, sugar, salt, fat and yeast, but brioche, much like its cousin challah, uses eggs in the batter – and plenty on top for the shine.

The rich, eggy bread is also made with more butter. That and the eggs give it its distinctive texture and puff.

Technically, brioche can be categorized as viennoiserie because it is a baked good made with yeast-leavened dough, like bread, but it has additional eggs, fat and sugar that also makes it similar to a pastry.

But in the United States it is ultimately a bread product, and variations of it are frequently used as hamburger buns.

Brioche also can be served on its own, made into French toast or cinnamon rolls, or stuffed with chocolate, fruit or savory items.

As always, click through the gallery to learn more about this Flavor of the Week.