Enriched Dough Recipe – What is an Enriched Dough?

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Last Updated on February 7, 2023

What is an enriched dough? An enriched dough recipe is made with added fats, eggs, sugar, and dairy products to create a tender, soft, and rich bread.

In today’s jam-packed article, we will be looking at exactly what enriched dough is, the different ways it is made, and some of the most famous enriched bread out there. And, we’ve even included an extremely easy enriched bread recipe that you can make at home.

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What is an Enriched Dough?

First, it’s important to understand what lean dough is to better understand what enriched dough is. A lean dough is made from only four ingredients. These are flour, yeast, salt, and water. In comparison, an enriched dough is enriched with fats, sugar, and dairy.

Fats used include butter, shortening, and oils. Sugar can be incorporated in the form of granulated sugar, honey, syrup, or powdered sugar – anything that will add sweetness. And finally, any type of dairy product can be used to help add moisture and enrich the product. These are usually milk or cream, but can also be buttermilk, yogurt, or similar products.

Then, you also get the exceptional ingredient which is eggs. Eggs provide fat and sugar. They aren’t always added, and sometimes it’s only the egg yolks that are added (seeing as they contain the majority of the fat and sugar of an egg).

How do these ingredients affect an enriched dough

These ingredients all have a tenderizing effect on the bread dough. They do this by coating the gluten strands and inhibiting them from stretching. So, as you can imagine, this makes enriched bread much denser (as compared to an un-enriched type of bread like ciabatta).

They also inhibit the functions of yeast. To counteract this, the dough needs to ferment for a much longer time. This in return gives the dough a much better flavor.

These ingredients also add weight to the dough. For example, think about cinnamon buns. This is an easy way to determine whether you have an enriched dough product or not. This added weight isn’t good or bad. It’s simple how it is and what makes these bread unique. Just don’t expect to create an open (light and airy) crumb with an enriched dough recipe.

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Mixing Methods for Enriched Dough’s

So, very much like with cakes, enriched doughs have different methods of mixing depending on the ingredients used and the ratios of those ingredients.

Straight mixing method

This is the easiest method. The straight mixing enriched dough definition is simply adding everything together in a bowl and mixing it.

This method is usually used for enriched bread recipes that don’t have a high amount of fat (butter, shortening, eggs, and oil).

Sponge mixing method

For this method, start by mixing the yeast with a bit of flour, sugar, and liquid to make a ferment. Then, this ferment is mixed in with the rest of the ingredients.

This mixing method allows you to hydrate the yeast and ultimately creates a much spongier bread. It also helps develop a very yeasty flavor.

High-fat mixing method

When using the high-fat mixing method, you first start by making a sponge (as mentioned above). Then, you add the sponge to all of the ingredients except for the fat.

Then, you will knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test. Only then do you slowly mix in the softened butter or shortening.

Types of Enriched Dough

There are many different recipes for enriched bread, however, there are a few very famous types of enriched bread that we’d like to mention today.

Babka is a type of traditional Jewish bread that has been enriched with sugar, eggs, and butter. Before being shaped, the dough is swirled with chocolate to create an absolutely mesmerizing load of bread. Challah is another famous enriched Jewish bread.

Next, we get brioche, arguably one of the most famous enriched bread in the world. This buttery French load is enriched with sugar, eggs, and loads of butter.

And, who doesn’t love a good cinnamon roll? Yes, these delicious buns are also made using enriched dough. What makes them unique is their delicious cinnamon-sugar coating.

Donuts are another delicious sweet treat made with enriched dough. But, instead of being baked, they are fried.

Our last mention-worthy bread made from enriched dough is dinner rolls. Everybody knows them, and there’s a reason you can’t stop snacking on these when waiting for your dinner. You use milk and butter to make these fluffy rolls.

What You Will Need for This Enriched Dough Recipe

To make this King Arthur’s enriched brioche recipe, you will need:

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (330 grams)
• 1/4 cup dry milk or nonfat dry milk
• 3 tablespoons  granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 3 large eggs, cold 
• 1/4 cup water, cool
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided into 5 equal pieces

For the glaze:

• 1 cup (113g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt
• 2 to 3 teaspoons of heavy cream

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Stand mixer with the dough hook attachment
• Kitchen towel or plastic wrap
• Two baking sheets (pans) or loaf pan 
• Non-stick baking paper
• Dough cutter or sharp knife
• Scale
• Rubber spatula 
• Cooking spray 
• Wire rack

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, yeast, dry milk, eggs, salt, and water. At medium speed, mix the ingredients until the dough becomes smooth and stretchy and cleans the sides of the bowl. This will take around seven to 10 minutes to achieve. 

Step 2: Add the Butter

Cut your butter into five equal pieces. Add one piece of butter to your dough with the mixer at medium speed. Mix for one to two minutes until the butter is fully incorporated into the dough. Repeat the process with the remaining four pieces of butter. 

Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. It may take up to five to 10 minutes until the dough forms a smooth, small ball. 

Step 3: Let the Dough Rise 

Form the dough into a ball and add it to a greased bowl. You can use your mixer bowl to let the dough rise. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.

Allow your dough to rise for one hour at room temperature. Then, transfer your covered dough to the fridge for four to six hours or overnight. This process slows the fermentation and allows the butter to chill, which will make your dough easier to work with. 

Step 4: Shape the Dough

Once chilled, divide your dough into 12 pieces if you want to make buns or into two loaves. You can also leave it whole if you wish to make a large loaf.

Step 5: Let the Dough Rest For a Second Time

After shaping your dough into its desired size, place it into a greased pan. Then, cover your dough lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for two and a half to three hours, or until it has doubled in size. 

Step 6: Bake the Bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the large loaf for 10 minutes before reducing the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Continue baking the large brioche loaf for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown, before allowing it to cool on a wire rack. 

For brioche rolls, allow them to bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown at 375 degrees Fahrenheit before cooling on a wire rack. For two brioche loaves, bake them for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown at 350 degrees Fahrenheit before cooling them on a wire rack. 

If you notice that the bread is browning too quickly, tent it with a sheet of aluminum foil. This will allow the bread to evenly bake without getting too browned. 

Step 7: Make the Glaze (Optional) 

In a small mixing bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Add more heavy cream if the glaze is too thin. Drizzle onto your warm or cooled bread if desired and serve. 

Tips and Tricks

• For this enriched dough recipe, it is best to stick with using all-purpose flour. You can also use bread flour as it will give your bread a lovely chewy texture. 
• For best results, weigh out your flour before starting this recipe. Weighing your flour with a kitchen scale is the most accurate way to ensure that you add just the right amount. Adding too much flour will cause your bread to be dense. 
• If you accidentally forgot to add salt, you can have a look at this article on how to fix it.
• It is incredibly important that you rest your dough and allow it to prove. Resting the dough helps relax the gluten strands in the bread so that they can rise inside the oven when baked. It also helps develop a better flavor in the bread.

Servings and Preparation Time for the Enriched Dough Recipe 

Prep time	Proofing (resting) time	Baking time	Servings
30 minutes	3 1/2 to 4 hours total	15-20 minutes for rolls 30-35 minutes for two loaves 40-45 minutes for a large loaf	12 rolls Two loaves One large loaf

Conclusion: Enriched Dough Recipe 

If you found this article informative and loved the recipe, let us know about it in the comments below. Also, if you have any questions about enriched dough recipes, don’t hesitate to ask us!

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