Most students arrive at my class believing that making brioche from scratch is an impossible task for the home cook and should be left to professional bakers. But when they produce airy golden loaves completely made from scratch, they swell with pride and exclaim how easy it is to get such impressive results. It’s true that there are several steps to follow to allow the dough to rise, but it’s not complicated, and the results are truly worth it.
You will need a heavy-duty mixer for these recipes as the dough requires heavy beating and I do not recommend attempting this by hand. Note also that you’ll need to start the brioche several hours or the day before you plan to bake it.