Sweet Bread Recipe – Basic Sweet Yeast Dough

Lots of butter and egg yolks keep this bread recipe perfectly soft for a while. But, if you have leftovers, they make amazing French toast or a French toast casserole. Anyways you slice it, it’s a winner!

If you’ve ever had Challah or brioche bread, this one is very similar. Warm out of the oven, you’ll be fighting every fiber of your being not to eat the whole thing! You’ve been warned 😉

My love of yeast baking started with my grandma. She sold sweet yeast buns with all kinds of fillings at our local market, and watching her work the dough is what made me want to bake in the first place. I’ve been baking since I was eight years old, and this master dough is where all of my yeast baking begins: braid it and you get this loaf; roll it and fill it, and you get half the sweet breads on this site.

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Bread

• One dough, endless bakes – this is the master dough behind a dozen recipes on this site (full list below).
• Truly soft and rich – egg yolks, butter, and sour cream give a tender crumb that stays soft for days.
• Forgiving for beginners – step photos, video, and the windowpane test take the guesswork out of every stage.

One Dough, Many Bakes

One batch of this dough makes about 16 good-sized buns of your choice, or any of these:

• sweet bread (this recipe!)
• cinnamon rolls – these are the best cinnamon rolls we’ve had
• poppy seed rolls
• cheesecake danishes
• jam-filled buns
• cherry pie filling filled buns
• chocolate babka
• White Chocolate & Blueberry Bread Wreath

Here is how to make this sweet bread recipe, start to finish. Below is the quick walkthrough with all my notes; the full detailed recipe with exact ingredient amounts is in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Sweet Bread Ingredients:

Scroll to the bottom for a full printable recipe and instructions.

• Yeast: The basis for any good bread is good and unexpired yeast. I use active dry yeast or Platinum Superior Baking yeast. The latter always produces better-baked goods with more of a rise without collapsing when out of the oven. And check the date: expired yeast once stretched my 2-hour rise into an 8-hour all-nighter.
• Flour: (fluffed, gently scooped, leveled; 1 cup = 150 g) Canadian flour or high protein bread flour works best. It has a higher gluten content than regular American all-purpose flour, which yields better results, especially in this sweet bread recipe. But all-purpose flour will work in a pinch as well.

A few notes from my kitchen:

• How I measure flour: I keep my recipes simple. I gently fluff the flour, scoop it with the measuring cup, and scrape off the top. Measured this way, a cup comes to about 150 grams. You’re welcome to weigh your flour instead (3 cups ≈ 450 g for this recipe) or scoop it the way I do.
• Don’t toss the egg whites! Whip them into a pavlova or meringue cookies, or add them to your morning omelet for extra protein.
• Which ingredients need to be warm? One simple rule: the shorter your mix, the warmer your milk. This dough is forgiving enough to work from just a quick hand-mix. If that’s your route, use warm milk (never over 100°F; hot milk kills yeast), since a minute or two of mixing won’t warm the dough. Kneading in a mixer all the way to the windowpane? Even fridge-cold milk works: the friction from the 30 minutes of kneading brought my dough to a perfect 75°F on its own. Butter softened; everything else straight from the fridge. Ideal dough temperature: 75–78°F. Quick finger check: the milk should feel like a warm bath, cozy, not hot. If you want to pull your finger right out, it will kill the yeast.
• Wondering what the sour cream does? See the FAQ below.

How to make Sweet Bread Recipe

1. Proof the yeast: Dissolve the yeast in warm milk with 1 teaspoon of sugar (taken from the recipe’s ⅓ cup total, not extra) and leave it in a warm place for 10–15 minutes, or until foamy. If you know your yeast is good, you can skip this step and add everything straight to the dough.

Make the sweet bread dough.

1. Combine: To a mixer bowl, add the sifted flour, sugar, sour cream (pic 1), remaining milk, and the risen yeast mixture (pic 2).
2. Knead: roughly mix to bring all ingredients together then use the dough hook to knead on low speed for about 10 minutes (pic 3).
3. Add butter & salt: Then turn up the speed slightly and continue kneading until it becomes very stretchy and tacky to the touch. Add the butter and salt (pic 4) and knead them into the dough. Sometimes, tearing the dough into chunks helps to incorporate the butter (pic 5).
4. Continue kneading until the dough passes the windowpane test, feels tacky to touch or pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl as it’s kneaded.

Proof & Shape

1. First rise: Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl and cover it with a tea towel (pic 7) and allow to proof until doubled in size (pic 8).

2. Divide & roll: Dust your work surface with flour (pic 9) and add the dough (pic 10). Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, best done by weighing the dough on a digital kitchen scale (pic 11): the full batch is about 970 g, so aim for roughly 323 g per piece. Shape each piece into a tight ball and let the balls rest 5 to 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes. Then flatten each ball, roll it up into a tight log, rest again briefly, and roll each log from the center outward into an even 20-inch rope (pic 12). Rested dough rolls out evenly instead of fighting you, and even ropes are what keep a braid straight.
3. Prefer two smaller loaves? Divide the dough in two and braid 2 smaller braids instead of one (about 485 g each).
4. Braid: Lay the three ropes side by side and pinch them together in the middle. Braid from the middle out to one end, pinch, then turn the pan around and braid from the middle out to the other end. Both halves get the same tension this way, and even tension is what keeps a braid straight instead of leaning. Pinch both ends and tuck them slightly underneath the braid for better visual appeal.
5. Second rise: Carefully transfer the braid to a baking sheet (pic 13) and leave it in a warm, draft-free place to proof until doubled in size (pic 14).

6. Egg wash & seeds: Then, brush with a beaten egg yolk and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds (pic 15) or poppy seeds (optional).

Bake

1. Bake: Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is evenly golden brown. Another way to ensure that the sweet bread is baked through is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the middle. It should register 195°F when the bread is ready: 195°F gives the moistest crumb, up to 210°F runs slightly drier.
2. Cool: Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting or serving.

💡 My Top Tips (From 30+ Years of Yeast Baking)

• Don’t open the oven until you can smell the baking. The rush of cool air can stall the rise, or even sink it. The aroma is your unscientific green light: no smell yet means no peeking, and once it fills the kitchen, the structure has set and you have permission to check.
• Don’t over-knead past elastic-and-stretchy: the gluten tears.
• The windowpane test never lies: tears = keep kneading; stretches thin enough to see light through = stop.

Variations My Readers Swear By

Readers have taken this dough in wonderful directions:

• Rum raisin walnut – Geri adds rum-soaked raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon.
• Cinnamon walnut raisin – Ingrid folds in cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins.
• Sweet-savory – Erica tops hers with everything bagel seasoning.

Knead mix-ins in gently after the butter stage, before the first rise. And to see what this dough becomes with a filling, start with the White Chocolate & Blueberry Wreath.

Sweet Bread in the Bread Machine

Yes, this dough works in a bread machine! Load wet ingredients first, then dry, with the yeast last on top. Run it on the dough cycle (about 1.5 hours; it kneads and does the first rise), then shape, proof, and bake exactly as written above. If you love bread-machine baking, also check out my Bread Maker Bread and Bread Machine Pizza Dough.

How to store this bread loaf?

Room temperature: wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, up to 2 days.

Fridge: cut in half and stored in a gallon-sized ziplock bag, up to a week. If you are not planning to eat within a day or two, freeze it.

Freezer: in an airtight bag, up to a couple of months.

Reheat: To thaw, leave on the counter until completely thawed or microwave in 30-second intervals until it’s soft and no longer frozen. Or, place in a preheated to 350F oven for about 10 minutes for that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.

Make Ahead: The Overnight Rise (the Secret to the Best Crumb)

A couple of hours works fine, but overnight is where it’s at. The long, slow, cool rise is what gives this bread its silkiest, feathery, pull-apart crumb, a deeper flavor with the faintest pleasant tang, and that deep golden crust.

🌙 The night before: Knead the dough in the evening, cover the bowl, and let the first rise happen on the counter overnight. My kitchen sits at 67–69°F, and at 14 hours the dough is perfectly tripled and passes the poke test. Try not to push much past that: at 16 hours mine slipped past its peak and the crust tore along the strands in the oven. Still delicious, just not as pretty.

☀️ In the morning: Divide, shape, and braid as written above, then give the braid its second rise in a warm spot, about 50 to 60 minutes; start checking at 30. Egg wash, bake as usual, and pull it at 195–210°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Warmer kitchen than about 70°F? The dough will peak sooner, so watch the dough, not the clock, or let it do its overnight rise in the fridge instead.

Other Yeast Baked Goods to Try

• Poppy Seed Pastry – the filled-bun side of this same dough family.
• Rustic Farmer’s Bread – a crusty, no-fuss everyday loaf.
• White Chocolate & Blueberry Wreath Bread – this dough’s showstopper party form.
• Rustic Baguette – crackly crust and an airy crumb, real bakery feel.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Made this recipe? Please leave a star rating and a comment below. It helps other readers find it, it helps me more than you know, and I read every single one.

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Sweet Bread Recipe

4.89 from 120 votes

This sweet bread recipe makes a beautiful, soft, lightly sweetened and buttery bread loaf that’s delicious as a toast with your morning coffee or tea.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American, Russian

Keyword: easter bread, pascha, sweet bread dough

Calories: 186 kcal

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

Servings: 16 55 gram servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (237 ml) warm whole milk heated to no higher than 100F
• 2 tsp Instant dry yeast or active dry yeast (I use Platinum Superior Baking Yeast)
• 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar divided
• 3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour (bread flour or Canadian flour works best)
• 4 (72 g) egg yolks
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 oz (85 g) unsalted butter softened, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Egg wash (whisk together)

• 1 (18 g) egg yolk
• 1 tbsp water

• 3 to 4 tbsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)

Equipment: The pans and tools I use are in my Amazon shop.

• Electric Stand Mixer
• Digital Food Scale

Instructions

1. Check the yeast: (see footnotes if you'd like to make this dough in the breadmaker)

   Dissolve 2 tsp Instant dry yeast or active dry yeast with half of the and 1 tsp of sugar from the overall amount and leave in a warm location until frothy, about 10-15 minutes. If the mixture does not froth up and rise, discard the yeast and start over when you have a fresh batch of dried yeast.

2. Combine all ingredients:

   Into a bowl of a mixer, sift 3 cups all-purpose flour . Then add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, whats left of 1 cup warm whole milk, 4 egg yolks, 2 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, and the risen yeast mixture. Quickly mix the ingredients until a rough, shaggy mixture forms by hand, using a spoon or the hook of the mixer.

3. Knead: knead on low speed (speed 2 to 3 on a Kitchenaid mixer) for about 20 minutes or until the dough stops sticking to the side of the bowl, feels elastic, and is tacky to touch. If the dough is adequately kneaded, a small piece can be stretched into a see-through "window" without tearing.

   Pro tip: Do not over-knead past a point where the dough is elastic and stretchy. If the gluten is overworked, it will tear, leaving you with a chunky dough that doesn't have the strength to hold a good rise of the dough.

4. Add 3 oz unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp kosher salt and knead it into the bread until no streaks of butter are seen (~5-7 minutes). Sometimes tearing the dough into chunks helps to incorporate the butter easier/faster.

5. 1st Rise:

   Oil the sides of the bowl and the dough. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.

6. Shape:

   _{This recipe makes one large braid. To make two smaller sweet yeast bread loaves divide the dough into two, then shape two separate braids instead of one like the recipe instructs.}

   Once risen, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Weighing the dough is the best way to divide the dough evenly.

   Next, roll each piece into a tight ball. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Then, roll into a 20-inch log. If the dough is hard to stretch or it springs back too much, cover it with a tea towel and let it rest longer. This will relax the gluten and make it easy to roll.

   Pinch the ends of the 3 strands together at one end, then braid them into a braid pinching the ends together.

   Now, tuck both ends of the braid underneath itself slightly to give it a better shape.

7. 2nd Rise:

   Transfer the sweet yeast braids to a 12"x18" baking sheet pan. Space them evenly. Cover with a clean tea towel. Transfer to a warm place once again until the braid doubles in size or a light pressing of the finger doesn't make the dough spring back quickly, but instead slowly springs back while still leaving slight indent.

8. Prep before baking: Once doubled in size preheat the oven to 350F with the baking rack centered.

   Brush the braid with a whisked 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp water and sprinkle with 3 to 4 tbsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds or poppy seeds if you wish. Applying the egg yolk mixture several times will give you a darker glaze once baked.

9. Bake the braid for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. You can also check for doneness with a thermometer. The center of the thickest part should register 195°F.

   If the top starts to brown before the inside registers 195F, loosely tent the sweet yeast bread with foil.

   Once baked, remove from the oven to a cooling rack and cool completely before cutting or eating.

Recipe Notes

The windowpane test never lies: tears and feels chunky = keep kneading; stretches thin enough to see light through = stop. Don't over-knead past elastic-and-stretchy — the gluten tears.

Don't open the oven until you can smell it. My unprofessional-but-never-fails trick for any baked good: the moment the kitchen smells like bread, that's when you start checking. Before that, don't even peek.

Don't open the oven until you can smell it. My unprofessional-but-never-fails trick for any baked good: the moment the kitchen smells like bread, that's when you start checking. Before that, don't even peek.

Sweet Bread Recipe for Breadmaker To make the sweet bread recipe in the breadmaker, add the ingredients in the following order: milk, active dry yeast, vanilla extract,  room temperature butter, salt, egg yolks, sour cream, flour, and sugar. Turn the bread maker to a 1.5-hour dough cycle and allow it to run through. Then, continue with steps 5 and beyond.

Nutrition Facts

Sweet Bread Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 55 gram slice)

Calories 186 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 75mg25%

Sodium 47mg2%

Potassium 80mg2%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 248IU5%

Vitamin C 0.02mg0%

Calcium 48mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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