Aquafaba Files
Fluffy Vegan Brioche, Made by Hand
Can the magic of chickpea water make an eggless brioche that’s as rich and soft as the traditional variety?
The Aquafaba Files is a Tenderly recipe series by Laura Vincent, exploring the almost suspicious versatility of this ingredient that is little more than the leftover liquid from a drained can of chickpeas.
So far I’ve used aquafaba to make aioli and chocolate mousse, but I decided to level up and try something a lot more involved, in the form of vegan brioche. Brioche is a French bread, traditionally fortified with eggs and butter. This recipe instead uses aquafaba and olive oil to provide similar properties in a vegan way.
My recipe, while adapted a little, is sourced directly from this one at holycowvegan.net and I encourage you to read what they’ve said for further reference. I love baking bread and was keen to see how these two key ingredients would emulate the properties of a traditional brioche, turns out the protein in the aquafaba and the fat in the olive oil result in an amazing loaf of bread that’s rich and soft, with a fluffy, light, layered crumb and a gently crisp crust. I was so delighted with the brioche that I ended up eating it on its own — nothing spread on top, no sandwich fillings —…
