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?

Photos: Laura Vincent

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 —…