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This post was originally published on May 16, 2018 and was updated on May 5, 2020. This brioche burger buns recipe is perfect for grilling season! It produces eight of the most tender and buttery buns you ever did taste!
I am over the moon about this recipe for brioche burger buns. (I'm kind of in love with the new pics too!) They elevate an ordinary burger or sandwich to make something really special.
What is a Brioche Burger Bun?
A brioche bun is a burger bun made from brioche dough. But what exactly is brioche dough? It’s an enriched, yeasted dough containing a fair amount of butter, eggs, and milk. It’s got a bit more sugar than a standard bread dough recipe that lends a delicate sweetness to it. The resulting bun is soft and dense. A brioche burger bun is tender, yet sturdy, and can hold one heckuva burger.
What are Brioche Buns made of?
- Flour
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Salt
- Milk
- Butter
- Eggs
Can you make this Brioche Burger Buns recipe ahead of time?
Absolutely! This dough can be made the night before and left to rise in the fridge overnight (this is called retarding the dough). You’ll assemble the brioche dough as you would if you were making it on the day of, but for the initial rise it just gets covered in a tea towel and placed in the fridge to slowly rise overnight. Then after about 14 – 16 hours, you’ll remove it from the fridge and prepare as instructed!
Can you freeze Brioche Buns?
Yes, you can! It’s so useful to have a batch of these buns on hand in the freezer should the craving for a good quality burger arise. After baking and cooling I like to place my brioche buns in a freezer safe plastic bag and zip closed. To thaw, remove the frozen buns from the freezer the morning before using. (This is actually how we used to do it at GB&D during busy weekend services!)
How to make the Brioche Burger Buns recipe:
- You’ll start my mixing the yeast into the warm milk. Let it sit to get foamy, about five minutes.
- Then, you’ll whisk together the egg and melted butter. Once that’s done, pour this into the foamy milk and yeast.
- Finally, whisk together the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl. Pour in the liquid and stir to combine.
- Knead the dough for 5 – 8 minutes, or until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Let it rise in a greased bowl for an hour (or overnight!).
- Divide the risen dough into 8 equal pieces.
- Form the buns by curving them into a round ball with your hands.
- Place on a greased baking sheet to rise for a second time. Press down on the tops of the buns gently to encourage spreading.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking until golden brown.
A note on egg wash:
Brioche Buns are beautifully golden brown. They get this way from a little helper known as egg wash. Egg wash is simply a mixture of egg and water (or sometimes milk) that is brushed over the tops of doughs before baking. This creates that beautiful color and deep shine that makes brioche burger buns different than your average slice of bread!
Go forth and build burgers!
Brioche Burger Buns Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Kitchen Scale
Ingredients
- 240 g milk
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 80 g unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg
- 418 g all-purpose flour
- 3 g salt
- 50 g granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it reaches 105 degrees, sprinkle yeast over the top, stir, and let rest until foamy, about five minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter and egg in a small bowl. Slowly pour into warm milk mixture, whisking to combine all wet ingredients.
- In the bowl of stand mixer, add the flour, salt, and sugar. Using the dough hook, stir dry ingredients on low speed until combined. Slowly pour in wet ingredients and mix until the dough begins to come together, increasing speed to medium.
- When dough begins to pull away from sides, increase speed to medium-high and knead with dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Transfer to oiled bowl and cover with clean kitchen towel before placing in warm spot to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- When dough has risen, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into 104g rounds and roll into tight balls (it’s helpful to make your hands into the shape of Cs and roll towards the edge of the counter to create a good bun shape). Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet sprayed with baking spray and press down with palms to flatten slightly.
- Cover once more with a clean dish towel and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
- Gently brush the tops of the buns with egg wash (1 egg + 1TBSP water) and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 22 minutes, until buns are golden and sound hollow when thumped.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.
Stacia says
This recipe was spot on. I did add some honey but it would have been great without it. Thanks so much!!!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Stacia!
Thank you for your kind review. Yes, I think this recipe is a real winner too. My old boss spent years perfecting it so I'm glad others can enjoy it too!
Happy baking!
Amanda
Haley says
I just finished making these and OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!! We ran out of head lettuce tonight for me to wrap some leftover burgers in for my boyfriend’s lunch this week, so I figured I’d treat us both if this recipe worked out and it sure did! I have a feeling I’m not going to get away with low-carb lettuce wraps now for boyfriend or myself! 🤪
These WILL be our new staple item!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Wow Haley! That is so kind of you to say! I am THRILLED to know you enjoyed the buns so much! Thanks for reviewing 🙂
Amanda
Abby says
I made this for our pulled beef sandwiches and they turned out perfect. They are amazing! I was curious if you could use this for a bread recipe do you know? Or do you have a brioche sandwich bread recipe? So tasty!
Thanks.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Abby,
So, so happy to hear you enjoyed the brioche buns. The buttery and fluffy texture is so perfect for something rich like pulled beef! This can absolutely be amended into a brioche loaf as it's the same recipe we used to use at the restaurant for brioche bread. I'll be honest in that I don't remember the bake time! Rising time is about the same, I believe, or until doubled in size in a greased loaf pan. Let me dig around in my old recipes notebooks and see if I can find the bake time for you. Otherwise, you're welcome to use the bake time of another bread recipe if you have one.
Amanda
Abby says
That would be great! I’ll wait to hear back from you. I’m so excited to hear that this works as a load and also to try it that way! Going to be a staple in our house ❤️
Santa says
Hello Amanda, wondering if after the dough has risen in fridge overnight, do I let it come to room temperature before I proceed with the recipe?
Amanda Gajdosik says
I don't. I work with it straight from the fridge because the chilled dough is easier to work with. The dough warms as you work with it and will obviously warm further during the second rise. Best of luck baking!
Anna J Violette says
If you're really from America this recipe wouldn't be in grams. lol
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Anna,
Thank you for your comment - engagement with my work is always appreciated. But, I'd like to clear a few things up:
1) I was born and raised in Wisconsin, which happens to be in the Midwest, a region of the United States of America. I still reside here and am so proud to live where I do.
2) Thousands, if not tens of thousands, of bakeries all across the US use grams in their measurements. When I worked in professional kitchens we always used grams as it made baking much more accurate and consistent. In fact, this recipe was adapted from a restaurant where I was a pastry chef once upon a time. This time it wasn't in Wisconsin, but South Carolina - a state located in the Southern region of the United States of America. So, again, using grams is a nationwide occurrence.
3) Many home bakers and chefs use grams as well. Again, for the consistency and accuracy that those measurements provide. Let's not forget, baking is a science! A kitchen scale is such a handy tool to use and I highly recommend one. In fact, you could have purchased one off the internet in the same amount of time it took you to write this useless comment. How fun!
4) It doesn't matter if I'm "really from America" or not, because anyone who isn't indigenous to this country came from somewhere else. Oftentimes, that can be traced back just a few generations. So, I'd maybe think twice about being so psyched to "really" be from America. The great state in which I live is deeply proud of the many German and Polish settlers who brought over their cultures and customs when they immigrated. So much so that many are still practiced and appreciated today, even though those settlers weren't "really from America."
5) The only thing that matters about where I'm "really" from is that it's a place where people are thoughtful, open-minded, curious, and kind. And they're not eager to be so loud and so wrong on the internet. Leads me to wonder where you're really from. 🙂
Thanks so much and happy baking!
Amanda
Margaret Lunt says
Amanda,
Good reply. I use my scale for most of my recipes and usually in grams. And baker will tell you to use the scale if at all possible.
Mary E. Timman says
I was born and raised in the USA and I use my scales for everything for baking. Correct way and more true to recipes. If you pay attention, more and more people are weighing out their ingredients.
JHawkes says
My 9 year old daughter made these today. The recipe was easy for her to follow. They turned out perfect. A new staple in our house.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Wow this THRILLS me to hear! I used to be a young kid learning in the kitchen following new recipes and to know that now little chefs are doing the same with my recipes?! A dream come true. Thank you so much for writing 🙂