Homemade Brioche Buns
Soft, buttery, and slightly sweet, these Homemade Brioche Buns are made with yeast for a light, fluffy texture that are perfect for hamburgers, sandwiches and more!
FRESH BRIOCHE BUN RECIPE
Making Homemade Brioche Buns from scratch is easier than you may think. Don’t let the yeast turn you off from giving this recipe a try – my goal is to make this much less intimidating than you may think. These buttery buns will quickly become a staple in your house once you realize they can be used with so many amazing recipes. I think they’re incredible when used to serve with hamburgers. They’ll take your regular burgers over the top and they’ve become my go-to bun when making Homemade Steakburgers. You can use them for the best sandwiches too!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Brioche is an enriched bread that contains eggs and butter. The high fat content makes a rich, and buttery bread with a slight yellow interior and deep golden exterior. It will look different and taste different than traditional Homemade Dinner Rolls.
Milk powder can typically be found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. You may also find it by the flavored milk powders, like where you’d find Nesquik powders.
Using a stand mixer is truly the best tool for these buns. Brioche requires a long period of kneading, which is best done in a mixer rather than by hand. The butter coats the protein strands in the dough, hindering the strands from forming the strong gluten bonds required for making bread. Long kneading ensures adequate gluten formation, resulting in a good rise and a soft and tender crumb.
If absolutely needed, I suppose you could stir or knead the dough by hand. Just be patient and be gentle on your wrist and hands because it does take time. When working with this dough, I’d suggest adding a little extra flour on the work surface so the dough doesn’t stick.
Brioche can be slow to rise, for best results provide the dough a good environment to rise in. I like to use a cold oven as a proofing oven. Place the shelves on the lowest level and the middle level. Place a shallow baking pan on the lower level of the oven filled with 3 cups of boiling water and place the covered bowl with the dough on the top shelf. This provides a moist warm environment the dough loves to rise in. If the room is cool where the dough will be rising, this can increase rise times.
Sure. Here’s what I’d do to have the dough ready to bake later in the day. Prepare the dough through step 5, do not allow the dough to rise for 90 minutes. Cover and refrigerate overnight or 6-8 hours. Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm at room temperature for 90 minutes, then continue with step 6.
Buns can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for up to 4 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- all-purpose flour- Use unbleached all-purpose flour for best results. Bleached flour can inhibit yeast development, preventing the bread from rising. It is best to weigh flour using a kitchen scale or the scoop method. Stir the flour to loosen. Using a spoon, scoop flour into a measuring cup overfilling slightly, careful not to pack the flour. Level the top of the cup with a straight edge of a butter knife to remove the excess flour. You can not use self-rising flour as it already has a leavening agent in it and it would interfere with the yeast in this recipe.
- dry milk powder- Milk powder adds protein or strength to the dough, allowing for a better rise in brioche’s rich and heavy dough. Milk powder can be omitted if you do not have any on hand, or the ½ cup of water can be substituted for a ½ cup of whole milk.
- water- Make sure water is warm enough to activate the yeast, 100-110 degrees. If the water is too hot it can kill the yeast, preventing the dough from rising, if water is too cool the yeast may not activate also resulting in no rise.
- sugar– Sugar adds a slight sweetness to the bread and gives the bread a deep golden color. Sugar also gives the yeast something to feed on, ensuring good yeast development and rise.
- yeast– Yeast gives bread rise, active dry or instant yeast can be used in this recipe. Make sure the yeast has a good use-by date, ensuring an active yeast with good rise.
- salt– Salt brings out the flavors in the bread and helps in controlling the rise in the dough.
- eggs– Eggs add richness and protein to the dough, providing structure to the dough that can be hindered by the amount of butter the dough contains.
- butter- Butter needs to be very soft to mix easily into the dough, if the butter is too firm it will not incorporate into the dough. If you didn’t set out your butter earlier, don’t fret, just use these Tips to Soften Butter Quickly. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt to 1 teaspoon.
- egg wash- This is just a mix of egg and water. An egg wash right before baking gives the buns a shiny, glossy appearance.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BRIOCHE BUNS
Activate the yeast. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the warm water, 1 Tablespoon of sugar and yeast, stir to combine. Allow to set 4-5 minutes until foamy. In the bowl of a stand mixer add flour, milk powder, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the salt, stir with a whisk until thoroughly combined.
Add the eggs and yeast mixture, mix on low until a shaggy dough forms, and some streaks of flour may remain, 1-2 minutes.
Increase speed to medium-low, add 1 Tablespoon of butter at a time, allowing 30-60 seconds between each addition. Once the butter is incorporated, continue to knead dough for 15 minutes, or until a soft smooth dough forms, scrap down the bowl and hook 2-3 times during kneading.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead by hand for about a minute to form a ball, place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat with oil.
Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, 1 hour 30 minutes. Prepare a large baking sheet, spray with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. To form the buns, punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into roughly a 6-inch log, cut the log into 6 equally sized pieces. Cut into 8 pieces for 8 medium-sized buns.
Shape pieces into a ball shape. Place the ball on the counter, gently cup your hand over the ball, move your hand in a circular motion until a smooth taut ball is formed. Place balls on the prepared baking sheet 3 inches apart, gently press the dough with your hand to flatten. Cover and rise for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees for 20 minutes before buns are ready to bake. Prepare egg wash, in a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 Tablespoon of water. Brush buns with egg wash, bake on the middle oven rack for 16-18 minutes or until done and buns are dark golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, carefully remove buns from the baking sheet and place them on a baking rack to cool for an hour. Using a serrated knife, cut horizontally through the center of the bun, serve. Recipe makes 6 large buns, 8 medium-sized buns, or 12 slider buns.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Homemade Brioche Buns
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar (divided use)
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry milk powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 room temperature eggs, whisked
- 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add ½ cup warm water, 1 Tablespoon sugar and 1 packet active dry yeast, stir to combine. Allow to sit 4-5 minutes until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you don't have a stand mixer) add 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons sugar, ¼ cup dry milk powder and 1 ½ teaspoons salt, stir with a whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add 3 room temperature eggs, whisked and yeast mixture, mix on low (with your stand mixer or electric hand mixer or by hand) until a shaggy dough forms, and some streaks of flour may remain, about 1-2 minutes.
- Increase speed to medium-low, add 1 Tablespoon butter at a time, allowing 30-60 seconds between each addition. Once the butter is fully incorporated, continue to knead dough for about 15 minutes (with the dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer or by hand), or until a soft smooth dough forms. If using a stand mixer, be sure to scrape down the bowl and hook 2-3 times during kneading.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead by hand for about a minute to form a ball, place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size (usually about 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on how warm or cool your kitchen is.)
- Prepare a large baking sheet, spray with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- To form the buns, punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into roughly a 6-inch log, cut the log into 6 equally sized pieces. Cut into 8 pieces for 8 medium-sized buns. Shape pieces into a ball shape. Place the ball on the counter, gently cup your hand over the ball, move your hand in a circular motion until a smooth taut ball is formed. Place balls on the prepared baking sheet 3 inches apart, gently press the dough with your hand to flatten. Cover and rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375F degrees for 20 minutes before buns are ready to bake. Prepare egg wash, in a small bowl, whisk together 1 large egg and 1 Tablespoon water until fully combined.
- Brush buns with egg wash, bake on the middle oven rack for 16-18 minutes or until done and buns are deep golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, carefully remove buns from the baking sheet and place them on a baking rack to cool for an hour.
- Using a serrated knife, cut horizontally through the center of the bun and serve. Recipe makes 6 large buns, 8 medium-sized buns, or 12 slider buns.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- This recipe makes 6 large buns, 8 medium-sized buns, or 12 slider buns.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
This came out fantastic. My buns were awesome. They looked great and tasted better. What a great way to enhance your burgers. I plan to adapt this recipe to use in with rolls and maybe a loaf. I did substitute scalded milk for the milk powder and water. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow. Thanks!
Thanks so much Patrick!! That means a lot to hear and I really appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
We love these. A good Brioche bun makes our burgers so much better than store bought buns.
Definitely making …. I truly enjoy your recipes. Thank you for sharing….
Jane
Thanks so very much Jane! I am so happy you are here!