Homemade Brioche Hamburger Buns
Buttery and light, easy Homemade Brioche Hamburger Buns will be the talk of your summer cookout. Soft, tender dough is baked to perfection and can be topped with sesame, poppy seeds or butter for the best burger bun you’ll ever take a bite out of.
I spend my life searching for the perfect bite of food….the perfect pizza….the perfect pancakes…..the perfect burger. THE PERFECT burger. And once I find perfection, I eat it to death until I can’t stand it anymore. Or until a new perfect morsel takes it’s place.
The perfect hamburger is a rare find….and one I’ll drive far to take a bite of. But there are different burger categories that you can’t compare burgers….burger to burger.
Like a Shake Shack cheeseburger can’t be compared to a thick, beefy grilled pub burger. Or a diner burger can’t be compared to a fast food burger. Or…for Pete’s sake…a turkey burger can most definitely NOT be compared to a beef burger. They’re all different and unique in their own special, perfect way.
BRIOCHE HAMBURGER BUNS
Even my own homemade burgers are vastly different….like my favorite Beef Bourguignon Burger which is topped with some winey, saucy mushrooms….or my other favorite French Dip Burger. But what they do have in common is the perfect bun.
Brioche Burger Buns are light and buttery….a bun that could stand alone and taste fantastic just dipped in a saucer of olive oil or spread with a thick layer of lightly salted butter.
A sandwich bun that’s made with love and time….but time that will be amply rewarded once they’re done baking. These Easy Brioche Hamburger Buns are just that.
WHAT IS BRIOCHE BREAD
They’re easy because they’re made the same way I make my Brioche Bread. I just simply broke it down into buns, brushed them with an egg wash and topped them with sesame seeds. And poppy seeds. And everything spice when I’m feeling the urge to push the flavor profile over the edge.
French Brioche is actually a pastry of french origin similar to a highly enriched white bread you’d find in many bakeries around the world. It has a very high egg and butter content which results in a rich and tender interior.
Homemade Brioche Bread is a yeast bread which requires a slow rise and an overnight cure in the refrigerator. It’s not a ton of hands on time at all so don’t let the overnight rest deter you from making this heavenly loaf of bread or these buttery hamburger buns.
Easy Brioche Hamburger Buns will take some planning because the dough SHOULD rest in the refrigerator for about 4 or more hours…preferably overnight but you can definitely make the rolls in advance and freeze them for later….which is what I do so I can whip up burger perfection at a moments notice.
HOW TO MAKE HAMBURGER BUNS FROM SCRATCH
This hamburger bun recipe will take some planning because the dough SHOULD rest in the refrigerator for about 4 or more hours…preferably overnight but you can definitely make the rolls in advance and freeze them for later….which is what I do so I can whip up hamburger perfection at a moments notice.
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Whisk the water and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes until completely dissolved. Set aside
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, sift together the pastry flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt.
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Turn the mixer on low and add 6 eggs to the bowl 1 at a time beating well after each addition.
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Slowly add the yeast and continue beating at low speed for 5 minutes.
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Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer on low and beat for an additional 5 minutes.
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Add the butter cubes 1/3 at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Once the butter has been added, beat for 10 more minutes until the dough is smooth.
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Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 3 hours.
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Turn the dough out on a well floured surface and gently knead out the air bubbles. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
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Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide the dough in half. Then divide each half into 5 equal pieces.
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Shape each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment approximately 4 inches apart.
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Allow the dough to rise, uncovered, in a warm place until it rises about double in size, approximately 2 hours.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the tops of each dough ball with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
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Bake the brioche until it is golden brown on top, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
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Transfer the rolls to a cooling rack and cool completely.
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If not serving immediately, wrap the hot bread in foil and set aside at room temperature for up to 2 days.
HOW TO FREEZE
To make your hamburger buns in advance and freeze them for later, wrap the buns individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag.
You can freeze your hamburger buns for up to 3 months.
To thaw, just unwrap and allow to come to room temperature. Toasting them or grilling them before using with your burger is a great way to add some texture to your sandwich!
You can use these brioche buns for hamburgers, of course, but we love them for our favorite sandwiches like this easy Chicken Salad or piled high with homemade tuna salad!
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Get the Recipe: Easy Brioche Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup warm water, about 110 degrees
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, not rapid rise
- 2 1/3 cups super fine pastry flour or cake flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 7 large eggs
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes, at room temperature
- sesame seeds or poppy seeds, optional
Instructions
- Whisk the water and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes until completely dissolved. Set aside
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, sift together the pastry flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt.
- Turn the mixer on low and add 6 eggs to the bowl 1 at a time beating well after each addition.
- Slowly add the yeast and continue beating at low speed for 5 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer on low and beat for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the butter cubes 1/3 at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Once the butter has been added, beat for 10 more minutes until the dough is smooth.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 3 hours.
- Turn the dough out on a well floured surface and gently knead out the air bubbles. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide the dough in half. Then divide each half into 5 equal pieces.
- Shape each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment approximately 4 inches apart.
- Allow the dough to rise, uncovered, in a warm place until it rises about double in size, approximately 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the tops of each dough ball with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
- Bake the brioche until it is golden brown on top, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the rolls to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- If not serving immediately, wrap the hot bread in foil and set aside at room temperature for up to 2 days.
7 Comments on “Homemade Brioche Hamburger Buns”
Can gluten-free flours be used.
Yes, you can use a cup for cup gluten free flour as a substitute.
Hi! is it possible to use 00 pizza flour? Is there a difference between pizza and pastry and pasta flour? Thanks for your help.
There is a difference between the flour types but you can definitely sub with the 00 pizza flour. Your buns may be a little more dense than if using pastry flour but it’s still going to be tasty!
I see your recipe says not to use rapid rise yeast. All I have is SAF instant yeast. Can I use that? If so what changes should I make?
Hi Regina! You can definitely use instant yeast. You don’t have to proof it though. Just whisk it into the dry ingredients and then combine with the wet ingredients as instructed.
Thank you so much for the quick response. I also notice that the recipe calls for 7 eggs. I will be doubling the recipe so that means 14 eggs, is that correct? That seems like an awful lot of eggs. Can this recipe be make successfully without as many eggs?.