Requiring only a few key ingredients, this Homemade Brioche Bun Recipe yields the most buttery soft, and fluffy buns! In addition to being absolutely delicious, these buns are so easy to make and serve as the perfect base for any burger or sandwich recipe.
What is Brioche?
Brioche is a type of French bread that is made from a enriched dough consisting of flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, butter, and yeast. The combination of these ingredients makes for a pillowy, soft bread with a lightly sweetened buttery flavor. Brioche can be used in both sweet and savory-based recipes.
What Makes this Brioche Bun Recipe So Good?
- Rich buttery flavor with a soft and fluffy bread texture
- Incredibly easy recipe requiring less than 10 ingredients
- Serves as the perfect base for any burger or sandwich recipe
How to Make Homemade Brioche Buns
I am a huge lover of no-fuss recipes and this recipe for homemade brioche buns does not disappoint. It is so easy to make and is beautifully infused with a rich, buttery flavor. Unlike traditional brioche breads which require overnight refrigeration, these buns can be made the same day from start to finish. To make this recipe, you will need:
Key Ingredients
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Active Dry Yeast
- Raw Cane or Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Whole Milk
- Unsalted Butter
- Salt
Tips for Making the Best Brioche Buns from Scratch
- Properly Measure Ingredients – the best way to ensure that the ingredients in this recipe are measured accurately is to use a kitchen scale. This is particularly important with regard to the flour. Using too much flour in this recipe will result in dense buns.
- Use Softened Butter – softened butter will mix into the dough more easily resulting in a soft smooth dough. To soften butter, leave chilled butter on the countertop for 60-90 minutes. The texture of the butter should have a spreadable consistency.
- Weigh Divided Dough – for evenly shaped buns, I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh the divided dough before shaping it into round balls. Each portion of divided dough should weigh about 3.5-3.6 ounces.
- Egg Wash is Key – brushing the shaped buns with a mixture of an egg and a little water prior to baking is key to achieving that classic golden brown color that brioche bread is known to have.
How to Store Buns
Brioche buns are best eaten the day it is baked. Cooled leftover buns tightly wrapped in plastic wrap will last 3-4 days stored in the fridge.
For longer storage, cooled buns wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in a freezer-safe container like a large Ziplock bag will last for 2-3 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Recipe Notes
Brioche dough tends to naturally have a soft and sticky texture due to the amount of butter and eggs used to make it. For light and airy buns, resist the urge to add more flour as this will result in a more dense textured bun.
For the best outcome, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients in this recipe. In the absence of a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method for measuring out the flour. This involves spooning the flour into a measuring cup up to the rim and using a knife or offset spatula to level/ remove the excess flour.
Brioche buns can be made in advance. Simply make the dough following the recipe instructions. After the first rise, deflate the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, divide, shape, and proof the buns for 60-75 minutes or until doubled before baking.
For added texture, brioche buns may be topped with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flaky sea salt, or everything bagel seasoning prior to baking. I did a mix of sesame seeds and plain buns.
Looking for More Bread Recipes, Checkout the Links Below:
PrintHomemade Brioche Bun Recipe
Requiring only a few key ingredients, this homemade brioche bun recipe yields the most buttery soft, and fluffy buns! In addition to being absolutely delicious, these buns are so easy to make and serve as the perfect base for any burger or sandwich recipe.
- Prep Time: 2 Hours 56 Minutes
- Cook Time: 26 Minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 22 minutes
- Yield: 5 Large Buns 1x
Ingredients
Brioche Bun Dough
- 2 Cups (260g) Unbleached All Purpose Flour, Plus More as Needed
- 2 Tablespoons (24g) Raw Cane or Granulated Sugar, Divided
- 1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 1/4 Cup (59 ml) Whole Milk, Warmed to 100-110F
- 1/4 Cup (57g) Unsalted Butter, Softened
Egg Wash
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/2 Tablespoon Water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warmed milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Next, whisk in the yeast and cover the bowl with a large plate or clean kitchen towel. Set aside for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture has a foamy, bubbly appearance with a fermented aroma.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and remaining sugar. Set aside. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, mix the eggs into the activated yeast at medium speed to combine.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix all of the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture until a shaggy-looking dough starts to form. At this point, mix in the softened butter about 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Once all of the butter has been mixed into the dough, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead the dough for 6 minutes.
- The dough should be soft and sticky to the touch which is normal for brioche-based doughs. However, if the dough is too soft and overly sticky, mix in additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is more manageable to work with. For soft and fluffy buns, take care to not add too much flour.
- With generously greased hands, transfer the dough into a large greased mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm part of the kitchen and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Gently deflate the dough with a fisted hand, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a generously floured surface and sprinkle some flour on top of the dough. Cut the dough into 5 equal pieces and individually shape them into round balls. Place the shaped buns evenly spaced out on the prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rest (proof) for 30-40 minutes.
- As the buns rest, preheat the oven to 350F. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the egg wash over the tops of each bun and sprinkle with toppings like sesame or poppy seeds, if using.
- Bake the buns for 24-26 minutes rotating the pan halfway through the bake time. The buns are ready when they are a rich golden brown color and a toothpick inserted into one of the buns comes out clean. If your oven runs hot, check on the buns at the 21-23 minute mark.
- Allow the buns to cool to room temperature before using.
Notes
- For the best outcome, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients in this recipe. In the absence of a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method for measuring out the flour. This involves spooning the flour into a measuring cup up to the rim and using a knife or offset spatula to level/ remove the excess flour.
- This recipe can be easily doubled for a yield of 10 buns.
- If the buns start to over-brown before they are fully baked through, tent a sheet of aluminum foil over the baking sheet and continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into one of the buns comes out clean.
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