Quick Brioche Bun Recipe

July 16, 2018 6 Comments »

Homemade hamburger buns are easier to make than you think! This quick brioche bun recipe takes just one hour from start to finish.

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Would you believe me if I told you that you could make your own delicious homemade burger buns and have them ready in just an hour? It’s true! I’ve taken my favorite hamburger bun recipe and made it quicker and easier than ever. These brioche buns are light and soft with just a hint of sweetness. You will love them!

Brioche bread is made with butter, eggs, milk and a touch of sugar. These simple ingredients bring so much flavor, as well as a soft crumb. Toasted or as is, a brioche bun will make your burger the best it can be.

If you are new to baking with yeast, don’t let it intimidate you. I’ll walk you through the easy steps to making your own perfect brioche burger buns. With this recipe, you don’t need to let the dough rise before shaping it into balls. This makes this recipe especially quick!

I recommend using a stand mixer to mix and knead the dough for your hamburger buns. You can mix and knead by hand, but a stand mixer makes the job much easier.

Try this brioche bun recipe for serving your favorite burgers or sandwiches. These brioche rolls are delicious with any type of burgers – beef, turkey or veggie! They also make amazing pulled pork sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches!

Or, eat them warm from the oven with a spread of butter. There’s nothing better than fresh, warm homemade bread.

How to make brioche buns:

How to proof yeast

The first step when baking with yeast is to proof your yeast. Proofing yeast is the process of combining the yeast with a warm liquid plus sugar and then letting the mixture rest for 5 minutes. This allows you to check if your yeast is alive and active. Active yeast will form a bubbly foam on the surface of the liquid. You need your yeast to be active so that your dough will rise.

For these brioche buns, you will gently stir together warm water and milk, instant yeast (sometimes called rapid rise or bread machine yeast) and two tablespoons of granulated sugar. You want the water and milk to be between 105 and 115 degrees F. An instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to measure the temperature. Too hot water will kill the yeast and too cool water will not activate the yeast.

Mix the dough

You’ll add salt and an egg to the yeast mixture and mix to combine. Next, you’ll mix in some all purpose flour and white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is a lighter, milder variety of whole wheat flour. I like to use a combination of all purpose and white whole wheat flours. The white whole wheat flour adds healthy whole grains, while the all purpose gives a light, tender texture. You may make this recipe using only all purpose flour if you wish. You can also use only white whole wheat flour, just know that your buns will be a little heavier in texture.

After mixing in the flour, you will mix in two tablespoons of unsalted butter. The butter will make the dough rich and flavorful. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in your recipe.

Knead the dough: How do you tell if your dough is kneaded?

The easiest way to knead the dough is to use your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. You will knead the dough for about 8 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. The dough will be very soft and fairly sticky. It is properly kneaded when you press a finger onto the dough and it sticks to your finger just a bit but then springs back and releases, rather than leaving a hole in the dough and lots of dough on your finger. Dough that is kneaded enough will also look mostly smooth, rather than shaggy.

Shape the brioche buns

This recipe is unique (and quick) because you do not have to let the dough rise after you knead it. You can immediately shape the dough into balls for your burger buns. The shaped rolls will have a quick 15 minute rise and then they’ll be ready for you to bake them… and eat them!

To shape your brioche buns, place your kneaded dough on a well-floured work surface and shape it into a large ball. Cut the ball into 8 equal pieces. Use floured hands to shape each piece into a round ball. I usually pull the dough around itself into a ball shape. Place the dough balls, smooth side up, on a baking sheet that you’ve lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Let the buns rest

Cover the buns with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 15 minutes. They will rise and almost double in size during this time.

Bake the brioche buns

Before you put your brioche buns in the oven, you will brush them with an egg wash. An egg wash is a mixture of one beaten egg and a tablespoon of milk. The egg wash gives the brioche buns their beautiful golden color and delicious crust.

After baking, you can brush the brioche rolls with a little bit of melted butter. This is not a necessary step, but it makes for unbelievably delicious and golden, shiny burger buns.

Baking tips for brioche buns:

• Use an instant-read thermometer to measure the temperature of your liquids before combining them with the yeast. You want the temperature to be between 105 and 115 degrees F. Water and milk that is too hot will kill the yeast. Too cool liquids won’t activate the yeast and your dough will not rise.
• Be sure to spoon and level your flour rather than scooping it with a measuring cup. Use a spoon to place flour into your measuring cup and then level it off with the back of a knife.
• Avoid adding a lot of extra flour to your dough, as that will lead to tough burger buns. The dough is supposed to be soft and fairly sticky. Flouring your hands and work surface will make the dough easier to work with.
• You can toast your brioche buns before serving your burgers and sandwiches or serve them as is.

Print Recipe

Yield: 8 buns

Quick Brioche Bun Recipe

Prep:45 mins

Cook:15 mins

Total:1 hour

Homemade hamburger buns are easier to make than you think! This quick brioche bun recipe takes just one hour from start to finish.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
• ¼ cup warm milk (105-115 degrees F, whole milk is best)
• 1 tablespoon instant (rapid-rise) yeast
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

For the egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Combine the warm water, warm milk, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir gently to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Add the salt and egg to the bowl. Use the paddle attachment to combine on low speed.
4. Add both flours and mix on low speed until combined, then mix in the butter pieces.
5. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 8 minutes. The dough will be very soft and slightly sticky.
6. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead a few times with your hands to form it into a ball. Cut the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball and place on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Loosely cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
9. Combine the egg and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl, stirring with a fork. Remove the towel and brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash. Bake hamburger buns in the oven for 13-15 minutes, until tops are golden.

Notes:

1. Brioche buns freeze well. Cool completely, wrap airtight, and freeze for up to 3 months.
2. Nutrition information was calculated using an online calculator and is meant to be an estimate only. The exact numbers will vary based on quantities, ingredients and brands used.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 8 buns, Serving Size: 1 bun

• Amount Per Serving:
• Calories: 247 Calories
• Total Fat: 5g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 32mg
• Sodium: 455mg
• Carbohydrates: 44g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 4g
• Protein: 8g

All images and text ©Kristine for Kristine's Kitchen

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