Brioche Burger Buns at Home

Finding and making good burger buns can be a challenge. So after years of frustration, I’ve gone in a different direction and started making these brioche burger buns. They are light, soft, and not too sweet. They will remind you of the burger buns you get at nicer restaurants.  

These are easy to make and freeze quite well. No more running out to the store to buy soft buns the day you want to make burgers!

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Make sure everything is at room temperature. Start with the lowest flour amount and then slowly add more a tablespoon at a time so the dough is slightly tacky. Whole milk will be best, but whatever you have is fine. And while you don’t technically need a bread machine or stand mixer, using one of these makes kneading a lot easier.

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This will make 8 large buns (or 12 smaller buns). If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Just make sure your bread machine or stand mixer is big enough. I’d recommend doing separate batches.

Equipment

• Stand mixer or bread machine
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

For the dough

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup milk, whole is best, but any kind is fine
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, equivalent to ½ stick
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4¼-4½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 2½ teaspoons yeast, instant or active dry

For topping the buns

• 1 egg for egg wash
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds or poppy seeds

How to Make Brioche Burger Buns

Step One: Microwave Butter

Toss your water, milk, and butter in a glass measuring cup and pop it in the microwave for about 45 seconds. You want the butter melted but not hot – just nice and lukewarm.

Step Two: Make the dough

Pour that mixture into your stand mixer bowl (or bread machine). Add your eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and yeast. Start mixing on low. Don’t panic when it looks sticky at first – that’s normal! Add a little more flour if you need to, but not too much. You want it slightly tacky, not dry.

Step Three: Knead

If you’ve got a bread machine, hit that dough cycle. If you’re using a stand mixer, knead for 8-10 minutes on low. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s smooth and stretchy.

Step Four: First Rise

Plop that dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit somewhere warm for 2 hours. Yep, two whole hours. Go do something else. This is when the magic happens.

Step Five: Shape

When your dough has doubled (it’ll look all puffy and lovely), gently punch it down and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball – think of tucking the edges under and around. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets with room to grow.

Step Six: Second Rise

Beat that extra egg and brush it all over the tops. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you want. Cover again and let them rise for about an hour until they’re almost doubled again.

Step Seven: Bake

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Bake for 16-18 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. They’re done when they’re golden brown and gorgeous.

Storage Instructions

Once the buns cool down, put them in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. You can keep them fresh for up to 3 days in a cool, dry area.

If you want to store them longer, wrap each bun in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag. Brioche buns can be frozen for up to 3 months. To use them, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. You can reheat them in the oven or toaster for a fresher taste.

What to Serve

Use these for burgers and any other sandwich.

• Make these cast iron skillet burgers that are better than grilled (I said what I said).
• A slow cooker pork roast will make the best pulled pork sandwiches.
• Or you can do pulled beef sliders with a garlic mayo.
• Deep fry some chicken for a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich.
• Make the buns smaller and do egg and bacon breakfast sandwiches.

Questions and Troubleshooting

More Buns And Rolls To Try

• If you have a sourdough starter, you can make these sourdough discard burger buns.
• Bread machine burger buns makes having fresh buns even easier.
• Super soft Hawaiian rolls will be your favorite way to make a sandwich.
• These old-fashioned yeast rolls are buttery and fluffy and perfect for holiday dinners.

Printable Recipe