My ultimate guide to making soft and fluffy Brioche Burger Buns that don’t fall apart with that juicy burger. WAY better than shop bought!
Oh how I love these Soft and Light Brioche Burger Buns! With a good burger!
More and more often fashionable burger restaurants in the UK are taking the lead from the US and using brioche rolls to serve their burgers on. I’ve seen it in Byron burger (the classic Byron burger is delicious), Gourmet burger (I could eat a million of their skinny fries with garlic mayo) and Five Guys (hooray! so glad they’ve finally branched out to the UK).
I love the subtle sweetness of a good brioche. It’s got to be shiny, dark golden and soft enough on the outside to wrinkle when you bite into it. The inside has of course got to be soft, light and fluffy, but gently toasted to ensure that all of that lovely sauce and cheese doesn’t completely sink in.
The only problem with brioche, is that they can be so rich and soft, that they start to fall apart halfway through eating that juicy burger. Disaster!
So I’ve been working on a brioche recipe that’s a little less rich (fewer eggs and less sugar) than regular brioche, still lovely and fluffy, but won’t dissolve the moment your pick up your burger.
I had a few trials (with numerous errors) and then I came across this recipe from The Clever Carrot (she originally got the recipe from the NY Times). I made them, and now I’m hooked. I have no need to look anywhere else for a Brioche roll recipe. These Soft and Light Brioche Burger Buns perfect! (thanks Emilie!). I’ve kept the recipe pretty much as is, but also added tips for toppings.
So here’s what you need to do.
Mix the yeast with water, milk and sugar, and then leave for 5 minutes until it starts to foam.
Meanwhile mix your bread flour, all-purpose (plain) flour, salt and butter in a mixer, then beat in the yeast mixture along with 1 egg. Yes, only 1 egg is needed – which is a little unusual with Brioche (usually you’d use at least 3), but trust me, is all you need to get a perfect, light-textured brioche. Beat the dough in the mixer for 10 minutes and then place in a bowl:
Cover with clingfilm and leave to prove in a warm room for 1-2 hours until doubled in size:
Then knock the air out of the dough on a floured surface and split the dough into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place on a baking tray, cover (Pro tip: I like to use a bag or a damp tea towel over the top. I place my salt and pepper shaker on the tin to prop the bag/tea towel up, so they don’t touch the rolls). Prove again until almost doubled in size (1.5-2 hours):
Remove the cover, brush each roll with egg-wash. Use the egg wash sparingly – if it runs down the sides and pools under the bread, you’ll end up with a ring of crispy egg wash around the buns.
At this point, you can leave the buns place, sprinkle with sesame seeds, if you fancy something extra special, sprinkle with everything spice blend (<–affiliate link).
Bake for 15 minutes until dark golden brown:
Leave to cool and then enjoy (trying not to slather the warm rolls in butter and eat them all before your burgers are ready).
Are brioche buns good for burgers?
Brioche buns can be so rich and soft that they often fall apart when they come into contact with the juices from a meaty burger, as well as being squished when picking up that burger.
These buns are a little more substantial, but still lovely and soft with a fantastic flavour.
How long do brioche buns last?
The buns will keep for 1-2 days in a sealed container at room temperature. They will last for 3 days if, before you serve them, you split them open, brush with a little oil then grill/griddle them before placing your burger on (my favourite way to serve them).
Can I freeze brioche buns?
Yes, cool the buns, then cover and freeze. Defrost at room temperate for a couple of hours. They should still be soft, but I find it’s best to split them open, brush with a little oil then grill/griddle them before placing your burger on.
What makes a brioche bun different to a regular bun?
Brioche often contains several eggs (at least 3, sometimes up to 6) plus more sugar than a usual bread recipe. This recipe contains 2 eggs – one to go in the rolls, and one for the egg wash. It also contains just a little more sugar than usual brioche recipes. I find this is just right to make a richer, slightly sweet tasting roll, without it falling apart.
What to put in your brioche buns:
- Cheesy Veggie Burger – my favourite veg-packed meat-free burger!
- This classic Bacon Cheese Burger – topped with crispy onions rings
- This crispy Fish Burger – served with shoestring fries
- This Sticky Asian Pork Burger – topped with crunchy pickled veg (a real indulgent treat!) and filled with my favourite Chinese Pork Belly
- This cheesy veggie Chickpea Burger – topped with avocado and sweet chilli sauce
- This Thai Fish burger – spicy and delicious!
What to serve with your burger:
- How about a tasty salad – I’ve got loads of them on Kitchen Sanctuary!
- Garlic Chilli oven baked fries
- Veggie matchstick fries
- Parmesan carrot fries
- This epic coleslaw by Sam at Drizzle and Dip
- Or just eat that burger by itself and finish it off with this pecan caramel no-bake cheesecake
The Soft and Light Brioche Burger Buns Recipe:
Soft and Light Brioche Burgers Buns
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) warm water
- 3 tbsp warm milk I used whole milk, but half-fat is fine
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 2 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
- 3 cups (360g) strong bread flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) plain/all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling
- 2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds or everything spice (optional)
Instructions
- Place the warm water, milk, yeast and sugar in a jug, give it a stir and leave for 5 minutes until the top of the liquid starts to foam slightly. If it doesn't foam then your yeast isn't active and you'll need to start again with a new packet of yeast.
- Place the two flours, the butter and salt into a mixer and mix together using the beater attachment for a minute - until you can no longer see lumps of butter.
- Add in the water/yeast mixture and one of the eggs, then beat again (using the beater attachment) for 10 minutes on medium speed. The dough will be sticky, but will come together in a soft, slightly sticky ball towards the end.
- Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave to rise in a warm room until doubled in sized (usually 1-2 hours).
- Line a large baking tray with baking parchment or a silicone mat.
- Once the dough has doubled in sized, tip it out onto a floured (plain /all-purpose flour) surface and punch the air out of it. Cut the dough as evenly as you can into 8 pieces. I weighed each of mine - they were 97g/3.4oz each.
- Pat both of your hands in the flour and then pick up a piece of dough, flatten it slightly in your hands and then put it on the work surface and pull the edges into the centre so you have a rough ball shape. Turn the ball over and gently roll it into more of a ball shape and place onto a large baking tray with the smoothest side at the top. Cup your hands around the sides of the ball and give it a little squeeze to add a tiny bit of height. Repeat with the remaining dough - ensuring there is at least a couple of inches between each ball - as they will expand.
- Place the tray in a large carrier bag - making sure none of the bag touches the dough. If the dough touches it, it will stick. Leave to prove again until almost doubled in size - about 1.5-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Whisk your remaining egg with a tsp of cold water.
- Take the tray out of the bag and gently brush each of the buns all over the top and sides with egg wash. Make sure you don't have too much egg wash on your brush or it will run down the sides of the buns and pool at the bottom - leaving a crispy-eggy edge to the buns.
- You can leave the buns plain, or if you prefer, sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sesame seeds or 1 tbsp everything spice.
- Place the buns in the oven and cook for 15 minutes until dark golden brown. Take out of the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes on the tray, before removing from the tray on cooling further on a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
Trying serving warm with butter (forget the burger!)
These buns are delicious served slightly warm (don't serve them straight from the oven though, as they're still cooking inside as they're cooling, and will be doughy if you eat them hot). Slather in a little salted butter and eat. Or slice then place them in the toaster for breakfast with some butter and jam.How long do brioche buns last?
The buns will keep for 1-2 days in a sealed container at room temperature. They will last for 3 days if, before you serve them, you split them open, brush with a little oil then grill/griddle them before placing your burger on (my favourite way to serve them).Can I freeze brioche buns?
Yes, cool the buns, then cover and freeze. Defrost at room temperate for a couple of hours. They should still be soft, but I find it's best to split them open, brush with a little oil then grill/griddle them before placing your burger on. Nutritional information is per bun.Nutritional Information
This post was first published in March 2015. Updated in June 2019 with new photos, tips and serving suggestions.
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Viking Baker says
October 10, 2019 at 11:10 pmThank you for the conversion; I’ve used the recipe from the Clever Carrot quite a few times now, but the American habit of cooking entirely by volume measure – a late C.19th fad which should have died out but unfortunately made its way into a very influential cook book and so stuck – is quite infuriating!
Incidentally though, with active yeast there’s absolutely no need to activate it in sugared water. It’s intended to be blended with dry ingredients, and the packaging will often specify that it needn’t be added to liquid. You do that with old fashioned dried yeast – which is simply dried out fresh yeast – but the whole point of active yeast is to be able to skip that bit. I’ve used this recipe several times and have routinely ignored the yeast-blooming step, and it comes out perfectly.
Sonia medina says
August 10, 2019 at 4:41 amThe recipe says 2 eggs so i put both in the dough and anyway the bread is delicious and fluffy but my question is if i only put 1 egg in the mix the bread would be better and more soft??
Nicky Corbishley says
August 19, 2019 at 5:22 pmI haven’t tried it with two eggs, but I think it would be just as fluffy with one egg or two.
Crossfit Chick says
July 25, 2019 at 9:28 pmFantastic recipe!
Well this was my first attempt at a sweet dough, the initial consistency made me slightly nervous but after reading the well explained method the dough soon came together as described. I found 10 mins was a perfect cooking time for my fan oven, So proud of myself & pleased with the result 🙌 these shall be a firm favourite, thank you 😊😊
Jon says
March 3, 2018 at 12:45 pmAwesome recipe. Dough came together into a ball after ten minutes of beating, just like the instructions said it would, so I knew I was on to a good recipe at that point. The best bread rolls I’ve made; came out like in the photo and very light and fluffy. I have a fan oven, so baked at 180°C rather than 200. Making them again now two days later. Thanks so much for this.
Alicia Wong says
August 7, 2017 at 2:12 amHello Nicky… thank you very much for this recipe… my husband is a hamburger addict so I was looking for a good bun recipe… I followed everything as instructed except the flour (I did not have All purpose, so I just all Bread flour) they turned out really good! My husband loved the buns!! Next time I will make sure I get the Bread and All purpose flour combination to see the result!
The recipe very well explained… thanks!!
Nicky Corbishley says
August 11, 2017 at 2:52 pmAwesome! Thanks so much for letting me know Alicia 🙂
Bea says
May 3, 2017 at 5:27 pmJust wanted to say that I made these at the weekend and they came out PERFECT!! Normally my bread is a bit doughy or flat but these are sweet and fluffy and just what I needed for some homemade burgers. I actually made them dairy free by using dairy free Flora butter and almond milk and they still worked great. 🙂
Gina says
February 8, 2016 at 2:30 pmOooooo- I have another question regarding the mini hamburger buns…have you had success making the dough balls ahead, freezing them and then either thawing them in the refrigerator 24 hours before use and bringing them to room temp at least an house before baking OR freezing them and thawing on the counter overnight before baking?
Nicky Corbishley says
February 10, 2016 at 10:50 amHmm, not tried that one. I imagine the freezing process would harm the rise of the buns though.
I’d be more inclined to par-bake them – for maybe 5-6 minutes to get the rise. Then cool and freeze. Then cook them from frozen until browned when you need them.
Can’t guarantee it’d work, but that’s what I’d do.
Gina says
February 6, 2016 at 5:40 pmHi- I see your recipe for mini hamburger buns – they look beautiful and sort of like a brioche bun but the recipe is quite different. Is it possible to make this delicious-looking recipe for brioche buns but make them bite-size (baking them for less time)? If I want a delicious bite size brioche bun which recipe would you recommend I try? Thank you!!
Nicky Corbishley says
February 8, 2016 at 7:31 amYes, this mini-burger buns are more of a regular bun. The brioche recipe does work for mini buns, but I find it difficult to get a consistent size out of them – some of them like to rise in the oven into a slightly pointy shape, whilst others are the regular burger shape. If I’m using the brioche recipe for mini burgers, I just make sure I make plenty! Hope that kind-of helps!
Gina says
February 8, 2016 at 1:07 pmHuge help!!! Thank you so much for your reply! ?
I am new to your site and I love it! Thanks again!
Carah says
January 21, 2016 at 6:37 pmThese look beautiful! I will try and make them today. Is it necessary to use bread and all purpose flour? I only have all purpose flour at the moment.
Nicky Corbishley says
February 5, 2016 at 6:52 amHi Carah, hope the buns turned out ok for you. Bread flour is important in these rolls to give them the soft and tender quality. Just using all-purpose will give more of scone/biscuit effect.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Carah says
February 12, 2016 at 4:31 amThe buns turned out really well! I ended up using all AP flour because it was what I had. I let them rise a bit longer than recommended by accident but because of that they were very light and soft. Delicious!
Nicky Corbishley says
February 15, 2016 at 9:00 pmAwesome! So glad they turned out well Carah. I’ll have to give them a go with all AP flour 🙂
MapRef41N93Wx says
May 26, 2016 at 7:29 pmYou don’t need bread flour to make rolls. Bread flour is for making dense, crusty breads like french baguettes. Using AP flour in these will give a softer, lighter texture that people generally want in rolls.
Jocelyn says
August 10, 2015 at 2:00 amWhat is caster sugar?
Nicky Corbishley says
August 10, 2015 at 10:18 amHi Jocelyn, are you based in the US? I think they call us superfine over there (it’s a smaller granule that granulated sugar, but not to be mistaken for powdered sugar).
For this recipe, you can substitute with granulated sugar.
sylvieamesee says
May 1, 2015 at 7:07 amI make my brioche without milk. I use more eggs than you (instead of milk). Adding milk probably allows your brioche buns smoother than mine, have to remember that!
Nicky Corbishley says
May 21, 2015 at 8:26 amHi Sylvie, yes, I’ve done it with more eggs and less milk, which seems to make the brioche turn out richer, but more dense. These are like a light, soft roll in the middle.
adashofsanity says
March 10, 2015 at 8:51 pmThese rolls look amazing girl, will so be making them soon! xo San from A Dash of Sanity
Pinned!
Nicky Corbishley says
March 11, 2015 at 11:20 amThanks for pinning Sandra 🙂
I’ve got to compliment you on your samoa donuts. They are to die for!!!
Amy says
March 9, 2015 at 12:32 am“soft enough on the outside to wrinkle and squidge when you bite into it” <– oh my god yes.
I mourn the loss of bread from my life in a few circumstances, and the gorgeousness of broiche is one of those occasions. That being said, I love baking bread for my family, and I can't wait to give these a go soon!
Nicky Corbishley says
March 11, 2015 at 11:10 amoh Amy I really feel for you. I don’t eat as much bread as I used to, but I can’t imagine not having it at all. Do you have a good homemade bread recipe? I’m always on the lookout for a great GF bread recipe for my mother in law. She’s ok with dairy etc, it’s just the gluten.
Holly Jordan says
March 6, 2015 at 6:36 pmThese look sooo awesome!
Nicky Corbishley says
March 11, 2015 at 11:08 amThanks Holly 🙂