My ultimate guide to making soft and fluffy Brioche Burger Buns that don't fall apart with that juicy burger.
They take a little bit of patience, but they're so worth it for the ultimate burger!
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 (with just a couple of tweaks) and they're perfect!
What do we need?
How to make them
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Mix the yeast with water, milk and sugar, and then leave for 5 minutes until it starts to foam.
- Meanwhile mix 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 plain or you can 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).
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!
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.
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 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 or go the whole hog with some Pizza Fries
- This creamy coleslaw on the side
Watch how to make it
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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 ½ tbsp caster sugar
- 3 cups (360g) strong bread flour
- ½ cup (60g) plain/all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling
- 2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter - softened
- 1 ½ 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 (or 2 - one at each end of the tray so they meet in the middle) - 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.
Video
✎ 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.Nutrition
This post was first published in March 2015. Updated in June 2019 with new photos, tips and serving suggestions. Updated again in November 2020 with additional photos and video.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Husssein says
Good job ...Thank you
Paola G says
Hi I really want to try this recipe, do you think I could use instant yeast Instead of the active dry?
Paul Smith says
Duh! I just realised the 2nd egg is for the EGG wash but I have to say they were amazing it made 9 in the end we couldn't wait for the burgers to defrost so had them with bacon and mushrooms YUM YUM. might try this as a loaf to make french toast or B & B pud.
Paul Smith says
Hi Nicky Paul here from Cornwall. I tried these today always wanted to try a soft bun I baked bread for yrs. I had trouble getting the dough to come together it remained just a thick batter even after 12 mins in my stand mixer. I had to add about another 50-60 grams of flour. I notice in the video you use 1 egg but the recipe card says 2(which I followed and they were BIG from my neighbours hens)). It is now rising and looks like a decent dough. I will let you know how things turn out. I expect a more richer brioche taste now.
Tony Ball says
From a chef, this is probably the best brioche recipe I have tried.
It definitely goes perfectly with homemade burgers.
This recipe is a must for my restaurant.
Rachel says
What a great recipe, thank you. My spouse felt very spoiled having homemade hamburger buns. I'm considering changing the shape and making hot dog buns with this recipe. Do you think the baking time should change? Is this even a good idea? We all agreed that smaller versions of the bun would make superior dinner rolls.
TBS says
My kid and I make these at least once a month! Tomorrow we’ll have fried chicken breasts with our “special sauce” on these buns!
The only change I make is that we use half white AP flour, and half whole-wheat.
Perfect every time.
Kathryn says
Turns out perfectly every time. Our favorite way to eat these is as a breakfast sandwich!
Viking Baker says
Tablespoons of butter: a leftover from the American origins of this recipe! For those in the rest of the world - to whom kitchen scales are normal things - a tablespoon of butter is 1/2 ounce or (as near as makes no difference) 14g.
So, for this recipe, you're looking at 35g of butter.
Challa says
last night was my 3rd time making this recipe and we loved it every time . In fact we don't want the store bought buns anymore. thank you for a great recipe. Oh by the way I used my bread maker staying true to the recipe. I can't thank you enough.
Mateja says
Hi, the buns look amazing. I already wrote to Nicky some time ago on twitter asking about them, but then I simply forgot about them. Well, here I am ..back. 🙂 I was wondering if I could add sourdough starter to the dough. Do you think it would work?
Nicky Corbishley says
Hi Mateja, I haven't tried it with sourdough starter, but I think it would work - presuming you're just looking to add a bit of sourdough taste (not to replace the yeast).
I would measure out the sourdough starter, then swap that out with a little of the flour and water in the recipe and carry on with the rest of the recipe as normal.
Hope it works well - please let me know how it goes 🙂
frank says
what is the size of one bun?
Chris Corbishley says
Hi Frank,
They work out roughly 10cm (4in) in diameter.
Thanks
Chris
frank says
Thank you!
Win Avery says
Hi, Just a question regarding oven temperatures, are the temps you quote for fan assisted or conventional?
Chris Corbishley says
HI Win,
The temps are fan assisted.
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Amie says
I made this previously and it was delicious but my buns were a bit flat as I didn't knead enough (the engine on my magimix overheated!). I want to make them again (and hand knead) but this time I have fresh yeast. Do you know how I would modify the recipe for this? Do I still need to put the fresh yeast in the milk/water/sugar mixture? My fresh yeast packet says one cube is for 1kg flour, so should I halve it or still use the whole thing (I've googled and it says double fresh yeast for dry yeast amounts). Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!
(also thank you for your recipes, I use your website weekly and we love all your food in our house!)
Chris Corbishley says
Hi Amie,
Thanks so much, so pleased you are loving the recipes 🙂
Honestly, we have never tried the brioche buns with fresh yeast so I am a bit in the dark too 🙂
This is what I would refer to for conversions on dried to fresh yeast. https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/hints-tips/cheat-sheets/yeast-conversion-table
Hope this helps. Please let us know how you get on.
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Amie says
Thank you so much for this conversion! I made them with the wrong amount of fresh yeast (too much) and it didn't work very well - they were flat and tasted kind of like beer 🙂 We still ate them though! So I think the conversion table you've provided would be best for anyone else using fresh yeast.
Phyllis says
Very yummy! Accidentally added more butter, but turned out great. Will make again.
ana says
i love the recipee.
i wish people who post them would not tell us also all their life story. it is exhausting to have to scroll till the real info.
Nicky Corbishley says
There's a jump to recipe button at the top of every page so you don't have to scroll at all.
And welcome to my blog where I have the privilege of being able to write what I like on my pages, whilst providing free recipes to you.