Buttery Brioche Hamburger Buns (or burger buns) are tender, and fluffy, the kind that is chubby and airy you intuitively squish in your hands like a tiny pillow. But their top quality is that they are sturdy enough to soak in all the burger juices without losing their structure, or flavor.
Burgers (with thick cut fries), is my favorite food and I am without a hesitation a burger snob. It needs to be perfect, and not just the burger, the bun is just as important. If it’s too soggy, and it turns into a wet paper thin mess, its game over. Which is why I am thrilled about this recipe: its buttery flavor complements the gamey meat flavor. And it is tender and fluffy but not like Brioche dinner rolls, which are slightly sweeter, and less airy. These are light as a pillow but sturdy enough to grab into the meat, juices, sauces, vegetable, and a handful of fries. Its the perfect hybrid of classic brioche bread, and bakery style challah.
Ingredients
The complete recipe is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card. Below is a quick recap of what to look for when shopping, and substations when possible.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. Bleached, or cake flour are not strong enough to create a strudy elastic dough. Bread flour is an option, but when testing this recipe, I found that all-purpose flour makes for a lighter crumb.
- Dry Milk Powder. Dry milk powder is basically milk without the water, so we get all the flavor and the protein. Protein stretch when baked, adding an extra “lift” to the rolls. You can skip it, and replace it with an extra 2 Tablespoons of flour.
- Instant yeast. They can be added to the recipe without any special preparation, like when using active dry Yeats. See recipe notes for how to use active dry yeast.
- Milk. Lukewarm is key, if over 100°F (32°C) it will kill the yeast.
- Unsalted butter. This recipe calls for a very small amount of sugar, and extra salt can make it too salty. When we use salted butter we can not control the amount that is added, even if we skip the salt, we are taking a risk.
For a Dairy Free (Parve) Buns
It won’t be the same, but it will still be just as fluffy, tender and delicious:
- Skip the dry milk powder, use plant base butter, and lukewarm water instead of milk.
Make it
This recipe calls for two proofs: the first is 3 hours, and the second is 60–90 minutes. Don’t cut them short: the large amount of butter slows down yeast activity, and less time means less air. Below are step-by-step images to guide you, along with the tips and notes I learned while testing this recipe.
Make the dough
- All of the ingredients must be at room temperature. It is the key for a smooth, cohesive and light dough.
- To cut the kneading time, without compromising the elasticity of this dough, we add half of the butter to the dough along with the ingredients at the first step.
- Start with the paddle attachment first (mixing the ingredients) then replace it with the dough hook (kneading the dough).
- Pay attention to the dough and not the timer. The dough is ready for the first proof, when it is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky. It may take longer than five minutes, depending on the strength of your mixer.
Shaping & Baking
- To shape the dough into smooth balls: use your hands to cup a piece of dough and make sure there is not gap between your hands and the dough. Move your hand clock wise in circles until you have a smooth round ball. About 20 seconds.
- Press the top of the dough, this way the buns will expand to the sides and create a wide round shape.
- Brush the top and the sides of the buns, so they will bake into an even brown.
Yields
This recipe makes 7 regular size buns, or 10-12 sliders.
Store
At room temperature for up to two days, leftovers can be frozen for up to four weeks in a freeze bag. When ready, remove from the bag, and set aside at room temperature to thaw. Warm at a 200°F for 10 minutes.
Brioche Hamburger Buns | Tender yet Sturdy
Ingredients
- 3 Cups (360g) Unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 Cup (40g) Non fat dry milk powder
- 1 Tablespoon (10g) Instant yeast
- 3/4 teaaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 2/3 Cup (160ml) Lukewarm milk (2% or whole)
- 1/2 Cup (113g) Unsalted butter cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 Large Egg yolk for egg wash
- 1/2 Cup Toppings: sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, or poppy seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer measure the flour (360g), dry milk powder (40g), yeast (10g), sugar (25g), salt , and half of the butter (55g).
- Using the paddle attachment, with the mixer on low speed, pour in the milk and mix until you have a shaggy mass. It should look sticky, but cohesive (small spots of butter are ok), and this should take about 30 seconds.
- Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook, add the rest of the butter (55g), then knead on medium speed for about five minutes.The dough is ready when it is smooth, elastic, and sightly sticky. It can take more or less than five minutes, so please pay attention to the dough and not the timer.
- Transfer the dough to a large clean bowl (or leave it in your mixer bowl), cover with plastic wrap and set aside to proof for 2-3 hours.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and beat the yolk in a small bowl.
- Deflate the dough and divide it to 7, each approx. 105g.
- Working on a clean and smooth work surface, cup a piece of dough with your hand, then move your hand clock wise for about 15-20 seconds. Do it as fast as you can.
- Gently lift the dough and place it over the prepared pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces, leaving about 2-inches gap around each bun.
- Gently press the top of each bun to make sure the buns bake without a pointy top.
- Brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle with your choice of topping.
- Set aside to proof for 60-90 minutes.
- About 20 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake over the middle oven rack for 20 minutes turning the pan at the 15 minutes mark.The buns are ready when they are puffed, golden brown (not very deep), and the inner temperature is 180°F (82°C).
- Remove from the oven, set aside to cool for about 15-20 minutes, and serve.
Notes
- When using active dry yeast: increase the yeast amount to 4 teaspoons (1 1/4 tablespoon). Mix the milk, yeast, and one tablespoon of sugar in the mixer bowl, and side aside for 15-20 minutes, until you notice a thick foam on the top. Continue with the recipe as instructed.
- Store at room temperature for up to two days.
- Freeze leftovers in a freeze bag for up to four week. Thaw and warm at a 200°F preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- For a dairy free (parve) option: replace the dry milk powder with 2 tablespoons of flour. Use plant base butter and water instead of butter and milk.
