Homemade Brioche Buns are so light and fluffy. Stuffed with pulled pork or slathered with peanut butter and jelly, these buns are the perfect conduit for just about anything.
Brioche buns are easier to make than you think! Instead of buying buns at the store, try your hand at making them homemade. I like to make a couple of batches and have them on hand for a last minute BBQ.
Brioche buns are wonderful for burgers as well! Just sprinkle them with some sesame seeds before you pop them in the oven. Trust me, these will elevate your burger to the next level. I myself love a protein burger with a simple lettuce wrap, but brioche buns will make me indulge in carbs!
Whether you do this by hand (get prepared to knead the dough and get an arm workout) or use a standing mixer with a dough hook, you will be well on your way to some of the best homemade brioche buns I’ve ever had. Get ready to get your hands dirty and let’s get started!
How to Make the Brioche Bread
What is Brioche Bread?
Made with eggs and butter, brioche bread has a rich and beautiful yellow color to it. Hailing from France, this bread is similar in flavor to the croissant with much less work. Slightly sweet and buttery, brioche works well with both sweet and savory recipes.
What Makes Brioche Different from Traditional Bread?
Brioche bread has fluffy, airy sweet layers of dough. Traditional bread is made with water, flour, yeast and salt. This results in a lighter, more mild flavor dough. Brioche, on the other hand, is made with eggs, butter and milk.
Tips for Making Brioche Buns
I’ve made these buns a TON of times. And like with any other recipe, there are going to be sometimes when you nail it and some other times when your baked goods fall flat. Here are all my best tips so you don’t have to make the same mistakes!
- Make sure the temperature of your milk is right. 110 ℉ is the ideal temperature to help with rising.
- Use eggs to get that bakery-worthy, shiny top. Brush the tops of your buns with whisked eggs to add a nice glossy top! You can also sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for a nice crunch and pretty presentation.
- Quality flour goes a long way. Great quality flour goes a long way. I have two favorites that I like to go between — the Canadian brand, Roger’s, and Bob’s Redmill of Oregon. These flours have a higher protein content, making baked goods richer in flavor.
- Allow the dough to “proof” itself. Proofing, or proving, is the process of letting the bread dough rise. Specifically, it refers to the specific time that the fermentation process needs to take place. Simply put, don’t take shortcuts. Your yeast needs enough time to expand your bread and create enough carbon dioxide bubbles to make it rise into fluffy goodness. The fermentation process also allows for the yeast to create a natural alcohol that gives the bread its flavor and aroma. Generally speaking, the more time you ferment your dough, the tastier it will be.
- Make sure the dough is the perfect texture. Soft and sticky dough is totally normal! In fact, it is what makes the buns taste so good.
Storing Brioche Buns
We love making a large batch and storing these buns for a rainy day. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe!
- Room Temperature: These buns have a propensity to get a bit stale, so make sure to store them in a Ziploc bag or airtight container.
- Freezing: When kept in an airtight container, these buns will stay good for up to two months.
Hot Tip: Bring your buns back to life by zapping them for a few seconds in the microwave or for a few minutes in the oven.
Other Bread Recipes
- Brioche Bread Recipe – a classic braided Briche with raving reviews
- No-Knead Bread – an easy overnight bread recipe (video included)
- No-Knead Bread Buns – perfect for a family grilling night
- Flatbread – the perfect quick bread for any occasion
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk (around 110 °F)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
- 6 cups flour (depending on the brand of flour you may need more)
- 6 eggs
- 200 grams unsalted butter
For Brushing Tops
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Combine warm (around 110 °F) milk together with yeast, sugar and two cups of flour. Whisk ingredients together. Cover the bowl with a towel and set it aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl whisk eggs together. Add eggs and melted butter to the dough mixture. Whisk in remaining flour in small portions.
- Knead the dough by hand or your mixer until it becomes elastic. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for about an hour.
- Divide the dough into 18-24 pieces (depending on the size you prefer). Form a flattened round shape out of the dough.
- Place the brioche buns on a lined baking sheet, cover and let them rise for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl wisk egg with water. Brush buns with egg and water mixture.
- Bake brioche at 350 °F for about 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
How many days in advance can I make this recipe? By the way this looks amazing!
Hi, it would depend on how you store them. They can stay fresh at room temperature for 3-5 days. But you can also freeze them, I have instructions highlighted.
How much salt should I add to the recipe?
Hey Stacey, a pinch of salt would be good.
Do you have the weight of the dry ingredients?
Next to word ingredietns, you can click on "Metric", it will show you measurements.
Would this recipe work with a milk substitute like almond milk?
Hey Kira, I haven't tried using almond milk, I am not sure if it would work. Keep me posted if you try it.
Hi! This was amazing, but they definitely needs salt! Not sure if you missed it in the recipe?
You can add a pinch of salt but its optional. I don't add salt to mine.
Hi, I made the brioche bread and it turned out good although a little crumbly but this time I made the buns and it did not turn out good. I actually used Bobs red mill flour as you advised but it was not a success. I wonder what I did wrong.
Alice, I am not sure what could have gone wrong. Have you seen any red flag through the process?
Beautiful I did half the recipe and it makes 12 good size buns
They were gone before doing the burger everyone loves them Thank you 🙏
Rosa, I am so glad you guys loved them. I froze a pack of them for our burger nights. Excited 🙂
Thank you for your kindness and clearly instruction.
Anytime, thank you!
These are amazing! So good! Light and fluffy and so easy to make
Rachael, thank you! I am so happy you loved them! thanks for sharing your feedback.
You're right! This is way easier to make than I thought. No more buying them at the store!
Hey Trang, thank you! I am so glad to hear your feedback!