This homemade brioche bun recipe is super light & fluffy. Stuff them with pulled pork, slather them with peanut butter & jelly, or snack on ‘em straight!
This brioche bun recipe is 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 (hello, meaty sandwiches!).
Note: You can make these buns by hand or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
What is Brioche Bread?
Made with eggs and butter, this brioche bread recipe 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.
How to Make this Brioche Bun Recipe
Making this brioche bread recipe only requires 6 ingredients and the help of stand mixer (although you can make these buns by hand).
- Build the Dough Foundation: Using the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl and a spoon, combine the warm whole milk, active dry yeast, sugar, and two cups of all-purpose flour. Stir by hand or whisk the ingredients over medium speed, cover the bowl, and allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Add in the Eggs: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the eggs and melted unsalted butter to the dough mixture, followed by the remaining flour in small portions.
- Knead the Brioche Dough: Knead the dough by hand on a floured work surface or with your mixer until it becomes elastic (about 10-15 minutes).
- Allow the Dough to Rise: Next, cover the dough and let it rise for about an hour.
- Divide the Dough: Divide the dough into even pieces and flatten them out into round shapes.
- Give the Dough a Final Rise: Place the dough pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover them with a towel, and allow them to rise for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and water together and brush the tops with the egg wash.
- Bake the Brioche Buns: Lastly, bake the brioche buns in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Eat them warm or allow them to cool on a wire rack on the counter. Enjoy!
Hot Tip: Make dividing the dough a million times easier by using a dough scraper (also commonly called a bench scraper) versus a knife or your hands.
Tips for Making this Brioche Bun Recipe
A couple of foolproof tips will help you nail this brioche bun recipe and get the fluffiest rolls possible.
- Make sure the temperature of your milk is right. 110 ℉ is the ideal temperature to help with rising and activating the yeast.
- 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. We like to use Bob’s Red Mill of Oregon. These flours have a higher protein content, yielding baked goods richer in flavor.
- Allow the dough to “proof” itself. “Proofing” 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.
- 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.
Ideas for Serving
You can use this brioche bun recipe for homemade hamburger buns for grill night and serve the burgers alongside some crispy air fryer french fries or air fryer potato wedges. If you’re looking for something more fresh, use the brioche burger buns to make deli sandwiches for a picnic. They are also great for serving alongside a piping hot bowl of minestrone soup.
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 plastic storage bag or airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 3 days when stored properly.
- Freezing: When kept in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag, these buns will stay good for up to two months frozen. To thaw them, simply place them on the counter for a couple of hours until soft.
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.
FAQ
What makes brioche buns 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.
What are the key ingredients in homemade brioche buns?
They key ingredients in any recipe for brioche buns are flour, butter, yeast, milk, and a ton of eggs. In fact, the eggs are what make a brioche a brioche and can be credited for that beautiful yellow hue to the bread.
What are some good toppings for brioche buns?
If you want to spruce up your brioche buns, some good toppings include a dusting of flour or a sprinkle of flakey kosher salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds or flax seeds.
Other Simple Bread Recipes
- Easy Brioche Bread – Classic braided brioche
- No-Knead Easy Bread – Easy overnight bread recipe (video included)
- Easy No-Knead Dinner Rolls Recipe – Simple buns for burgers or sandwiches
- Easy Homemade Flatbread Recipe – Cheese and herb flatbread
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk heated to around 110 °F
- 1/2 cup granulated 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 the Tops
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer or spoon, combine the warm milk (about 110 °F) with yeast, sugar, and two cups of flour. Whisk the 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 the eggs together. Add the eggs and melted butter to the dough mixture. Whisk in the remaining flour in small portions.
- Knead the dough by hand or with your mixer until it becomes elastic (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 each dough piece.
- Place the dough pieces on a lined baking sheet. Cover them with a towel and allow them to rise for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with water and brush the tops of the buns with the mixture.
- Bake the brioche buns at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Enjoy!
We followed the recipe exactly and my end product was not as light and airy as I was aiming for. We also found they crusted more too. We're wondering if a higher hydration dough as well as baking them at a lower temp for a bit longer & double panning might get me those results? We did really, really enjoyed them but we're trying to knock off a commercial product we really like.
Hi Dave, I think a lot of it can depend of quality of flour. What brand did you use? Thank you!
Nice to hear from you and the rolls are awesome & didn't mean to come across as at all negative! So, we used Robin Hood AP which is likely a decent brand but not the most premium. We've become kinda nerds with baking breads & pizza doughs and usually find it takes a few attempts to land on the recipe for what we're targeting. Will try again and follow up!
Hi Dave, We typically use Bobs Redmill, it gives the best result. If you try it, let me know if it makes a huge difference. I am curious now. 🙂
I need to make one giant cheeseburger bun that will be approximately 10 pounds in dough. Can you please tell me the quantities of my different ingredients for this size of bun? Thank you.
Hi Jay, that sounds so fun! Unfortunately, I have never tried that size, so I dont think I can be any help. I dont even know how that size would back. Please share how it goes, I so badly want to see it.
These turned out great but I would add salt next time. I’m sure it won’t be missed when using for hamburgers or sandwich fillings, meat etc.
Hi Bonnie, I am so glad that the recipe was a success. Thank you for sharing your feedback with me. Enjoy!
It states “whisk the eggs with melted butter”, but since it didn’t specify how many eggs I assumed it was all six. But then it states to whisk the eggs with water to brush on buns later in the recipe and now I’m wondering if I whisked too many eggs in the batter 😩 can you please advise? I am waiting on the dough to rise before I separate the buns so it’s definitely too late, but I’m hoping i didn’t ruin the dough by adding too many eggs. How many grams do you think the buns should be for a decent size bun?
Hi Cynthia, You did everything correctly! In the recipe, I state that for the egg wash you need 1 egg and 3 tbsp of water. That would put you at 7 eggs for the entire recipe. I hope this answers your question. Thank you for reaching out!!
Great recipe. Absolutely nothing that can go wrong with this. As for salt - certainly, you can add a pinch, but with this much sugar, I don't think it's really needed.
But, de gustibus etc. 😉
All the best!
Hi Tanya, thank you so much for the kind comment!! I am glad that you love this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback.
How much is 400 grams of butter?
Hi There, that would be about 3.5 sticks of butter. Hope this helps!
I really struggle making bread. But this recipe was so easy and the bread came out amazing! The bread didn't brown for me on the tops at first but I just added the wash on top again and sat it under the grill flame in my oven and it worked perfect. I'm so excited it came out as it would've change my dinner plans if it didn't. Saving this recipe for sure!
Hi Katelyn, I am so thrilled to hear that this recipe was a success! I am glad you were able to get it to brown in the end there. Thank you for sharing your process and feedback. Enjoy!
Which flour, bread or so purpose. There is mention about flour with higher protein content but just listed as flour in the ingredients.
We like to use all purpose Bob’s Red Mill of Oregon. These flours have a higher protein content, yielding baked goods richer in flavor. Under Tips section, we have it linked. Enjoy
Can I cut this recipe in half?
Hey, yes, absolutely. One of my perosnal favorites on the blog. Hope you love it!
Wow, reading these comments has been...interesting! Mad about time being off?? It's bread! It always takes time, lol. If you want bread in 20 min buy one at the store, lol.
Made these into mini buns, about 50-52 grams each and came up with 40 buns. I thought they were a bit flavorless. Maybe you want that for burgers but I think it could use some salt. Will do that next time! No extra flour was needed, recipe makes a beautiful dough!
Hi Tanya, Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback! I am glad to hear the recipe turned out well!
I wish you’d update the prep time to include the 3 different rises. Total Time 40 Minutes is pretty deceiving
Hi Ashley, I understand what you mean, I don't include rising time in any of my recipes because the bread is doing the work. The prep time is for the hands-on part of the recipe. I hope this clears things up. Have a great day!
I will definitely give these a try! So far I tried 3 different dough recipes from your collection and non of them failed! You are so good at pastries! And Ive tried ton of different other websites yours is a win!
Hi Zoriana, That is such a sweet thing for you to say! I am glad these recipes have worked out for you. Seems like you're a pro in the kitchen!
Hi!
Do you have this recipe but weight for each ingredient. I like to use a scale for more accurate measuring.
Hi Jennifer- yes, if you are looking at the recipe card there is an option to switch to "metric" units. It's right above the ingredients list.
Hello Natalya, I was wondering if the dough can be frozen, or partially cooked and than frozen.
BTW the brioche came out perfect.
So delicious 😋
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hey Pat- that is a great question, I haven't tested that. I know the cooked buns freeze well, but I'm not sure about the dough. If you give it a try please let us know of the end results!
Natalya, I’m 74 and it’s just me & my dog while my precious bride is away for a couple of weeks helping one of our daughters. I can cook but I have never made any bread. And I do love Brioche. After watching your video 6-7 times, I decided to give it a go. About 9 hours later my last batch is in the oven. It’s not as good as it should be but not bad for a first try. Your instructions were spot on! My only suggestion would be to put the oven temp in the written instructions. Thank you for sharing your talents with us.
Hello Papa H, your comment is so kind- thank you! I hope the brioche buns came out delicious for you. Thank you for the suggestion, we will make note of that. 🙂
Since you're a fan of brioche, I thought I would suggest this brioche bread recipe as well- https://momsdish.com/easy-bri…
It makes 2 large loaves (you can halve the recipe if you'd like), and it is so soft and delicious! Leftovers makes for great french toast the next day, too.
No salt? Yes, I should have known, but when I try recipes I hope they will give me all the information I need. And, total time of 45 minutes? Why can’t there just be an honest time including rise time so I can plan without having to go through the entire recipe and calculate the actual time? Total waste of time, they’re horrible.
Hi Lisa, correct, these do not have any salt. The 45 minutes is actually the prep time + cooking time but it doesn't account for rising, so you're correct that it would take more than 45 minutes. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy them.
I have 2 questions how much butter in ounces and i noticed when you use the flour you just scoopit not measure and level. are you not supposed to measure the flour and level it?
Hi Reba, 200 grams is roughly 1.75 sticks of butter, or about 7 ounces. I would still recommend measuring flour and leveling it, especially if making it for the first time. I'm comfortable with this recipe and know how the dough is supposed to look and feel so that's why I was ok with just scooping the flour.
Hello Natalya, I made this recipe today,taste was brilliant. Although they were a bit dense, thimk over proved (is there a test)? Also can this recipe be halved as my mixer is on the small side. I will definitely make again but using a better quality flour. 😀
Hi Melanie- Yes, you definitely can halve the recipe! I'm sorry they came out a bit dense, in addition to using a better quality flour, make sure you are measuring your flour correctly as well: spoon it into measuring cup and then level off with a knife (as opposed to just scooping flour with the measuring cup, as this can lead to overpacking the cup and using too much flour). Hope these tips help and you get fluffier, lighter brioche buns next time. 😊
No salt?
Hi Nancy- nope, not in this recipe. I like how it tastes as is 🙂 Other readers have mentioned that they were have added 1-1.5 tsp of salt if you'd like to. Enjoy! 🙂
at what stage would you incorporate salt? with the dry or with the egg/butter?
Hi Morgan, this recipe doesn't call for salt, but if you wanted to incorporate it, I would add it in with the dry ingredients. Thanks for reaching out!!
Made these and they turned out beautiful and delicious- this is definitely a do again recipe.
Hi Donna- thank you for commenting. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed these brioche buns! Did you eat them as is or use for a sandwich?
So easy and delicious!
Hi Arlene- glad you loved this recipe. Do you plan to eat them as is or use them for something else? Enjoy!
I used a good flour - King Arthur which I have always had fantastic results for all my bread baking . I used about 6-7 cups, but I am experienced enough to know that temperature, humidity make a difference . The misleading part is the “25 minutes”. . You have to add the ride times to yeast doughs to be accurate as to how long a recipe takes - in this case close to 2 hours. Getting ready to bake now - dough looks beautiful and should be delicious otherwise .
Hi Karen- you are absolutely right, humidity and temperature ARE huge factors in yeast based recipes! With the way our recipe cards are set up, there is no way to account for rising time aside from the actual hands on prep and baking time the way it currently is. I do appreciate your feedback though and we will look into exploring this option in the future. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your brioche buns!
Amazing recipe! For those complaining that the dough is too wet that is how it is supposed to be as pictured in the video above. This is the first brioche recipe that has actually worked for me
Hi Terra- thank you for the feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed these brioche buns!
Hi, so anxious to try these buns. My only question is about the butter ,
How many cups ? I don’t have any grams measurement.
Thank you
Rita
Hi Rita- one stick of butter is usually 113 grams. So you're going to need slightly less than 2 sticks of better OR 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp of butter. I highly recommend getting a kitchen scale- it comes in handy when doing any sort of baking! Hope this helps!
The flour ratio is WAY off. I added an extra cup and it was still way too sticky. I ended up throwing the entire thing out. What a disappointment.
Hey Layla, I'm sorry it didn't turn out as expected, I know that can be frustrating. Two things that can make a big difference is 1)the type of flour used and 2)how you measure the flour. I like using Bob's Red Mill or canadian flour, but depending what you use you may need more. I hope this helps for next time if you decide to attempt again!
I have to say, I make a LOT of bread. I've literally never had a flour measurement be so off for the moisture content. I think I stopped counting at 11 cups of flour. 🤷♀️. I haven't baked the rolls yet, I'm sure they'll turn out because I know the consistency of enriched dough pretty well, but wow.
I used pillsbury and same. I dont even know what the final cup count was. But it was waaaayyyyy more than 6c
Hey Gabrielle, this dough should be very sticky and soft. But the flour with higher protein content wouldn't require as much. Hope this helps.
Hi Priscilla, I'm sorry to hear the ratios seem to be way off in your case. What kind of flour are you using? I'm glad to hear that you know what to look for in the dough- texture wise. I hope they turn out amazing for you!
This recipe is incredibly deceiving! Prep time is actually about 1 hr 45 mins-2 hrs. I started making these thinking it was a quick recipe bc prep time said 20 minutes. Author forgot incredibly important steps in there that include 30 mins for initial yeast mixture, dough to rise, then 30 mins for rolls to rise. Do more like 2 hr and 15 mins prep time. 😡
Hi there - I'm sorry you feel this way. We don't count rising as part of the prep time, as it requires no labor on the cook's end. We will make a note within the recipe to account for rise time. Thanks for your feedback and Happy New Year.
These looks and smell great! I recommend adding salt to help the flavor profile match up with how good everything else is. I sprinkled some on the buns and that helped with the omission. I read in a review that it was used in the video but as just a reader I missed that.
Hi O - So glad you loved them! We actually don't add salt in the video either, but sometimes we add sesame seeds on top. Glad you tweaked them to fit your specific palate.
I made them for the first time today, and let me say they look great and taste amazing. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Hello Diana, I am so glad you loved the recipe, thank you for your feedback!
Total time 25mins, but you didn’t include the 2 hour rest time that these requires. I don’t bake bread so excuse me not knowing that it will require all that resting. But after starting this recipe and realizing I had to rest for all that time I had to throw my dough out because I ended up mot having sufficient time to finish
Rachell, I am so sorry about the confusion. I would recommend reading the entire recipe before starting the process. We also have a video for this recipe, I hope you find it helpful. Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Or, you know, put the correct prep time 🤷
My thoughts exactly. Every other bread recipe includes rising time 🤦🏻♀️