This recipe for light brioche hamburger buns proves that you can make seriously good hamburger buns at home. With a dough that’s simple to make and easy to handle, you’ll never buy brioche burger buns from the store again!
We like our burgers on soft, buttery brioche-style rolls and this recipe looked like a great starting point to experiment. What’s interesting, is that this brioche burger bun is lighter than traditional brioche (hence the title). It’s still soft and fluffy, but not quite as eggy and rich. Even the color is a bit lighter. Incredible.
In my opinion, nothing beats all-natural bread. Whether it’s a thick slice of sourdough bread or sandwich bread, good quality hamburger buns are absolutely life-changing. The taste, quality, and healthiness can’t be beat. These buns are the perfect vessel for sandwiches too! Just wait until you try them.
How to Make Light Brioche Hamburger Buns
Step #1: Make the Dough & Let it Rise
To begin, mix your dough using a stand mixer. It will be very sticky and have a shaggy appearance.
Place a damp kitchen towel directly over the bowl and allow it to rest until it has doubled in size. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this will take about 1-3 hours (mine took 1 1/2 hrs @ 70 degrees F.)
TIP: Giving the dough enough time to rise is crucial in bread baking. In the past, I have rushed this step which caused my bread to be very dense. Rise times will vary, so be patient. Remember to watch your dough and not the clock!
Step #2: Cut The Dough
Once your dough has risen, dump it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Then, gently flatten the dough to get rid of any air bubbles. Using a bench scraper (or a chef’s knife) cut the dough into 8 equal portions.
If you have a digital kitchen scale weigh each portion so that they’re all the same size. Do this by weighing the entire ball of dough first and then divide by the number of rolls you want to make.
Step #3: Shape into balls
To shape, gently flatten each piece of dough like a pancake.
Pull up each side pinching it together in the center. Repeat until the ball is sealed. Flip the ball over (seam side down) and move to an un-floured part of your board. It will be easier to roll this way.
To finish, place your palm over the top and gently roll into a smooth ball.
Transfer each ball onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Step #4: Second Rise
The dough will need to rise again, this time for a shorter period than the initial rise.
The balls should look puffy and slightly risen, about 1- 1/2 hrs. When they’re ready, gently brush each one with egg wash.
See how puffy they are?
TIP: At this point, you could add sesame seeds to the top of your rolls if you’d like.
5.) Bake The dough
Preheat your oven to 400 F. and place a shallow metal baking pan on the oven floor.
Before the dough goes in, add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan to create steam. This will help keep the bread nice and moist.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Light Brioche Hamburger Buns
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 15-20 minutes
- Yield: 8 buns
- Category: Yeasted Breads + Doughs
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Adapted from the NY Times, this recipe for light brioche hamburger buns is perfect for BBQ fare, sandwiches (try bacon, egg & cheese!) and so much more. You’ll never buy from the store again!
Ingredients
Dough
- 240 g (1 cup) warm water, about 75-85 F
- 45 g (3 tablespoons) warm milk (I prefer whole milk)
- 6 g (2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 30 g (2 1/2) tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 375 g (3 cups) bread flour
- 40 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
- 9 g (1 1/2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
- 35 g (2 1/2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
Egg wash
- 1 large egg
- splash of water
Toppings
- sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together the warm water, milk, yeast and sugar; set aside. Beat the egg in a separate bowl.
- Add the flours, salt, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients until the butter is the size of crumbs.
- Add the yeast mixture and the beaten egg. Run the mixer on medium-low (I used #3 on my Kitchen Aid) until a dough forms, about 5-8 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary, and shape the dough into a ball. It will be sticky. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled is size, about 1- 3 hours @ 70 F. *See notes below.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a floured dough scraper (or chef’s knife), divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. If you have a scale, weigh each piece to guarantee that they’re all the same size.
- To shape the dough into balls, gently flatten each piece like a pancake. Gather the ends and pinch the dough to seal in the center. Flip the dough over, cup the surface with your palm, and roll into a ball. Transfer to your baking sheet, placing them a few inches inches apart. Cover and rest for 1-2 hours, or until puffy and slightly risen.
- To make the egg wash, beat the egg with a splash of water. When the buns are finished with the 2nd rise, gently brush each one with egg wash. At this point, you could add sesame seeds to the top of your rolls.
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. and place a skillet or metal baking dish on the oven floor. Before the dough goes in, add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan to create steam. This will help keep the bread nice and moist. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Giving your dough enough time to rise is crucial in bread baking. Rise times will vary depending on temperature, so be patient. Remember to watch your dough and not the clock!
Keywords: light brioche hamburger buns, hamburger buns, brioche burger buns, hamburger rolls, easy recipe
Comments
Brian says
thank you for this recipe. we’ve been using it for many years as our hamburger/hot bun. One of the best parts about it is it can be tweaked in so many ways and still turn out delicious. yesterday we made some starter with whole wheat, bread flour, yeast and water. Let it sit for 5(?) hours, adjusted the rest of the ingredients, removed the salt which was sprinkled on the top and baked w/o the egg wash. Was De- Licious. They also freeze well. Just a suggestion for anyone who decides to make these, Flatten them well and make the bun bigger than the burger and contents. It will hold all that meaty, veggie, dairy deliciousness much better that way and tend to keep it all from slipping out. Thanks Emilie
★★★★★
Mark Conroy says
Second time I’ve made these and easily the best recipe. Guess what? I Do Not knead the dough AT ALL! I make it by hand and it’s too sticky to deal with so I simply mix it and let it rise. Comes out perfect!!
★★★★★
Brenda Summers says
I’ve tried this recipe twice and they are delicious! The second time I made 12 instead of 8 buns and that was a better size for us. I love using them to make sandwiches or hamburgers. This recipe is a keeper!!!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Fantastic Brenda! Sounds perfect. We’ve made them smaller too- works just as well!
Helene Morse says
Made these once with cup measurements and they were incredible!!! Made them again with my kitchen scale, and the dough was way to sticky and wet. Wondering if there is an error with the gram measurements? Not sure what went wrong the second time
★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Helene! All measurements are correct. The reason is because the volume to weight conversion (measuring cups to grams) is not equivalent; it’s only approximate. Here’s why: when you measure a cup of flour it can weigh anywhere between 120g -150g depending on how the flour was packed into a cup. Some bakers lightly fluff, spoon and level the flour into their measuring cup. Others pack it down tight. Big difference, especially in bread baking. To streamline these discrepancies, bakers typically use standard conversion charts to get us all on the same page. For example, 1 cup of flour is usually 120g- 130g. So, in your case, you most likely had more flour in your original dough due to how it was measured. To remedy this next time, either stick to volume measurements for this particular recipe. Or, when going by weight, cut back on the liquid, adding more as needed, to reach your desired consistency.
Megan says
Loved these soft and perfect consistency for burgers!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks Megan! Glad you liked them :)
Burned bottoms says
Hi there. I’ve tried this recipe twice (the first time at the suggested temperature (400*), the second time I tried at 350*) and they burned on the bottom both times (the first time after only 10 minutes, the second time I took them out after 15 minutes (the bottoms weren’t quit as dark the second time). And both times they had zero color on top. My oven works well with other bread recipes, so I’m wondering if you have any suggestions to get them to golden on top without burning the bottom?
★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! There are two things you can do. First, use an oven thermometer to make sure the baking temperature is correct. This is important. Second, make sure to bake on the center rack, and place another baking sheet on the rack below (not directly underneath it). This will help shield the heat from the bottom up to prevent burning. With these recommendations, and use of the egg wash, the tops should turn out golden brown too! Hopefully this will help :)
Rebecca says
I have made these several times with fabulous results. Today the dough was way too sticky to work with. I added more flour but it didn’t seem to help. The only difference I can think of is that it is much more humid today. Any suggestions for modifications to make on very humid days? They are on their second rise now and look a hot mess but I am sure they will taste fine.
Kevin says
Happened to me too. I’ve made this a bunch of time with great results. Today, I think I left the first rise in too long; it had tripled in size, and was overflowing the bowl. I have an oven with a proof setting, and didn’t see it until too late.
When the dough came out after proofing, it was too stick to shape into buns. I tried kneading it with a tiny bit of flour, but that didn’t seem to help. Flour my hands, oil my hands – no difference. Couldn’t handle the dough. Could this all be due to overproofing?
★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Kevin! Two things. Over proofed dough can be very, very sticky to work with. From what you’ve described, I think this was the case for you. Plus, dough held in an oven proofer (assuming 80 F) can be too warm sometimes. This also makes the dough sticky. So, you had two simultaneous variables working against you! Next time, shorten the rise time & use cooler liquid in the dough (if still using the oven proof setting) to control temperature and rise time. This should help.
Kevin Bertsch says
Our Miele oven has two proof settings: light and dense batter. I choose the light batter, and the oven says “110 degrees”. As I noted, I’ve had great results using this before, but I usually got the dough out before it tripled in size! It normally only takes about 45-1 hour to proof in the oven, which is why I use it.
Emilie Raffa says
Ah yes! Makes perfect sense :) And very cool that you have two proof settings.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Rebecca! Yes, absolutely. That’s it. Temperature and humidity will always effect the texture and rise time of your dough. It’s totally normal to make adjustments as the seasons change. In your case, when it’s humid again, cut back on the liquid in the recipe. Start by 50 g (you can always add more). Also, make sure to stick with the same brand of flour; each brand absorbs water differently which will changes the texture of the dough.
Jessica S. says
I am going to try to make buns for a family gathering this weekend. I was planning to do a sourdough bun but these look amazing! Have you ever done a conversion and made with sourdough start instead of yeast? If so how many grams would you suggest?