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Brioche Burger Buns With Yeast

Brioche Burger Buns with Yeast

211kcal
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Prep 35 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 4 hours
Total 5 hours
This is the ultimate recipe for the softest, most delicious homemade burger buns. Made with a rich, yeast-leavened brioche dough, these buns bake into an incredibly light, cloud-like texture that stays perfectly soft for a long time—making them the absolute best vehicle for any backyard burger.
Servings 11
Cuisine American, French

Ingredients

The Enriched Brioche Dough
  • 125 g Lukewarm milk
  • 125 g Lukewarm water
  • 2 g dry instant yeast
  • 3 Egg yolks
  • 350 g bread flour
  • 60 g Sugar
  • 7 g Salt
  • 55 g Soft butter (warmed completely to room temperature)
The Optional Bakery Finish
  • 1 Egg (For a quick egg wash)
  • 1 tbsp Sesame seeds (For sprinkling)

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer (Fitted with the dough hook attachment)
  • Baking Tray
  • Parchment Paper or silicone mat
  • DIY Foil Shape Holders or a silicone burger bread form (Highly recommended to hold the perfect round shape)
  • Pastry Brush
  • Kitchen Scale

Method

Autolyse Rest & Mechanical Kneading
  1. 8:00 AM: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 125g of lukewarm milk and 125g of lukewarm water. Add the 2g of dry instant yeast and whisk cleanly by hand until completely dissolved. Whisk in the 3 egg yolks, then dump the 350g of bread flour and 60g of sugar into the liquid. Mix briefly just to hydrate all the flour and form a shaggy mass. Cover and let the dough autolyse undisturbed for 30 minutes to activate early gluten development.
  2. 8:30 AM: Attach your dough hook. Mix the dough on the low speed of your machine for 2 to 3 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated.
  3. Sprinkle in the 7g of salt and mix for a couple more minutes until the dough naturally builds enough strength to pull into a clean ball around the hook.
  4. Increase your mixer speed to medium-high and begin adding the 55g of soft butter a tablespoon at a time. Knead continuously for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough comes up together cleanly. Note: If the dough remains overly sticky and refuses to bundle up after 12 minutes, feel free to add a little more flour (10g to 20g) to stabilize it.
  5. 9:00 AM: Cover the bowl tightly and let it proof for 2 to 3 hours at a warm temperature of 76–80°F (24–28°C). During this time, perform 2 separate rounds of structural stretches and folds; the dough should grow noticeably bigger, airy, and puffy.
Scale, Shape, and Final Proof
  1. 12:00 PM: Lightly sprinkle your clean work surface with flour and dump the proofed dough out onto it.
  2. Using a bench scraper and kitchen scale, divide the dough into uniform pieces weighing about 65g to 70g each (you should get roughly 11 pieces total).
  3. Work with one piece at a time: pinch all the outer edges tightly into the bottom center of the roll, then roll it firmly against the counter under a cupped hand to form a tight, smooth round bun.
  4. Transfer the shaped buns onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. To prevent them from spreading out flat during proofing and baking, place DIY foil collars (about 3 to 3.5 inches in diameter) or a silicone burger bread form around each bun to guide them upward.
  5. Cover the buns loosely and let them proof a final time for 1 to 2 hours at 78–84°F (26–28°C), or until they completely double in volume.
Low-Heat Gentle Baking
  1. Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C).
  2. Optional Finish: For a beautiful shine, brush the tops of the puffed buns gently with a whisked egg wash and sprinkle a layer of sesame seeds across the center.
  3. Slide the tray into the oven and bake at 340°F (170°C) for 20 to 25 minutes until they turn a uniform, light golden brown. Take them out immediately and let them cool on a rack.

Nutrition

Calories211kcalCarbohydrates30gProtein6gFat7gSaturated Fat4gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat2gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol81mgSodium91mgPotassium78mgFiber1gSugar6gVitamin A238IUVitamin C0.1mgCalcium32mgIron1mg

Notes

  • The Soft Crumb Temperature Secret: When baking enriched brioche buns, do not let the crust get too dark in the oven. A dark brown crust is a direct indicator that the internal moisture has evaporated, which will leave you with a dry, crumbly interior. The goal is to bake at a gentle 340°F (170°C) just until light golden brown so they trap maximum moisture and stay cloud-soft for days.
  • Foil Collars for Proud Heights: Because brioche dough is heavily enriched with egg yolks and butter, it can easily spread outward into flat discs rather than rising upward into tall domes. Crafting simple 3.5-inch circular foil collars to sit around your buns acting as side support walls ensures your burger buns expand vertically for the perfect sandwich thickness.
  • Customizing Sugar for Light Preferences: If you are highly sensitive to sugar or prefer a less sweet burger accompaniment, you can safely skip the 60g of sugar entirely. Alternatively, you can replace it with equal parts honey or fructose without disrupting the structural success of the underlying dough matrix.
  • Advanced Prep and Overnight Retarding: If you want to bake these fresh for an afternoon party but don't want to do all the work the same morning, you can utilize a cold fridge retard. After rounding the dough into tight buns and placing them inside their foil collars on your baking sheet, cover the entire tray tightly with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator overnight. Bring the tray out 2 hours before baking the next day to complete their final warm proof.

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