This brioche burger bun recipe makes a pillowy soft, slightly sweet bun that’s so easy to make. You only need a few minutes of hands on prep time and a couple hours to let it rise. After that, you get a delightful fresh roll perfect for finishing off a chickpea burger or your favorite sandwiches!
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What are burger buns?
Burger buns are a type of risen bread. They are round with a domed top and flat bottom. They were initially designed to hold hamburger patties and toppings, but they are also a great choice for holding just about any sandwich you like.
Hamburger buns come in several varieties, including:
- White
- Whole wheat
- Whole grain
- Brioche
- Gluten free
We love brioche burger buns because they are softer and sweeter than many of the other types out there.
Why make burger buns at home?
To start, making a burger bun at home just tastes better. How many times have you brought home a “fresh” pack of hamburger buns or other breads from the store only to find they were already pretty stale?
Also, they just generally taste bland, unless you buy bakery fresh buns, but then you are paying a small fortune for them.
And that doesn’t even get into all the additives that companies add to help keep them fresh. These ingredients impact their taste and may not be great for your health either.
We find that making burger buns at home solves all these problems because they taste fresh, have a great flavor, and save a lot of money. On top of which, we have a lot more control over what goes in them, which means you can make a much healthier burger bun at home than you can find in a store.
What are the ingredients for making homemade burger buns?
When you make brioche burger buns at home, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Milk Powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Butter - We typically use softened, salted butter.
- Milk - You’ll need to heat it slightly until it is lukewarm. You can use any milk you prefer.
- Instant/ Rapid Rise Yeast - You can find these in packets or sometimes in larger containers.
For topping the burger buns, you’ll want to have black and white sesame seeds.
Right before baking the buns, you’ll want to have both additional milk and honey or maple syrup to make a slightly sweet sheen on top.
How to make Brioche bun / hamburger buns at home
When you want to make the best burger bun recipe at home, here’s what you need to do:
- First, add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to the bowl of your mixer and whisk the ingredients together.
- Create a well in the center of the flour and then slowly add the warm milk and soften butter to the dry ingredients and mix.
- Once dough forms, knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can also knead this dough with your hands on a floured work surface.
- Add more flour if the dough is too sticky or add more milk if it seems too dry.
- Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes with your hands. This step is optional, but we like to do this to get a better feel of the dough.
- Shape the dough in a ball and then place in the inner pot of your Instant Pot.
- Proof the dough in the Instant Pot on the medium yogurt setting for 45 minutes. If you don’t have an Instant Pot then cover with a damp kitchen towel and place in a draft-free area to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and gently knead for 1 minute.
- Next, divide the dough into 8 equal portions, make smooth balls, and then arrange on a baking tray. If you prefer, you can use a burger bun mold to get the perfect bun shape. (Homemade Burger bun Mold Instructions given below!)
- Cover the buns with a kitchen towel and then keep for the second proof for another 1 hour.
Baking the burger buns
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. As it preheats, brush the rolls that have doubled in size with the honey and milk wash and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Finally, bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes at 375°F or until it gets a nice brown color.
Pro tips and tricks
Before starting this burger bun recipe, check out these pro tips and tricks for best results:
- For well shaped buns, try making our homemade molds using aluminum foil (instructions below)
- Don’t skip the rising times! These ensure the buns get the right size and texture when they bake.
- You can add additional toppings if you like, such as coarse salt, garlic powder, sugar, seeds, or other ingredients that you can dust on top before baking.
- If the buns’ tops start getting brown too quickly, cover them loosely with aluminum foil.
FAQs
You can put just about anything you like on a burger bun. This can include eggplant, roasted veggies, cheeses, nut butters, or your favorite vegan or vegetarian options.
Brioche buns and hamburger buns are very similar. Brioche is a style of semi-sweet and generally softer than the white burger buns you find at a store. Many people in America are used to white burger buns or whole wheat. Like those two other styles, brioche can be made into burger buns or into other types of bread, like loaves and rolls.
While you can sub in some substitutions, we generally don’t recommend it. Brioche gets its texture from the added fats and its sweetness from added sugars. Making a healthier version changes it from being a brioche hamburger bun to a regular burger bun.
When you make burger buns at home, you should plan on having about 2 and ½ hours of total time. This includes rise time, prep time, and cook time. The total prep time is pretty low, meaning most of the time is allowing the dough to rise and baking it.
Yes, you can freeze dough for later use if you like. To do this, first allow the dough to fully proof and then wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Finally, place the dough into an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
You have several options for making round buns. First, you can shape them by hand, and they will generally hold their shape while baking. Second, for a more perfect bun shape, you can make a homemade bun mold (see below for details) using aluminum foil. You could also look for a bun mold online if you like.
Our recipe will yield about 8 burger buns when you make the full recipe.
When making our burger buns, you’ll need to leave about 2 hours of total rise time.
When you make our recipe, you’ll want to bake the burger buns for about 15 to 18 minutes at 375.
Yes! You can sprinkle on some of your favorite flavors that match what your burger buns will hold. This can include garlic powder, sesame seeds, chili powder, sugar, coarse salt, or any other ingredient that can add the flavors you love.
Homemade buns don’t have all the preservatives that store bought ones do. This makes them generally healthier, but also means they will go bad a bit quicker. To store, first allow the buns to cool completely and then place them in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for about 3 days on the counter. You could also freeze them for up to 6 months.
First, tear off a piece of aluminum foil that is about 5 inches x 13 inches. Next, fold the aluminum over and over until it is about an inch wide.
Then create a circle, overlapping the edges by about 1 inch, and fold the edges together, to hold the mold in.
Finally, you can also staple the ends together. You will end with a foil circle that is roughly 4 - 5 inches in diameter.
Let us know what you think
If you make this delicious recipe, let us know how it went! When you make this, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!
About Soniya
Hello, I am Soniya, the cofounder of The Belly Rules The Mind. Originally from Mumbai, India, I am settled in Virginia US with my husband.
I am a mother of 2 energetic boys, referred to as R2 (15-year-old) and R3 (10-year-old) on the blog. In case you are wondering who is R1, well that is my husband.
My hubby and I were born in Mumbai, India, where we were spoiled by the wealth of food choices available to us. We could enjoy everything from yummy street food to multi-cuisine restaurants and we became very picky about what we like and what we don't. Read more
Brioche Burger Bun / Hamburger Bun Recipe
This brioche burger bun recipe makes a pillowy soft, slightly sweet bun that’s so easy to make. They were initially designed to hold hamburger patties and toppings and hence the name hamburger bun
Ingredients
- 3-1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/4 Cup Milk Powder
- 5 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon Butter, softened I used salted butter
- 1-1/2 cup milk, lukewarm You can use any milk you prefer
- 1 pack - 2 teaspoon Instant/ Rapid Rise Yeast
Topping
- 1 tablespoon black and white sesame seeds
- 4 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon Honey/ Maple syrup
Instructions
- First, add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to the bowl of your mixer and whisk the ingredients together.
- Create a well in the center of the flour and then slowly add the warm milk and soften butter to the dry ingredients and mix.
- Once dough forms, knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can also knead this dough with your hands on a floured work surface.
- Add more flour if the dough is too sticky or add more milk if it seems too dry.
- Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes with your hands. This step is optional, but we like to do this to get a better feel of the dough.
- Shape the dough in a ball and then place in the inner pot of your Instant Pot.
- Proof the dough in the Instant Pot on the medium yogurt setting for 45 minutes. If you don’t have an Instant Pot then cover with a damp kitchen towel and place in a draft-free area to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and gently knead for 1 minute.
- Next, divide the dough into 8 equal portions, make smooth balls, and then arrange on a baking tray. If you prefer, you can use a burger bun mold to get the perfect bun shape. (Homemade Burger bun Mold Instructions given below!)
- Cover the buns with a kitchen towel and then keep for the second proof for another 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. As it preheats, brush the rolls that have doubled in size with the honey and milk wash and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Finally, bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes at 375°F or until it gets a nice brown color.
Notes
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