Homemade Soft Brioche Buns

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Don't you just love buttery soft buns that just melt in the mouth? As a kid, I remember mom made these for breakfast and our afternoon snacks. We'd eat them just on their own, nothing else needed. For my favorite breakfast, I love to sandwich these buns with a sunny side up over avocado.

Brioche is a classic, and if you like baking bread, then you must try my Brioche Sandwich bread or classic brioche or brioche a tete.

Are you new to bread baking? Don't be intimidated just because they have the name brioche attached to them. In truth, these are just like any other bread recipe but more enriched with a longer proofing time. So, this bread can be made by anyone, even if you are baking bread for the first time.

About These Brioche Buns Recipe

The buns are soft but the top crust is firmer than regular buns because we have enriched them with eggs. Lots of eggs.

Though the recipe is simple and easy, it takes longer to make because we let the dough rise in the fridge for a good 6 to 12 hours. This helps the yeast develop more flavor and also makes it easier to work with. I highly recommend using a stand mixer because we need to do a fair amount of kneading. Having said that, I always knead my brioche buns by hand, so don't be afraid to make these by hand.

Useful Tools and Tips

• Use a small mixing bowl or measuring cup to activate the yeast. I prefer to use glass over metal. If the metal is cold, it can lower the temperature of the liquid ingredients. Not a big deal. And yet, it's nice to get the yeast activated quickly and move on with the recipe.
• I like mixing bread dough by hand. It's quite therapeutic. But, bread dough can be difficult to handle. Not just because it needs more kneading, but also because it's often a soft, sticky mess. And yet, keeping the dough soft and sticky is important for good bread baking. So, I highly recommend using a stand mixer such as Kenwood, or kitchen-aid. Personally, I also have a hand mixer. And yet, I don't use it for baking bread. Because bread dough is dense compared to cakes. So, it might harm my hand mixer. (recommended read - which stand-mixer is good for home bakers)
• Baking bread is a science. So, measuring ingredients correctly is important. Also, do not wing the measurements. Use a measuring cup for liquid ingredients and measuring spoons for dry ingredients.
• And, a good baking tray is as important to bread baking as it is to other baking. Therefore, buy a good quality baking tray that's not too thin. The thick ones will prevent the bread from burning on the bottom. Sometimes you can even add a second tray on the bottom to prevent it from getting burnt.
• Every oven works differently. So, the baking times are just guidelines. In the case of bread, a hollow sound on the bottom of the bread is a great indication. If the bread bakes too quick or too slow, compared to the time given, it might be a good idea to check if your oven needs calibration.
• Also, an oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do is adjust the temperature accordingly.

Ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)

• Flour – Often, bread flour is recommended for making homemade dinner rolls or any homemade bread. But I have been making bread now for over 5 years and I always use all-purpose flour.
• Instant dry yeast – I like to use instant dry because I’ve always had great success with it. If you have to use active dry yeast, you will need 2 1/4 tsp or one packet. And if you use fresh yeast, you will need about 21 grams. Also, it’s not necessary to activate the yeast, but I like to take the guesswork out and make sure my dough will rise.
• Sugar – The sugar here is not really to add sweetness. So no, the one tablespoon won’t make your homemade dinner rolls sweet. The sugar and fat in the recipe are there to feed the yeast. Just as you need warm liquid to activate the yeast you need sugar and fat to strengthen it and let it grow. If you prefer, you can substitute sugar with 2 tbsp of honey.
• Butter – I like adding butter not just to feed the yeast but also to add flavor. You can substitute the butter for 2 tbsp of oil in this recipe.
• Egg - Adds a lot of flavor to the bread, gives a tender crumb and strengthens the texture. The egg is also a leavening agent that helps the bread rise. You can omit the egg if necessary, but you will need to use less flour than the recipe states as the egg is a liquid ingredient.
• Milk - Enhances the flavor, and tenderizes the dough giving it a soft texture.

How to Make Soft Brioche Buns Recipe (Save/Pin)

Prepare dough

• In the mixer bowl, combine – warm milk, yeast, sugar, and eggs.
• Combine salt with the flour, then add it to the mixer as well.
• Knead on medium speed for about a minute scraping the sides of the bowl.
• Once all the flour is incorporated.
• Knead the dough for two minutes until smooth.
• The dough will be soft and sticky – that's ok.
• Next, add the soft room temperature butter one cube at a time.
• Once all the butter is in, knead again for 2 minutes until smooth and elastic and soft.

1st & 2nd Rise

• Remove the dough from the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
• Form into a smooth ball.
• Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen cloth.
• Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.
• Then, punch the dough down. Make a smooth ball again.
• Cover again and let rise in the fridge for 6 hours up to 12 hours.

Shape the buns

• Divide the dough into 8 small, 6 medium or 4 large buns.
• Hold each piece of dough in your hand and gather all the seems together.
• Place seam side down on the counter surface.
• Place your hand on the ball and move your hand back and forth rolling the ball into your palm making sure the seams stay down at all times.
• This will compress the dough which bakes beautifully, as well as seals the seams.

Proof and Bake

• Cover with cling/plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size. This can take an hour up to 3 hours.
• When almost doubled in volume - preheat the oven at 190 C/ 375 F.
• Apply egg wash and sprinkle with sugar pearls.
• Cut a cross on top to let steam out during baking.
• Bake between 10 to 15 mins (depending on size and oven) or until golden brown.
• If the buns get too dark on the top - tent with a foil

Keep them soft

• As soon as you take the buns out of the oven - cover them with a clean kitchen cloth so the buns will retain the steam and stay soft.
• Let rest for 15 mins before you remove the kitchen cloth or serve.

Soft Brioche Buns Homemade

Author: Veena Azmanov

5 from 17 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Proofing Time: 6 hrs

Total Time: 6 hrs 35 mins

Calories: 243kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 8 Buns

Description

This brioche buns recipe is a great way to show off your bread baking skills. These soft, buttery, rich and delicious buns make perfect companions to any meal. Serve them with any main course in place of dinner rolls or use them in sandwiches or as burger buns.

ADJUST SERVINGS HERE - 8 Buns

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

• 60 ml (0.25 cups) Milk (1/4 cup)
• 2 1/4 tsp (1 tbsp) Active dry yeast (7 grams / 1 packet)
• 3 tbsp (3 tbsp) Sugar
• 310 grams (2.50 cups) All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Salt
• 2 Egg large (100 grams)
• 1 Egg yolks
• 60 grams (4.00 tbsp) Butter unsalted, room temperature

Topping

• 1/2 Egg yolk
• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Pearl Sugar optional

Instructions

Prepare dough

• In the mixer bowl, combine – warm milk, yeast, sugar, and eggs.
• Combine salt with the flour, then add it to the mixer as well.
• Knead on medium speed for about a minute scraping the sides of the bowl.
• Once all the flour is incorporated.
• Knead the dough for two minutes until smooth.
• The dough will be soft and sticky – that’s ok.
• Next, add the soft room temperature butter one cube at a time.
• Once all the butter is in, knead again for 2 minutes until smooth and elastic and soft.

1st & 2nd rise

• Remove the dough from the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
• Form into a smooth ball.
• Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen cloth.
• Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.
• Then, punch the dough down. Make a smooth ball again.
• Cover again and let rise in the fridge for 6 hours up to 12 hours.

Shaping brioche buns

• Divide the dough into 8 small, 6 medium or 4 large buns.
• Hold each piece of dough in your hand and gather all the seems together.
• Place seam side down on the counter surface.
• Place your hand on the ball and move your hand back and forth rolling the ball into your palm making sure the seams stay down at all times.
• This will compress the dough which bakes beautifully, as well as seals the seams.

Proof and bake

• Cover with cling/plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size. This can take an hour up to 3 hours.
• When almost doubled in volume – preheat the oven at 190 C/ 375 F.
• Apply egg wash and sprinkle with sugar pearls.
• Cut a cross on top to let steam out during baking.
• Bake between 10 to 15 mins (depending on size and oven) or until golden brown.
• If the buns get too dark on the top – tent with a foil.

Keep them soft

• As soon as you take the buns out of the oven – cover them with a clean kitchen cloth so the buns will retain the steam and stay soft.
• Let rest for 15 mins before you remove the kitchen cloth or serve.

Recipe Notes

10 Tips for Making Perfect Brioche Buns Every Single Time

1. Measure all ingredients ahead of time so you don’t forget anything at the last minute.
2. For accuracy, use a weight measure for the ingredients because every cup of flour can weigh differently depending on how you fill it.
3. The liquid (milk or water) must be warm (not hot) - about 110F. If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast, similarly, if the liquid is too cold it will not activate the yeast.
4. Though instant dry yeast has a long shelf life, it can get ruined. Always check the expiry date on the yeast. If unsure, combine the yeast with water/milk, sugar/honey, and oil/butter from the recipe and let stand 5 minutes. If it gets foamy the yeast is good to go if not, it’s best to buy fresh yeast or check the temperature of the milk.
5. Keep salt away from yeast as it can kill the yeast. I like to combine salt with the flour then add the yeast mixture.
6. A soft loose well-hydrated dough is not necessarily a bad thing, it often will give you a soft puffy bread, so don’t be tempted to add more flour than mentioned in the recipe.
7. Kneading is key to making good bread. While kneading by hand can be therapeutic, using a stand mixer is easier and quicker.
8. Leave the dough at room temperature to rise until double in volume. While not recommended, when in haste, you can place it in a warm (30 C / 75 F- not hotter) oven this will expedite the rise.
9. Bread does not have to be time-consuming. You can leave the dough in the fridge to rise for a few hours (even overnight) while you go about your chores. A slow rise will give more flavor to the bread.
10. Always preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before you place bread in or the low temperature will spread the dough too much.

Recipe adaptations and referenced - adapted from King Arthur Flour, referenced from - Bread Bakers Apprentice and Flour, water, salt and yeast

Equipment

Stand Mixer

Mixing Bowl

Meas Cups and Spoons

Baking Tray

Nutrition Information

Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 359mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 311IUCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about itMention @veenaazmanov or #tag on Instagram #veenaazmanov

Frequently asked questions

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