Brioche
Pronounced BREE-OH-SH, this rich, buttery bread is flaky on the outside and has a soft, buttery crumb on the inside. This dough can be shaped into so many different kinds of loaves and buns. For visual help on mixing and shaping, check out my Baking Academy! You can also watch a short video below for tips on making round buns like slider and hamburger buns!
Years ago, I was walking the streets of New York City, a hungry tourist, looking for something yummy to fill my tummy. I was drawn into a small bakery from the aroma of fresh baked bread. That day, I experienced my first taste of this rich, buttery bread known as Brioche! I can still remember it – the outside was this thin, flaky, buttery crust. The inside, a soft tender bread – every bite I took was better than the last! After that trip, I spent nearly two years perfecting my own Brioche recipe so that I could recreate that New York experience at home! What I came up with is pretty darn close and has become one of my absolute favorites!
What makes Brioche so unique?
Brioche is known for its high egg and butter content. This is what gives it its unique flavor and texture! It’s also what makes it toast up so amazingly! The process of incorporating the large amount of eggs and butter can be tricky, and if not done right, won’t give you the results you’re looking for. Be patient, follow the directions and trust the process!
If you’re looking for more detailed help, my Brioche Class is for you – which includes a pre recorded video that will take you through this recipe from start to finish! You can take it on your own schedule and watch as many times as you need to!
Brioche really is the ultimate bread indulgence! It’s definitely a bread you want to have in your repertoire!
So many uses for this buttery dough:
- Make loaves for French Toast OR the perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Buns for hamburgers or BBQ
- Buns for hotdogs
- Slider buns for BBQ, pulled pork, ham sammies – or my personal favorite, top them with Everything Bagel Seasoning for the MOST delicious ham sandwich ever!
Whatever you’re serving, this fancy bread makes all the difference!!
How to shape perfectly round rolls
Watch this short video for my favorite technique to shape perfectly round buns! Use this technique for making my famous Skillet Dinner Rolls or you can use it to make Brioche slider buns or hamburger buns too!
- Scale your dough – using a food scale to weigh your rolls will ensure they are all the same size!
- Clean off your work surface – the counter needs to be free from flour. I know this sound counterintuitive when working with bread dough, but a clean work surface will give the dough the traction it needs to come together when rounding it out.
- Pre-shape the roll – Round out the edges and gently the pinch the seam together underneath. Starting out with this pre-shape will make it even easier to get a perfectly round roll!
- Position your hand in a U-shape and keep it in that shape. Place the dough in the center of your U-shaped hand and gently roll it in a circular motion. Do not place force down on the roll – just gently guide it.
- You will feel the dough start to come together as the outside of the roll tightens and smooths out.
- Place your roll on a prepared baking sheet to rise before baking.
Shaping Slider Buns and Hamburger Buns
Using Brioche for slider buns and hamburger buns is one of the best ways to elevate your meal! It’s “fancy” bread that adds so much buttery richness and flavor! Slightly toast the buns for an even yummier experience!
- Use the same method for shaping, but when you place the roll on the baking sheet, slightly flatten it with a floured hand. Cover and allow the buns rise about 50% in size. Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle on some sesame seeds or Everything Bagel Seasoning if desired. Bake until golden.
- When making slider buns, scale the dough to 1.5 ounces each. Be sure to place them on the pan slightly touching each other – this will help them to bake more vertically, a great shape for making smaller sandwiches! Bake time will be less than a full loaf, about 22-25 minutes. Check the oven a bit early, in case your oven bakes faster.
- For a good size hamburger bun, scale the dough to 3.5 ounces each. Place them on the pan about 1 inch apart. Again, the bake time will be less than a full loaf, closer to 25 minutes. And, as always, when making a new recipe – check the oven on the early side, just in case your oven bakes faster.
- See the recipe Notes for suggestions on different sized buns and bake times.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram – I have some helpful tips on there as well!
Not only do I love this recipe for its richness and decadence, but also for the many ways you can use this dough! I know you’ll love it too!
More recipes to try
Triple Berry French Toast Bake
Are you new to bread making and don’t know where to start?
If you are a beginner bread maker, it can be really overwhelming and confusing! I know – I was once a beginner too! Lots of other bakers like you have joined my Baking Academy! It’s my baking subscription that gives you extra insights, amazing recipes and visual one-on-one help to learn the very basics of bread making and baking!
Each month, I add a new Class to the Baking Academy. *All of my classes contain a pre-recorded video, about one hour long, where I walk you through the recipe from start to finish! Learn on your own schedule, at your own pace, watch the video as many times as needed! Take away new techniques and skills that will propel you into more success and fun in the kitchen!
Specifically for Brioche, I show you how to mix this intricate dough and shape several different loaves and buns, including slider buns, hamburger buns and hotdog buns!
Go HERE to learn about how you can be part of this fun and delicious community! You will get access to not only my Brioche Class, but my entire class library too!
Click HERE to get started today!
Brioche
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm milk 2% or whole (110°F)
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 4 Tablespoons sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
- Fit electric mixer with the paddle attachment. In the mixing bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until it is foamy and bubbly.
- To that bowl, add the eggs and mix for one minute, breaking up the eggs.
- In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Add to the mixer and combine with the egg mixture. Mix for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Turn mixer to low speed and gradually add 2 more cups of the flour until incorporated. Mix for 5 minutes, stopping half way to scrape down paddle and sides of bowl. Turn off mixer and check dough with finger, if it is overly wet or sticky add up to 1/2 cup more flour and mix on low speed until incorporated. Dough should be soft but not wet.
- Slowly add the butter, 2 Tablespoons at a time. Mix well after each addition, scraping sides of bowl as needed. After incorporating all of the butter, switch to the dough hook attachment and knead for 8-10 minutes. Dough should be cleaning the sides of the bowl and clinging in one ball to the dough hook. *Try window pane test (see notes).
- Put dough in a medium bowl sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 8 hours. Dough will rise about 50% in size.
- Remove dough from refrigerator.
- Prepare pans – if making loaves, spray loaf pans with nonstick spray. If making buns, line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Divide dough as needed – see notes for weight suggestions for different dough uses.
- Shape loaves or buns, as desired. If making buns, round dough into balls, slightly flatten and place almost touching on prepared baking sheet, cover with a slightly dampened light-weight kitchen towel and let rise about double in size. If making loaves, place shaped loaf in greased bread pan and cover to let rise until double in size. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this will take about 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. When bread is ready to bake, combine one egg with 1 Tablespoon of water to create an egg wash. Brush the egg wash onto the tops of the bread.
- Bake loaves for 28-30 minutes or until deep golden color. When tapping on the crust, it should have a hollow sound. See notes for different bake times for buns and rolls.
- Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Suggested weights for different breads: full size loaf ~21oz, hamburger buns ~3-3.5oz, slider buns ~1.5oz, hotdog buns ~3oz.
- Bake full size loaves for 28-30 minutes. Bake buns for 22-25 minutes.
- To check dough with the window pane test, after the dough has kneaded for 8 minutes, gently stretch a piece of the dough apart. It should appear fairly translucent without tearing immediately. If it tears before stretching 1-2 inches, return to the mixer and knead an additional 1-2 minutes. Check again. This is a good indicator if the gluten in your dough has developed.
- To check dough to see if it is ready to bake, gently press with fingertip or knuckle. If the dough springs back right away, it needs more proofing. But if it springs back slowly and leaves a small indent, it’s ready to bake.
- Easily print out a double recipe by clicking on the “2x” tab at the top of the recipe. A double recipe would mix really well in a Bosch mixer.
Nutrition
Just made this dough for raspberry rolls (also on your website) last night! Instructions are clear to read and follow! Thank you!
Yay! So glad you’re enjoying it!
I have been looking for a good brioche bun for my burgers. I am making them for Memorial Day. When I make another recipe is it possible to add my fresh milled white wheat flour or Gold Medal unbleached wheat flour to the dough? Thanks for all the great recipes.
I made the bun dough yesterday and baked them this morning. They look and taste fantastic. Thank you for the great recipe.