Have you ever had a burger where the bun was falling apart while you were eating it? Or, have you had a burger where the bun was so tough that the patty slit out at the first bite? Well, that’s because the bun was not right.

A great burger bun can’t have too much taste, since that will take away from the meat. Artisan buns are great by themselves, but should not be used as buns for burgers. Very tough and firm buns are not recommended for burgers either.
The bun should be sturdy enough to hold together a juicy burger and at the same time not overpower the taste of the meat.

I have tried many different buns for burgers over the years and I think the Brioche bun is probably one of the best buns out there for burgers. Brioche is a highly enriched bun, with high egg and butter content. It will give the bun a rich and very tender crumb but also hold the burger together even with thick and juicy patties inside. The bun is very light but sturdy.

Brioche Buns

You need a stand mixer for this recipe.

Makes 12 Brioche buns

Ingredients

5 large eggs for dough
1 large egg for glazing
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups of bread flour (or all-purpose)
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup of milk
1 tsp sea salt
1 stick of butter (4 oz), softened
Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

Sponge

• In a stand mixer, mix one beaten egg, yeast, 1 cup flour and milk. Stop and take the bowl off the mixer, and sprinkle 1 cup of flour on top of the mixture. Let it rest uncovered for 45 minutes.

Dough

• Add 1 cup of flour, sugar, salt and 4 beaten eggs to the sponge. Use the dough hook and mix on low for 2 minutes until the dough comes together. Add 1/2 cup of flour and mix on medium for 15-20 minutes.
• The dough is VERY sticky, soft and wet. You can add a few tbsp of flour if it is too wet, but it should still be soft and sticky. See my pictures how sticky my dough is.
• Now gradually add the butter to the dough while mixing. Once butter is mixed in continue to mix for another 2-3 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1-2 hours. Now deflate the dough and chill in fridge for 3-4 hours.
• Flatten the dough, cut and shape 12 balls. Wet hands before handling the dough and forming the buns. Place buns on Sil-Pan sheets or parchment paper. Flatten buns so they become 1/4 inch thick and 4.5 inch in diameter. Don’t cover with anything since that will cause the buns to stick to the cover. If you have an oven with proofing program, proof in oven for 30-45 minutes. If not, just let them rise a warm place for 45-60 minutes.
• Beat an egg and glaze all buns with egg wash. You can sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds on buns if desired. Reglaze after adding seeds.
• Bake buns for 20-25 minutes in a 400F degree oven until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack and use right away or freeze. You will notice that the bun is super light and sound hollow if tapped on.

Enjoy!