Homemade Brioche Buns

Content… What Are They? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions What to Serve More Rockin’ Roll Recipes to Try Watch How to Make It

What Are Brioche Buns?

Let’s get back to the basics of brioche. Brioche bread is enriched dough with lots of milk and eggs. The milk and eggs give the bread a rich and tender crumb. It also has a decent amount of sugar – enough to give it a subtle sweetness, but not too much.

It’s not a dessert bread, but it pairs well with both sweet and savory dishes.  

Recipe Ingredients

1. All-Purpose Flour is the way to go here, my friend. Technically, you can use whole wheat flour, but it doesn’t get quite as soft and fluffy. Bread flour is another option, but it won’t be as tender.
2. Sugar helps activate the yeast in this recipe, but we’re adding more than a small amount to give the bread a subtle, sweet flavor.
3. Yeast – Brioche gets its fluffy texture from the rise of the active dry yeast (instant yeast works, too), plus there’s that gorgeous yeasty smell and flavor. It’s what makes fresh bread so irresistible.
4. Eggs – Eggs give the baked dough a bit of stretch. It takes bread from just fluffy to perfectly pillowy. ☁️
5. Milk is another key in this enriched dough. It improves the texture and structure of yeasted dough while helping it rise to lofty heights. ⬆️ Coconut milk works, too.
6. Unsalted Butter contributes to that tender, pull-apart texture while adding plenty of rich flavor! 

How to Make Brioche Buns

Make the Brioche Dough

• Warm Milk – Microwave coconut milk in a safe medium bowl until warm; this may take about 30 seconds. It should be lukewarm, not hot. Let it cool if it gets too warm.
• Add Yeast – In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine lukewarm milk and yeast. Let it sit until it dissolves, about a minute. Add sugar, salt, and eggs, and continue mixing on medium speed. (Photos 1-2)
• Dry Ingredients – Remove the paddle attachment, attach the dough hook, and add the flour. Continue mixing for 2-4 minutes or until the dough is firm and elastic and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the bowl. (Photo 3)
• Butter – Next, add half the butter and continue mixing until the butter is fully incorporated – you may have to stop the mixer and mix by hand. Add the remaining butter a little at a time until finished. It’s okay if the dough looks loose. (Photo 4)
• Knead – Continue kneading for 4-5 minutes or until it’s smooth, soft, and shiny. The easiest way to know when the dough is ready is when it slaps against the bowl as the dough hook turns. (Photos 5-6)
• Hand Knead – Take out the dough and place it on a lightly floured board. Knead it a couple of times, then place the brioche dough in a large greased bowl. (Photos 7-8)
• Let Rise – Cover the dough loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for an hour or two or until doubled. Then, punch the dough down.
• Chill – At this point, you can refrigerate the dough overnight or until ready to bake (It also improves the flavor 😉).
• Final Stretch – Bring the brioche dough to room temperature when ready so it’s not so stiff to work with. It will take 30-60 minutes.

Form the Brioche Dough into Rolls

• Divide the dough into 16 pieces. (Photo 9)
• Form – To form round balls, tuck the edges underneath the dough, then roll the dough against the board or between your palms until round. Arrange on a greased brioche bun pan or baking sheet. (Photo 10)
• Brush – Next, lightly brush the dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with coconut sugar, crystalized sugar, or sesame seeds. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half or until it has at least doubled in volume. (Photo 11)

For buns, press the balls down with a flat surface like a glass after the bread dough rises. This applies only to buns. DO NOT press the rolls down when baking buns in brioche pans.

Bake the Brioche Rolls

• Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
• Bake the brioche rolls or buns until the crust turns a deep golden brown—18-20 minutes. (Photo 12)
• Serve – Remove the rolls from the brioche pan and let them cool slightly. Serve warm.

Bake a Brioche Loaf

• Divide the 16 balls between two greased loaf pans—eight balls each. Let them rise until doubled, and brush with egg wash.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
• Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped (30-35 minutes).
• Serve – Remove from the baking pan and let cool slightly. Enjoy it right after it rests, or freeze it for later.

Recipe Variations

1. Tropical twist. Make these with brioche buns with coconut milk and top them with coconut sugar.
2. Adjust the butter. Less butter will make a lighter bun, and more will make a richer bun.
3. Get chocolatey! Add a cup of chocolate chips to the dough for a brioche bun that tastes amazing with a cup of hot coffee. 🤤

Tips and Tricks

1. Make sure the milk isn’t too hot. You don’t want it warmer than body temperature, or it could kill your yeast. 😢
2. A soft dough will firm up as it rises the first time, so try not to add too much flour. It’s better to err on the side of not adding enough flour than adding too much–you can always add more flour, but you can’t take it away once it’s in the dough.
3. For your roll to be fluffy, it has to double in size – be patient. This one took about 3 hours to really double in size. Sometimes, it takes even longer, depending on the weather.
4. If your dough does not rise at all in an hour, try speeding up the rise time by turning on the oven to warm for 10 minutes. Turn it off, stick the dough inside, and let it rise. If all else fails, mix rapid-rise yeast into the dough and knead thoroughly.
5. Keep your eyes on the buns as they bake. Brioche buns brown quickly due to their high fat content, sugar, and egg wash. So, never leave them unattended.
6. Make sure your yeast hasn’t expired. Look at the packaging for the manufacturer’s expiration date. Or test it with a little warm water and sugar. You’ll know it’s working when you smell the fermentation and see froth or tiny bubbles in the mixture.
7. Room temperature butter (not melted) provides even textured bread. Too cold or straight-out-of-the-fridge butter will result in an uneven texture.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can freeze brioche buns for up to three months, making them super make-ahead friendly. I always double the recipe when making brioche specifically for that purpose. I freeze half so that whenever I need bread, I can just thaw it out and warm a few buns in the oven.

Serving and Storage Instructions 

Serve brioche buns warm out of the oven for a truly heavenly experience. Or you can serve them at room temp.

Store leftover brioche in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also keep it in the fridge for up to a week.

What Goes With Brioche Buns

Brioche buns go great as dinner rolls with pineapple honey-baked ham or a baked spatchcock turkey with all the fixings. Or you can use them as homemade hamburger buns for an indulgent Wagyu burger.

They make a great breakfast or a snack, along with a steamy chai tea latte. I told you they were versatile! 💁🏿‍♀️

More Rockin’ Roll Recipes to Try

1. Texas Roadhouse Rolls
2. Samoan Coconut Bread (Pani Popo)
3. Easy Dinner Rolls
4. Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
5. Honey Wheat Rolls

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in May 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video