This recipe came up in a google search for hamburger buns, together with a gazillion others, but its title – Possibly the Best Hamburger Bun Ever – made me stop searching, roll my sleeves up, and go to work. It was the perfect excuse to inaugurate my heavy-duty pan featured recently at “In My Kitchen“. Brioche, as everyone knows, is a very rich bread made with butter and eggs, but some versions – often called “Poor Man’s Brioche” – cut back a little on those ingredients for a slightly less decadent bread, but still quite buttery and luscious. Made into a bun shape, these will take any humble hamburger to a whole new level…
LIGHT BRIOCHE BURGER BUNS
(from Parsley, Sage, and Sweet, originally via Comme Ça restaurant)
Makes 8 4-inch to 5-inch buns
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons warm milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, divided (one will be used for glaze)
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds (optional)
In a measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. In the meantime, beat one egg.
In a large bowl, combine both flours with the salt. Add the butter to the flours and salt and rub into the flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter, making crumbs, like you would a pie dough. Stir in the yeast mixture and beaten egg until it forms a dough. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter or board. and knead, scooping the dough up, slapping and turning it, until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Alternatively you can use a Kitchen Aid type mixer, for 5 minutes in medium-low speed.
Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper or sharp knife, divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 400 F. Beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash, then brush on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds pressing them in gently to adhere. Bake, turning the sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: What a nice dough to play with! Smooth, soft, tender, and very responsive. To get that amazing rise from the first couple of photos it took less than 90 minutes, and only one hour was needed after shaping to stick it in the oven. As you can see, this bread is quite easy to prepare on the spur of the moment. I admit that sometimes it’s nice to resort to commercial yeast. I shaped two buns a little smaller, the baking pan from King Arthur accommodated both sizes without any problem.
The day I baked them we had pork burgers that turned out very tasty: ground pork, chorizo, green apples, a few spices. The detailed recipe will be in the Bewitching soon. Leftover rolls were frozen and absolutely perfect after sitting at room temperature for 15 minutes and spending 5-10 more minutes in our small Breville oven at 300 F.
I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting event….
ONE YEAR AGO: Sourdough Blues
TWO YEARS AGO: Headed to Hawaii
THREE YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’
FOUR YEARS AGO: Hidden Treasure
FIVE YEARS AGO: Avocado Three Ways
Bewitching Kitchen 
I love the look of those glossy sesame seed studded burger buns. I just wish I had a baking pan to get them all the same size.
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The pan made them nicely shaped, but they definitely work well free form too… just make sure to flatten them, I ended up in the past with a bunch of tennis-ball shaped buns, not fun to eat 😉
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Do you mean flatten the before baking, maybe while you’re making the sesame seeds stick to the glaze on the top? And how MUCH should they be flattened?
I think they’d be great with my home made chicken or turkey burgers.
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Flatten them as you first shape them, and again right before sticking in the oven, but at that point very delicately, and only if you think they need it – I think if you shape them more flat to start with, they won’t balloon up too much.
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How very yummy! They look just like some pork slider buns we have enjoyed this week! Thanks for the recipe xo
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these rolls could be super cute shaped small for sliders – must try that when we have a party or something
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I am always so anti-burger buns because I feel like they are so heavy and take away from the flavor of the burger, but these sound like such a nice, light option!
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Same with me – I hate massive burger buns. These are still pretty substantial, but not heavy as a torpedo.. 😉
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Agreed, who doesn’t favor a homemade bun! I often twirl in circles in the bakery section looking for an appetizing burger bun for the family… it’s not always easy to find and the sizing seems either way to small or enormous. I would love these gems for sandwiches of all kinds… they look perfect with that splash of sesame seeds too!
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I love the fact that they freeze well and defrost quickly – always nice to have good bread for a meal. I love this bread with avocado slices and whatever else is around to improvise a sandwich. I also made turkey zucchini burgers that turned out great with them
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The hamburger buns topped with sesame seeds look so delicious, perfectly shaped! I bet the pork burgers were delicious! 🙂
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The buns are nice, but what is REALLY spectacular is that wood board they were sitting on… 😉 😉 😉
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hahahaha! Love this post! Those buns are gorgeous!
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Thanks, Mimi! I love it when my buns get a compliment… 😉
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I need to try these. We had a whole wheat recipe I used for awhile, but the bread is just too dense. You need an airy bun for burgers.
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You will love these, I am sure! plus, as far as bread baking goes, it is fast, so you can do it on a morning even with lots of stuff going on…. (story of my life)
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You beauty! I said just yesterday that the buns I normally make have lost their appeal. I’m on to these! Thanks.
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Great! It’s always nice to try a new recipe…. I think you will like these…
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Hahahha I love that last picture 🙂 and boy do I need that pan! The buns are perfect!!
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The pan is great, it is very high quality, I was surprised by how solid it “feels”
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Goodness! Who needs a burger when you have these buns! They’d be my main attraction, for sure!
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So true!!!! A little smear of butter and we are in business…
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I’ve made these and they really are super!! Perfect for when you want a little bit of indulgence but not ALL THE INDULGENCE.
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I time the burger bun indulgence for the evening before a run…., I can feel the energy next morning 😉
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Those look perfect. I’m envious of you pan!!!! I prefer the “poor man’s” brioche. You ARE the most interesting woman in the world!
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I think the poor man’s brioche is better, I think the full version tastes a bit too eggy… (for lack of a better word) – and I prefer the texture of this one.
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For me, the brioche full of butter ends up too greasy. I haven’t quite mastered making the buttery brioche taste light.
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Agree, that is quite tricky!
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WOW….these look absolutely perfect, well done!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Yummy!!! I love brioche, love this idea even better, well done! These do look perfect, I shall be making these very soon, can almost taste them now, after viewing your great pics.
Many thanks for this quick, simplified version of brioche rolls, this will get me into the brioche baking mood again!
Odelle.
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This recipe is at the limit of the richness I enjoy – except for croissants, which are high in butter by nature, I prefer a bread that has a leaner “feel” – nothing to do with calories, just the taste
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LOL! I’m still cracking up over the last photo! So clever and funny Sally! And the buns look like there were baked to perfection. Much better than those sad buns at the grocery store.
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Glad you liked the photo…. a moment of silliness I did not let pass 😉
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I will be trying these! I have been wanting to try making my own bread or buns so this is a good place for me to start!
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It is a very nice recipe, and the dough is a delight to work with, I hope you do try it!
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These look amazing! Burger buns are one of those things that I never think to make, but these look absolutely delicious. Will definitely be making these 🙂
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