Light Brioche Burger Buns

I never thought the day would come where I’d be making my own hamburger buns from scratch.  Why would anyone want to do that when you can just purchase them from the bread aisle?  Isn’t it too much work?  Are they really that much better?  These are the questions I asked myself before committing to this recipe.  I love to experiment with new recipes though, so I gave this one a shot, and I’m so glad I did!

It turns out, homemade buns are incredibly easy to make.  The stand mixer did all of the (mixing & kneading) work.  Start to finish, they took 4-5 hours, but most of that time was inactive prep time while the dough was rising.  For so little effort, the product was amazing!  These buns were delicious.  One thing that sets them apart from standard store bought ones is the texture.  They are soft, yet they hold their own and don’t get soggy like store bought buns sometimes do.  And I froze the leftover buns, so the next time I make burgers, I’ll already have them.  Try these, you will love them!  Enjoy!

Light Brioche Burger Buns

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. warm milk
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tsp. instant yeast
• 2½ tbsp. sugar
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:

• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
• Sesame seeds

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts.  Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.
4. Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Yield: 8 buns

Source: Annie’s Eats, originally adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Comme Ça via The New York Times

When you place the shaped dough on a baking sheet to rise, make sure each bun is spaced far apart. I used multiple cookie sheets to ensure that the dough wouldn't touch when it rises.