Brioche Burger Buns

What would a great burger be without a great bun.  Right?  Big, round, buttery buns.  Like these buns.  This recipe makes 9-12, so good for a small gathering.

Shopping list

• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 8-10 tablespoons of butter (1 to 1-1/4 sticks)
• packet of active dry yeast
• sugar
• 3+ cups flour
• 2 eggs + 1 for egg wash

Warm 1-1/2 cups of milk on stove to 100F. Should be warm, not hot.  Transfer back to the measuring cup and add a packet of yeast, along with 1 tsp sugar.  Rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, get out 8-10 tablespoons of butter, sliced into 1 tbsp pats, and let it warm on the counter.  More is better, but 8 tablespoons is one stick of butter, so I’ll call that a minimum.  You should see how little butter some recipes use.  Like, um, no. That’s not brioche.

In the stand mixer, add 4 cups of flour, and form a pocket in the top.  Beat two eggs and pour into the depression.

When the milk and yeast are ready, start the mixer on low (KitchenAid #2) and add in the milk/yeast mixture. Let the mixer run for 2-3 minutes, scraping the sides.  Add small amounts of flour if the dough seems gloppy.

Next, in goes 1/2 cup of sugar, but don’t dump it in all at once, just kinda add it casually.  Continue letting the mixer run for another five minutes.  The dough should be pretty sticky, but holding together as a clump at this point.

And now it’s time for butter!  Huzzah!  Add a pat at a time, and let them combine in.  Scrape the bowl as you go to free the butter that wants to stick to the sides.  Keep going until all the butter is incorporated into the dough.   The dough ought to be pretty soft at this point, but holding together.

Turn the mixer up to 3 or 4, and let it run for about ten minutes.  Once it’s started, start adding flour slowly until the dough is soft and just stays on the hook if you pause the mixer.

After your ten minutes, tip out the contents of the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Work the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. I use olive oil but the spray stuff is probably okay.  Cover with cling wrap or a damp towel, and set aside in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours or so until the ball has doubled in size.

Then, line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper.  Tip the dough out onto that floured surface, and form into 9-12 balls.  Arrange them on the baking sheets with about 2″ between each one, and flatten the balls down a bit.  The rounder the top of the ball, the rounder the top of the buns will be.   Beat up an egg, and wash the top of the buns.  Cover with damp towels, and set aside for another 30-45 minutes.  The more towards the longer end, the more puffy the buns will be.

At the same time, turn on the oven to 375F

Finally, after all that time, bake each tray on the center rack of the oven for about 20 minutes.  The buns should be golden-brown on top and a bit firm to the touch.

Buns can be kept overnight in a ziploc bag, or freeze the unused ones for up to a couple of weeks.