We are slowly but sure moving everything into the new place bit by bit, and this Saturday I’m going to venture out into the garden with a rototiller and finally get my tomatoes in the ground. Really hoping it won’t be too late to have my heirlooms later this summer, but with the Oregon weather it’s always a toss up. There’s nothing quite like a thick, ripe slice of tomato on a juicy burger with a melted slice of cheese and a golden brioche bun. Maybe I was just antsy for summer barbecues, but I decided I’d practice ahead of time and try my hand at making one of those shiny and delicious baked goods a couple weeks back. And I was especially excited because I was able to shoot with my grain measure and basket from Europe2You, which I’d been dying to use for weeks but kept having to go out of town for shoots. I can’t wait to start using the basket out in the garden this summer once I’m able to start picking all the ripe fruits and veggies, so I’m sure you’ll be seeing its cute little basket-face again once those heirloom tomatoes fill in. But back to brioche; brioche buns are known for being rich and golden, and this is because of the large number of eggs that are worked into the dough. And the hearty coating of egg wash helps a good amount, too.
 
Brioche Buns | Adventures in Cooking
The result is a soft, tender, flakey bun that shines with warmth. Now, I understand why you would wonder “Eva, why would I spend a couple hours making brioche when I could just buy some buns at the store?” and the answer to that question is that most store-bought buns are absolutely terrible. Unless you’re getting them from an actual bakery, the buns in those plastic bags in the bread aisle are ridiculously smooshy to the point of being able to be wadded up into a dough-ish ball, and they’re pumped with preservatives. The brioche, on the other hand, are utterly delicious and form-keeping. Also, most of the time it takes to make them is just letting the dough rise, during which you can feel free to chain-watch re-runs of Unsolved Mysteries, wash dishes, walk the dog, or accomplish any number of exciting things! So, if you want to eat a bun that tastes just as good as the meat inside of it, I cannot recommend making the bun from scratch highly enough. Plus, just look at these guys. If a brioche housing doesn’t scream tasty gourmet burger I just don’t know what does.
Brioche Buns | Adventures in Cooking
 

Brioche Buns

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 50 minutes
Author Eva Kosmas Flores

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3-1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • Egg wash 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

  1. Whisk the yeast in warm water and allow to sit for a few minutes until the test is dissolved. Now whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour to form a thin paste. You’ve made a poolish. Let the poolish rise in a warm place out of direct sunlight until the dough has risen and fallen and is full of bubbles, about 1 hour.
  2. After the dough has risen and fallen, add the eggs, sugar, salt and the rest of the flour to the poolish. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth, adding a bit more flour if the dough becomes too sticky. Then add the butter and knead until it is completely combined and the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm place out of direct sunlight until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours depending on the temperature of the room (colder = more time warmer = less time).
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls, taking the corner of each ball and pulling it towards the center, then pressing gently to keep it there and flipping the ball over so that the tight domed surface of the ball is facing upwards. Place the roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repeat with each ball. Let the rolls rise until half doubled (about 30 minutes).
  4. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden on the top and bottom of the buns. Remove and allow to cool before serving.
 
Brioche Buns | Adventures in Cooking
Brioche Buns | Adventures in Cooking
Brioche Buns | Adventures in Cooking
Brioche Buns | Adventures in Cooking
Brioche Buns | Adventures in Cooking
Brioche Buns | Adventures in Cooking
Love this Post? Share It With Friends!
  • You Might Also Like...
    Adventures in Cooking

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Adventures in Cooking

    Discussion

    Kati Boden says:
      Eva Kosmas says:
    Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says:
      Eva Kosmas says:
    Brianne says:
      Eva Kosmas says:
    Dixya says:
      Eva Kosmas says:
    Lili Basic Capaccetti says:
      Eva Kosmas says:
    Diane says:
      Eva Kosmas says:
    Kristie Kline says:
      Eva Kosmas says:
    Adrienne Leonard says:
      Eva Kosmas says:
    Vanessa Billie-Jill-Jean says:
    Aleksandra (Vanilla & Staubzucker) says:
    gigi says:
      Eva Kosmas Flores says: