Quick + Light Brioche Buns Recipe

Golden brown homemade brioche buns cooling on a wire rack after baking.

4.66 from 35 votes

Quick + Light Brioche Buns Recipe

Lighter brioche buns with only one rise time if you prefer. This is a quick and easy homemade bread recipe, with a rewarding fluffy brioche bun and only 15 minutes baking time. Add some seeds or herbs on top to change it up!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Rising Time30

Total Time1

Course: Bread

Cuisine: French

Servings: buns

Calories: 319kcal

Author: Jacqueline Piper

Equipment

Ingredients

⅔ cup milk warm
1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
2 large eggs at room temperature
480 grams all-purpose flour about 4 cups *see notes
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg (for egg wash)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm milk, melted butter, sugar or honey, and yeast. Add eggs and whisk well.
Add the flour and salt. If you are not weighing your flour, start with 3 1/2 cups of flour and mix that in. Add more only if needed. (see notes)
Use a dough hook, and mix on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes or so. The dough should come away from the side of the bowl for the most part, and be sticky and soft. It will stay a bit tacky, that's fine - you don't want the buns to be dense.
Optional: Let rise until doubled in size, covered with a damp, warm towel, then punch down and move on to the next step.
Divide into 8 equal pieces (or 12 - 16 for sliders). Shape each dough ball by pinching the bottom of the dough ball together and then cupping your hand on top of it on the counter. Circle your hand over the top of the ball, rolling the dough ball around gently until the top is smooth. Pinch together the bottom if needed and set on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cover with a towel.
Let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 30-45 minutes or so (depending on the warmth in your kitchen).
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Whisk an egg with a teaspoon of water and brush over the top of the buns. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until golden brown and completely cooked. Time varies as ovens vary, so watch the buns carefully halfway through cooking time.

Video

Notes

When measuring flour, I go by 120 grams per cup. If you'd like to use cup measurement for the flour, then I'd say start with about 2 1/2 - 3 cups of flour, measured lightly by scooping your flour into the measuring cup, and not digging your cup into the flour. You'll get the best results by using a scale, though. Read my guide on how to measure flour.
To make this recipe by hand, just knead the dough in the bowl for a minute after you add the flour and then switch to a countertop and keep kneading the dough for 10-15 minutes, until smooth. This is a tackier dough, so you may need a bench scraper or something similar to move the dough around. Use a lightly floured countertop so you don't add too much extra flour into the dough - it should remain tacky but not overly sticky.

Nutrition