Homemade Brioche Hamburger Buns (2024)

Forget the sad store-bought buns and make these golden Homemade Brioche Hamburger Buns for your next BBQ or cookout. They are made with eggs and butter for a rich flavor and perfect for pulled pork sandwiches, some grilled chicken & avocado, or your favorite hamburgers!

If you love making bread and things from scratch, be sure to also check out our Flour Tortillas, Sweet Molasses Brown Bread, French Bread, and Homemade Garlic Naan!

Brioche Bun Recipe

It might seem like a lot of extra work to go to the trouble of making your own hamburger buns, but I promise you that it is 1000% worth it. The sad, stale store-bought buns at the grocery store just cannot hold a candle to a tender, fresh brioche bun made in your own home.

And your burgers and sandwiches taste so much more amazing on this quality bread that is enriched with butter and eggs. The recipe makes 8 good-sized buns that are perfect for your backyard bbq, although you could make them smaller and use them for sliders instead.

Our most favorite way to use these buns is for pulled pork sandwiches. We like to slice them in half, butter both sides, and toast them on the griddle first before piling them with the tender, smokey spicy meat and sauce.

Or top them with cheeseburgers and allllllll the toppings. I'll share a bunch of our favorite burgers and sandwiches at the end of this post if you want some gourmet burger inspiration to wow your friends and neighbors!

I originally posted this recipe for homemade brioche buns years ago when I posted my recipe for . But it was time for an update to the pictures and a slight tweak to the recipe. Really the only change is that I now really recommend using bread flour instead of all-purpose flour.

Back then, I never used to use bread flour and instead I recommended adding a little baking powder to the dough for extra lift. But I have found over the years that it just isn't the same and the buns have a much better, chewier texture when made with bread flour. So that's my solid recommendation now.

Of course, if you don't have bread flour, you can make this recipe with all-purpose flour instead. It's obviously what I did for years. Just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of additional salt to the recipe if you are taking that approach.

How to make brioche hamburger buns

1. Start by combining warm water, a little sugar, and milk with yeast in a bowl and letting the yeast proof for 5 minutes.
2. Add some softened butter, beaten eggs, the remaining sugar, and 1 cup of the flour. Beat with the paddle attachment of an electric stand mixer, if you have one, until combined, then switch to the dough hook and gradually add the remaining bread flour.
3. Continue to knead the dough on medium speed for a full 7 minutes to develop the gluten in the flour, then transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap.
4. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
5. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a clean surface. Even though the dough is soft and sticky, I have found that I don't need to use any flour on my surface because the little bit of oil from the bowl is enough to keep the dough from sticking too much.
6. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions (or 16 if you are making smaller, slider-sized buns) using a sharp knife or bench scraper. Roll and shape each portion of dough into a ball with your hands. I find the best way to get beautiful, round buns is to tuck the edges from cutting the dough up underneath to create a smooth round ball shape on top and rolling it around in my hands.
7. Transfer the balls of dough to two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. You don't want to crowd the pan since the buns are going to rise again and there is a good likelihood that their sides will touch if they are too close together, so I only ever bake 4 buns per pan.
8. Cover the buns with a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with a little cooking spray so it doesn't stick, then let rise for another hour.
9. When the buns are almost risen, preheat the oven to 4o0 degrees F. Make an egg wash with the remaining beaten egg and 1 teaspoon of water, then brush it over the top of each bun with a pastry brush. You can sprinkle them with sesame seeds or poppy seeds at this point, if you like.
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes, just until golden brown on top, then remove from the oven and cool. Slice in half horizontally to use in burgers and sandwiches.

Tips for making homemade hamburger buns

One thing to know before you start making this brioche bun recipe is that the dough is very soft and sticky. But don't go trying to add a lot more flour to compensate for that or the buns will turn out tough instead of light and wonderful.

Just make sure to measure properly and then knead the dough in the stand mixer for the full amount of time noted in the recipe and all will be well. The gluten will be developed and as the dough rises it will gain a little more structure.

Sandwich and Burger Recipes Where You Could Use These Brioche Buns

• Red, White, and Blueberry Bacon Burger with Basil Aioli (it is honestly my favorite burger of all time)
• Slow Cooker Applesauce Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
• Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast Sandwiches
• Grilled Cajun Chicken Sandwiches
• Grilled Poblano Pepper Southwest Burgers