Once you make homemade hamburger buns, you will never be able to go back to store bought buns. Store bought buns have close to no flavor and are so dry! These buns are made using the Le Cordon Bleu brioche recipe, which trust me, is worth the extra time.
I never make hamburger buns, just to make hamburger buns. In reality, every time I make brioche (which is quite frequently because it’s just so good!) I make a couple buns. They freeze amazingly well and then I always have some on hand when we decide to have a last minute burger night.
LCB Brioche VS CAP Brioche
I’ve done the tests back to back and the Le Cordon Bleu recipe wins hands down. Not only is the result fluffier, it has a much fuller flavor which is a result of the extra eggs as well as the use of heavy cream rather than water + milk powder.
If you’re needing last minute burger buns and don’t have 12 hours to let the brioche rest in the fridge, the CAP Brioche recipe still makes buns that are better than store-bought. But if you have the time, use the LCB recipe. It is so worth the wait!
Alternatives for Fresh Yeast
Fresh yeast is easy to come by in France, I simply have to go to my bakery and ask for cubes. I rarely ever use active dry or instant yeast anymore. If these are the only kind that you can get, you can still make these buns at home. The general rule of thumb is to divide the fresh yeast quantity by 3 to get the amount you need. For example, this recipe calls for 25g of fresh which is equivalent to 8.3g or 1 ⅔ tsp.
For active dry yeast, warm up the cream with some of the sugar from the main recipe and activate your yeast this way. Proceed as normal for the rest of the recipe. For instant yeast, you can add it directly to the dry ingredients and proceed as normal.
Egg Wash
Is it necessary to use cream with the egg wash? No, not necessarily. You can add a bit of milk instead to the egg yolk if you wish. Personally, I find that adding cream results in a nicer finish on the buns due to the fat in the cream. It also holds the sesame seeds in place better than a milk or water based wash.
Homemade Hamburger Buns
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Cookie Sheets
- Scale
Ingredients
- 500 g flour, T55
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 6 eggs
- 50 ml heavy cream
- 10 g salt
- 200 g butter, cold & diced
- sesame or poppy seeds for topping
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- splash of heavy cream
- pinch of sugar
Instructions
Brioche Dough
- In a mixer add all of the liquid first and mix on slow.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on slow until mixed together for 4 minutes
- Bring up to medim speed and mix until you hear thumping against the sides. Add diced butter and continue mixing for an additional 10 minutes. The dough should be glossy and wrapped around the dough hook.
- Turn out onto a floured countertop and gently knead into a ball. Lightly wrap with plastic wrap and let proof in the fridge for at least 12 hours and maximum 24 hours.
- Pull the dough out onto a lightly floured work space & degas.
- Weigh out 120g sections, then flatten each into a flat rectangle. Fold each side into the middle, overlapping each section ( top + bottom + side + side). Flip over.
- Using your palm to cup the dough against the counter, start moving your hand in a circle. Continue until the dough comes into a tight ball.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat.
- Gently press down on each ball, allowing the bottom of the roll to 'seal' on the parchment.
- Mix all of your ingredients together for the egg wash and brush each bun.
- Let proof for 1 ½ hours at room temperature or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 180°C ( 355°F ). Brush each roll a second time with the egg wash, then sprinkle with sesame seeds (or topping of choice).
- Bake buns for 15-20 minutes or until the center of each roll reaches 95°C (200°F).
- Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Nutrition
I would love to try making my own burger buns. Like you mention, I find store bought buns to be kind of dry and tasteless. Thanks for sharing–pinning recipe!
They’re not too hard! I made the dough the evening before I need them and just let them rest in the fridge over night. Then in the following morning or afternoon, I roll them out, let them do their last proof and voila! They’re so good! Let me know how it goes it you give them a try!
I am Soo excited to try this recipe. They look amazing and I am sure they will make my burgers that much better! I’ll be sure to let you know how they turn out!
Yes, please let me know how they turn out!