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Brioche Buns

Easy but delicious bread buns, enriched with butter, egg & milk. A slow, overnight rise cuts down the kneading time and improves the flavour.

With less sugar than standard brioche buns, these are perfect for homemade burgers or pulled pork. Leave out the sugar entirely if preferred.

Course Main Course, Bread
Cuisine French, European, World
Keyword buns
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Proving Time 15 hours
Total Time 16 hours 5 minutes
Servings 6 buns
Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

  • 400 g white bread flour plus extra for kneading
  • 1 tbsp sugar optional
  • 2 tsp instant dried yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 100 g butter diced small
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 150 ml milk

For the glaze

  • 1 egg If you double the recipe, 1 egg will still be sufficient to glaze 12 buns
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds optional

Instructions

The day before you want to bake the bread

  1. Put the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl and stir together.

    Rub in the butter.

  2. Make a well in the centre of the flour then pour in the eggs.

    Stir the mixture to start bringing it together, gradually adding the milk to create a ragged ball of dough.

  3. Cover with cling film or a wet tea towel and leave overnight or 12-14 hours at room temperature.

On the day of baking

  1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.

  2. Lightly flour a clean work surface and scrape the dough out onto it.

    Knead the dough until smooth (approx 5 minutes) dusting sparingly with only as much as you need to prevent it sticking.

  3. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (I recommend weighing for accuracy).

    Lightly knead each piece into a ball then, with your fingers lightly touching the worksurface and a dough ball cupped beneath your palm, quickly move your hand in a circle to finish shaping the dough into a neat, round-topped ball.

    Set each ball on the lined baking tray.

  4. Cover the balls with oiled cling film or a wet tea towel and set aside until almost doubled in size (approx 1 hour).

    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C / 180C Fan / Gas 6 with a shelf in the middle and a roasting tray on the bottom shelf (this will be filled with water later to create steam and help the buns rise).

  5. Check that the dough is proofed:

    If, when a finger is gently poked into the dough, the dough slowly springs back but leaves a slight indentation then it is ready to bake.

    If the dough springs back quickly then it's not yet fully proofed: leave it another 8-10 minutes and check again.

  6. When the dough is ready to bake, make a glaze by beating together the egg and salt.

    Brush the glaze over the buns.

    If using the sesame seeds, add one layer of glaze, sprinkle them over, then cover with another layer of glaze.

  7. Put the tray of buns in the oven.

    Carefully pour cold water from a jug into the hot roasting tray in the lower part of the oven. and close the door.

    Leave to bake (without opening the oven door and letting the steam out) for 20 minutes.

  8. After 20 minutes carefully open the oven door (caution: there will be a lot of very hot steam so keep your face, hands etc. out of the way) and, if necessary, turn the tray around to ensure the buns cook evenly.

    Cook until the buns are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped underneath (approx 5 min more).

  9. Cool on a wire rack.

    Use within 2 days or freeze on day of baking.