Brioche Hamburger Buns

These buns are buttery and soft but nice and lightly crusty. They might steal the show from your burgers fair warning. Also, the time demands might seem steep but these buns are surprisingly fast and easy, just require a bit of rising patience.

Makes 8
Estimated preparation time: 30 minutes
Estimated total time: 5 hours
Adapted from the clever carrot.

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons warm milk
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2.5 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3.3 cups white flour (or bread flour)
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 2.5 tablespoons butter
• Sesame seeds (optional)

Procedure

1. Mix the warm water, milk, sugar and yeast. 

2. Beat one egg in a separate bowl.

3. In another bowl, mix flour, salt and butter until just mixed. 

4. Add the yeast mixture and the beaten egg and mix until just mixed.

5. Let rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours depending on the temperature of the kitchen. 

6. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Form the ball by flattening the dough with the palm of your hand and bringing the edges together, pinching them to seal. Give it a quick, light roll and place on baking sheet with a couple inches between one another. 

7. Let sit, covered for 1-2 hours until lightly risen. 

8. Preheat oven to 400F. Apply egg wash to the rolls of dough and sesame seeds. 

9. Pop buns into the oven. (If you'd like some extra crustiness, add steam by tossing some ice cubes into a preheated skillet)

10. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.