Light Brioche Burger Buns

When I first saw these beautiful hamburger buns on Annie's site, I knew they would be great. I put this recipe into my mental "to do" file, and I am SO GLAD I finally got around to trying it. Kevin and I both said they were the best hamburger buns ever. Simple to put together with ingredients you keep in your pantry, amazingly rich in flavor with a light texture and a sturdiness you need in a burger bun. And to make matters even better--they freeze beautifully! I don't think I'll ever buy the store bought variety ever again.

There's really no reason not to make these buns. So go now and make your burger way better!

yields: 8 buns 

recipe adapted from annies-eats.com and smittenkitchen.com

Light Brioche Burger Buns

Ingredients

3 tbsp. warm milk

1 cup warm water

2 tsp. instant yeast

2½ tbsp. sugar

1½ tsp. salt

1 large egg

3-1/3 cups flour

2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For topping

1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash

Sesame seeds, optional

Directions

Measure milk and water into a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave 20-30 seconds. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the flour to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns. Use only enough extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to you hands. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 10 equal parts.  Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and almost doubled. (If buns expand too much, just resize and bake.)

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the freezer for three months.

linked up with Raising Olives: Bread Baking