Light Brioche Burger Buns

I LOVE bread! There really isn’t much else to say. My ultimate goal is to make all of the bread we eat. I am still working on the perfect sandwich loaf that is whole wheat, but not heavy. This week’s try was just o.k. And so in the meantime I saw a recipe at Annie’s Eats on making Brioche buns for hamburgers (or any sandwich for that matter!) and they were AMAZING!! The recipe has a few more steps than a simple French bread roll, but it’s worth it! 

Brioche Rolls

3 tbsp. warm milk  
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour (I used all purpose and it worked great!) 
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds (optional)

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 flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for a good 8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky. That’s o.k. try not to add more flour otherwise your buns might be a little tough.

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 8 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 nearly doubled.

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.