Sourdough Brioche Buns
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Sourdough brioche buns can be shaped in many different ways to suit your needs.
You can use these delicious sourdough brioche buns as hamburger rolls, donuts or even long panini.
This dough is just lovely to work with and can be shaped into round or long buns or even braided to make plaited sourdough brioche buns.
It's best to use a stand mixer for this butter rich dough, but kneading it by hand is also possible.
How To Make Sourdough Brioche Buns
This beautiful enriched dough is a pleasure to work with. It contains milk, sugar, eggs and butter so is truly enriched with all the good things! It's very similar to this sourdough brioche loaf recipe.
Here's how to make Sourdough Brioche Buns:
- Add milk and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until the sugar dissolves.
- Now add your sourdough starter, flour and 2 eggs. Mix this into a rough dough. Allow this to sit for around 30 minutes.
- Next, add the butter and salt and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. This shouldn't take too long using the dough hook of your stand mixer. Try not to let the dough get too hot during this time.
- Once the dough is pulling away from the bowl, set it aside for bulk fermentation.
- Once the dough has risen a bit, you need to shape the dough into buns. It's really up to you how big you make them. I generally work on 50g but you can make them bigger if you want to.
- Place the buns onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then cover with plastic wrap.
- Allow them to proof so they become nice and puffy.
- Brush them with egg wash.
- Place them into an oven preheated to 160C for around 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Brush them generously with butter once they're out of the oven and allow them to cool slightly before eating.
Shaping Sourdough Brioche Buns
This recipe is super versatile in that you can choose to shape these sourdough brioche buns or rolls in any way you'd like.
They are amazing just as round buns, but they are also able to be braided, which is my favorite way to shape them.
It may look complicated, but they are really easy to do!
You need to divide the dough into 70g portions and divide each portion into three roughly equal pieces.
Roll each small piece into a rope. Take the three pieces and pinch them together and then braid the strands.
Roll the braid around itself to form a round bun.
It takes a little practice, but once you've done a few, you'll get the hang of it.
What Can You Use Sourdough Brioche Buns For?
These sourdough brioche buns are so versatile.
You can vary the weight of your buns to suit what you are going do with them. You can make sliders with around 50g of dough. Larger hamburger buns with 70-80g.
Here are some of the best uses for sourdough brioche rolls:
- Hamburger rolls (you can add sesame seeds if you like) - see how to shape a hamburger roll here.
- Hot dog rolls (100 - 120g dough) - see how to shape a hot dog roll here.
- Breakfast rolls (great with bacon, egg and cheese).
- Plaited or braided sourdough rolls (50-70g of dough).
Love Sourdough Brioche?
Why not try these other sourdough brioche recipes:
- Sourdough Brioche Loaf
- Sourdough Chocolate Star Bread
- Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns
- Hot Cross Buns with Sourdough Starter
Sourdough Brioche Buns
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 100 g Sourdough Starter fed and bubbly
- 540 g Bread Flour
- 2 Eggs around 45g each, room temp
- 120 g Salted Butter soft
- 200 g Milk whole milk
- 50 g Sugar
- 10 g Salt
Toppings
- 1 Egg plus 1 tablespoon water to use as egg wash
- Butter extra for brushing after baked
Instructions
- Warm milk to around 37C (you don't want it to be cold, but not too warm either). Add the milk and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
- Now add the sourdough starter, flour and eggs to the bowl. Mix into a rough dough and let it sit for around 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has sat for a little while, add the butter and salt and use the stand mixer to knead it really well. You want the butter to mix all the way through and the dough to become very soft and elastic.Depending on the type of mixer you use, this could take 3 minutes, it could take 20 minutes.
- Once the dough is silky and elastic (it can be slightly sticky but you should be able to pull a window pane). It should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough into a large bowl for bulk fermentation. Cover with plastic and set aside.
- Once the dough has risen a bit (it doesn't have to double, 50% rise is ok in this instance) you'll need to shape the brioche dough into buns or rolls.
- Turn the dough onto the counter and divide into equal portions. I have used 50g portions for these buns, but you can decide to use whatever portion you'd like.
- Use the instructions in the post above for shaping (you can make braided buns, round burger buns, hot dog buns etc).
- Place the buns onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and allow them to proof. Cover them with plastic wrap and place them on the counter to get all puffy.
- Once the buns are puffy, it's time to bake them.
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- While the oven is preheating, mix an egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the buns generously with this egg wash.
- Bake the buns for around 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Cooking time will depend on your specific oven (you might need to increase the temp or time accordingly).
- Once they are out of the oven, brush them with lashings of butter and allow to cool.
I made your sourdough cracker recipe & it came out great! Was wondering if this brioche recipe will work with a starter that has been revived with a recent whole wheat/rye feeding.
Thanks!
Julie Huddleson
I just realized I have no butter! I don't even know how that happened. Is there anything I could use as a substitute? I have olive oil, coconut oil and bear fat.
Thank you pantry mama for sharing! Love every of your recipes and very informative and helpful tips. Can we add fillings like to this bun recipe?
This rolls are easy to make and delicious! My husband said they were the best rolls he had ever eaten!
These look great! Can I substitute flax eggs and plant milk for a vegan version? Thank you
I just have to add that at the beginning of this page, it says to cook them at 160C, then later says 180C… I discovered this after cooking mine at 160C for the 15 minutes, then had to look back at the whole page 😩 I’m hoping by leaving them in another 10 minutes or less that they will be ok 😢
Can this dough go into the refrigerator for overnight fermentation? If so, at what step can I put it in the refrigerator? Thank you
Can dough rest overnight in refrigerator?
Hello, can you please give mixing directions for using a Thermomix?
Thanks.
Just wondering if I can freeze them?
You absolutely can! I've always got a stash in my freezer for burger emergencies 🙂
Brilliant, do you freeze when cool, then fetch out to defrost when needed?
Yes, they freeze so well 🙂 I just let them come to room temp and then use them - or if I need them fast, the microwave does the job 🙂
Can I use discard and add yeast to this recipe?
Yes you can use discard and add yeast 🙂
I’m confused about the bill fermentation. Notes say 12 hrs. Does this mean I leave it on the counter for 12 ish hours or until it’s doubled? It seems like I can make these in one day but with the 12 hrs note on fermentation maybe not? Do you have an example of a timeline?
could lard be used for those bunse instead of butter?
356 f and 15 minutes and nine were not brown at all. I’m trying 375 and an extra 5 minutes hoping they turn out
Could I put a filling in these? 🙂 Or do you have a better filled bun recipe?
Could you pop the buns into the fridge for a couple days after they've been shaped - and then pull out to proof when you want to bake them?
Hello! Could I make the dough and chill in the fridge overnight and then shape them in the morning? Thanks
These tasted wonderful, but I do have to say 75g rolls was still a small bun to me. I made these for pulled pork sandwiches and next time I would make them twice that size. I did have to bake for twice the amount of time as well, at 350°F since that’s what Google said was the conversion from C if anyone else needs it. Now I need to go make a loaf of brioche and see if it’s even better!
Can you put these in the fridge and bake the next day?
I made a mistake. I added the salt and butter with the eggs before autolypse. I could not get these to raise! I finally shaped them and let them sit on the counter, went to bed and they rose a bit overnight, so I cooked them. About 27 minutes. They did rise more in oven but not vertically. I think they will taste alright, and they look pretty.
I think next time, I will cook at 355 Fahrenheit. I used 90 grams for size. I wouldn’t want to go larger as they would be hard to get done in the middle. They taste very buttery and are soft.
Is the bulk ferment of this dough similar to a regular sourdough loaf? (8-12 hours at room temp)?
Is the proof time of the rolls, after shaping, a few hours as well? More or less? Trying to plan out my baking schedule! Thank you!!
How long does this process take roughly? Like, do I need to start first thing in the morning as opposed to in the afternoon? I’m new to using sourdough and haven’t made a recipe with discard yet. Thanks for your help!
I love your brioche chocolate star, so I can’t wait to try this recipe!! If I want to save them to cook the next day, would I shape them as buns then put in the fridge over night and bake when I need them or put the dough in the fridge?
Made these for Easter dinner... beautiful, soft buttery roll!
Hiya - just a heads up that I'm finding my rolls needed a much longer bake time than described here. I divided the recipe into 16 portions and made 6 as seeded burger buns and 10 as cinnamon roll knots. I baked 17 minutes, switched the trays in the oven, baked another 15 and they still weren't really gold, so I did 12 min more in the end. They're still juuuuuust a smooch underdone. I'm going to check my oven calibration, but I think since others have noted similar it's worth mentioning in case anyone's on strict timing.
I accidentally started making this recipe, not realizing that it has to do the bulk fermentation, and I only used my sourdough starter, not knowing how strong it is, but it was definitely bubbly. I ran out of time and it’s like the end of the day and it hasn’t fully Rise like 50% so I was wondering if I can have help of what to do next and what I should do since I do have a soccer game in the morning for my daughter and then I have to go to work. I definitely don’t want to waste it. I’m planning on making hamburger buns with it. Thanks so much.
I’m curious how long yours took to bulk ferment just to get a general idea of what to expect
Can I put them in the fridge after shaping to ferment and buy me some time before baking? Started these a little late in the day I’m realizing.
You can! You want them to be nice and plump and risen before you bake them, so they would need to be brought back to room temperature before baking.
I tried making these with a 60% Spelt / 40% Einkorn mix. My Spelt starter was active. They didn’t rise much at all during bulk ferment or cooking. They smell delicious and I’m sure they will taste awesome with soup or as breakfast sammiches.
Read and reread this entire blog post including all comments. Followed the recipe to the letter, except I tried to make larger buns weighed out at 115g a piece making 10 of them. They didn't get that much bigger during baking and based upon reviews I upped the temp to 375 and the time to 20 min. The buns never rose and the middle was way undercooked. Like others have said they didn't really brown well, either.
I had intended for these to be hamburger buns but I cannot imagine them working well for that. They turned out very sweet. Even as rolls on their own they’re not terribly exciting. I’ve had great success with other recipes from this site, but these turned out just ok.
This was a really poorly written recipe… seems strange to not include a bakers schedule or anything so no one knows even a general idea of what to expect. I thought it was on accident but then I read that it was on purpose LOL! I followed the recipe to a T, with the vague guidance, definitely not confident they’re going to turn out at all, they certainly won’t in time for dinner haha. Sad to have wasted the ingredients and time
So sorry these didn't work out for you. I hope they turned out great - even though later than you wanted. Thanks for your comment.
I just finished backing a double batch of the brioche buns and they turned amazing. Made a small substitution, 40% butter and 60% home rendered lard. Had to retard the buns overnight in the fridge and bake the next day after letting them rise completely. God bless your heart and work Kate! May your hands be strong and mind crisp for many years to come to experiment, bake, and share your art.
I have been backing for many years, but am a complete sourdough convert since I started testing with your recipes and playing with my own. Will be coming back for more ideas. THANK YOU!