Brioche Burger Buns

I know, it may seem crazy to make your own burger buns but trust me, after you make this recipe you will no longer believe that.  These buns are light and sturdy all at the same time; they have great texture and the flavor is awesome, I mean, who doesn't love brioche?!

These buns freeze great, which works out well since most people like to relax and grill out when they eat burgers and not knead dough in the kitchen.  So make these ahead of time, relax and grill out, and your burger bun experience will be fantastic!  You won't ever want to go back to store-bought.

Brioche Burger Buns

Source: Annie's Eats

Yields 8 burger buns

Ingredients

3 tablespoons warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2½ tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions
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 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.

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.  If the buns spread too much then re-shape just before putting them in the oven.

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