Black Pepper Free Brioche Burger Buns with Sesame Seeds
Soft, pillowy, and golden with a shower of sesame seeds on top, these brioche burger buns are the kind of thing that makes a backyard cookout feel genuinely special. The enriched dough gets its tender, buttery crumb from eggs, whole milk, and softened unsalted butter worked in slowly — no shortcuts, just classic technique that pays off in a big way. For anyone avoiding black pepper, store-bought buns can be a quiet minefield, since many commercial varieties sneak it into seasoning blends or "natural flavors." Here, every ingredient is straightforward and visible, so you know exactly what's going into each bun. The windowpane test and a proper double rise are the two things that separate a truly airy brioche bun from a dense disappointment, and the instructions walk you through both with confidence. That glossy egg wash gives the finished buns a bakery-worthy shine, and the sesame seeds add just enough nuttiness and crunch to complement whatever you pile inside. Once you've made a batch of these, it's genuinely hard to go back to the bag.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the dough
- ¼ cup warm water (105–110°f / 40–43°c)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar, for proofing
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk, warm
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
For topping
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Combine the warm water, yeast, and 1 tsp sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir briefly. Let stand for 5–8 minutes, until the mixture is foamy and visibly active.
- 2
Add the flour, 2 tbsp sugar, salt, 2 eggs, and warm milk to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes, then increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
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