Emulsifier Free Brioche Burger Buns

Total time3 hr 20 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

4.7

(25)

Soft, pillowy, and rich with butter and eggs, these homemade burger buns are the kind of thing that makes you wonder why you ever settled for the store-bought version. Commercial buns are one of the sneakiest sources of hidden emulsifiers — lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, DATEM — tucked into ingredient lists that most people never think to check. This recipe skips all of that entirely, relying on real butter, whole eggs, and proper gluten development to achieve that signature tender crumb and glossy, golden crust. The slow butter incorporation during kneading is the key technique here: it builds structure and richness the natural way, no additives required. A two-stage rise gives the dough time to develop flavor and that characteristic soft-yet-sturdy texture that holds up beautifully under a loaded burger. Brushed with a simple egg-and-milk wash and finished with a scatter of sesame seeds, these buns come out of the oven looking genuinely bakery-worthy. Once you taste one fresh off the rack, going back to packaged buns is simply not an option.

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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)
¼ cup whole milk, warm
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fine salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces

For the egg wash

1 large egg
1 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the warm water, warm milk, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for 5–8 minutes, until the mixture is foamy and the yeast is visibly active.
2
Add the sugar, salt, and 3 eggs to the yeast mixture. Add the flour on top. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.

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