The Best, Easiest No-Knead Brioche Buns
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
The dough for these no-knead brioche buns comes together in no time, and the buns are so light and airy. These buns are perfect for burgers, but they’re great for sandwiches of all kind! Video guidance below 🍞🍞
Today, I offer my sincerest apologies. On May 22, 2012, I posted a recipe for light brioche buns, promising you the brioche bun to end all brioche buns. Look no further, I said.
And then, in the recipe, I asked you to use not only bread flour but also a third cup of all-purpose flour. And I didn’t offer you any measurements in weights; I gave you cups only.
And I asked you to bloom your yeast in warm milk and warm water, but I didn’t tell you how warm the milk and water should be.
And I had you soften butter and massage it into the flour. I even asked you to scoop up the mixed dough and slap it down on the counter. And I asked you to knead your dough for 8 to 10 minutes until it was smooth and elastic.
Friends, I am sorry. I promise never to do this again. I promise never to ask you to use two types of flour unless it’s completely necessary. I promise never to ask you to bloom yeast. I promise to always give you weights of flour. I promise never to ask you to knead dough unless it serves some purpose.
I promise. I promise. I promise.
PS: Foolproof Homemade Bialys: A Step by Step Guide
How to Make Brioche Buns, Step by Step
The recipe included below is similar in makeup to the light brioche bun I once loved — there’s a little milk, a little butter, a little egg — but the method is simpler: in sum, it follows the Bread Toast Crumbs no-knead method.
Instant Yeast vs. Active Dry Yeast
In nearly every bread recipe on this site, I call for using instant yeast, SAF being my preference. The reason for this is because with instant yeast, you do not need to proof it — you simply stir it into the flour and salt or other dry ingredients just as you would baking soda or baking powder. Instant yeast makes bread baking so much easier and faster. If you can only find active-dry yeast, however, here’s what you do:
How to Proof Yeast
In general, proofing yeast simply requires sprinkling the active-dry yeast over the lukewarm water with a little bit of the sugar, letting it rest for 10-15 minutes or until the yeast gets foamy; then proceeding with the recipe. In this recipe, this is what you’ll do:
Whisk the egg with the water. Add the heated milk-butter mixture. Stir to combine. The mixture should be lukewarm to the touch. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for 15 minutes or until it gets foamy; then proceed with the recipe.
Mix the Brioche Dough
Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast). I cannot recommend enough using a digital scale to measure the flour. Volume measurements simply are not accurate.
Create a lukewarm liquid by whisking together a hot milk-butter mixture into a cold water-egg mixture. The combined liquids will be perfectly lukewarm — no need to take its temperature.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
No Knead to Knead
Mix with a spatula, stirring just until a sticky dough ball forms — no kneading necessary… save yourself the trouble! This is a high-hydration, wet dough. There is no need to knead it, which would require adding a lot more flour to the dough to make it manageable, which is what we don’t want. The high hydration dough makes for a light, airy crumb.
Place in a warm spot to rise (see the tip in the recipe box below for creating a warm spot to rise), and let rise till doubled.
Punch the dough down using two forks.
Portion the dough into 8 to 10 pieces.
Shape the Brioche Buns
Using flour as needed, shape each portion into a ball, using the pinky edges of your fingers to tuck the dough under and create tension. See video for guidance.
Let the Buns Rise
Depending on the time of year and the temperature of your kitchen, the second rise here will take more or less time. The buns likely won’t double in volume, but they’ll look considerably puffed and they’ll feel light to the touch.
Brush each bun with an egg wash.
Bake the Brioche Buns
Transfer the pan to the oven, and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the buns are evely golden.
Baking Timeline
You can make these rolls two ways:
- Mix the dough, let it rise for 2 to 3 hours, then shape and bake.
- Or you can mix the dough at night, store it in the refrigerator, and shape and bake in the morning.
I love the convenience of mixing dough at night and baking the following day, but you absolutely can mix and bake these the same day and get great results.
PS: No-Knead Thyme Dinner Rolls
PPS: Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
These brioche buns are perfect for burgers, pulled pork, and sandwiches of all kind, but I especially love them with Joanne Chang’s Famous Egg Sandwich from the Flour, Too cookbook:
You can sprinkle the buns with seeds or everything bagel seasoning, too:
The Best, Easiest No-Knead Brioche Buns
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 rolls
Description
If you have Bread Toast Crumbs, this is essentially 2/3 the light brioche recipe in the book with the sugar cut back by a bit more.
To create a warm spot for your bread to rise, turn your oven on for one minute, then shut it off. That brief blast of heat will create a cozy place for your bread to rise.
As always: for best results, use a digital scale to weigh the ingredients.
Water: Some people find this dough very wet and tricky to work with. If you live in a humid area, I would consider cutting some of the water back. If you are measuring with cups, hold 1/3 cup water. If you are using a scale, hold 75 g. You can always add the water back in when you are mixing if it seems dry. Reference the photos above and the video for how sticky/wet the dough should appear.
If using active dry yeast: Whisk the egg with the water. Add the heated milk-butter mixture. Stir to combine. The mixture should be lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for 15 minutes or until it gets foamy; then proceed with the recipe.
A Fun Variation: After brushing with the buns with the eggwash, sprinkle the buns with seeds or everything bagel seasoning.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (512 g) all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast, see notes above if using active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) sugar
- 1 1/3 cups (300 g) cold water, or less, see notes above
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup (78 g) milk
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) butter
- for the egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt, yeast, and sugar.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cold water and the egg.
- Heat the milk and butter together until the butter is melted. Pour this hot mixture into the cold water-egg mixture. The combined mixture should be perfectly lukewarm. Add it to the flour bowl and stir with a spatula till you have a sticky dough ball. Drizzle a teaspoon or two of olive oil over the dough and rub to coat — this prevents a crust from forming on the dough during the rising.
- Cover bowl and let rise in a warm area (see notes above) for 2 to 3 hours or until doubled. Alternatively, stick bowl in the fridge immediately and let it rise overnight or for 12 to 18 hours.
- Cover a work surface lightly with flour. Deflate dough, turn out onto work surface, and divide into 8 to 10 equal portions (use a scale and weigh each roll if you want perfectly even rolls: about 128 g each for 8 rolls and 102 g for 10 rolls). Using as much flour as necessary, roll each portion into a ball, and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan or two. I have an extra-large sheet pan (15x21x1) that I use to fit all 8 or 10 rolls on at once. (Note: If you refrigerate the dough, you can deflate it immediately after taking it out of the fridge … no need to let it come to room temperature first.)
- Let rise until the rolls puff and feel light to touch — 30-45 minutes roughly. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Brush rolls with egg wash. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden all around. Transfer rolls to wire rack to cool completely.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: French, American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
520 Comments on “The Best, Easiest No-Knead Brioche Buns”
Great recipe.
🍞🍞🍞🍞😍😍😍😍😍
Great recipe! Easy and fast enough for tonights burgers. Thanks for simplifying and streamlining your light brioche buns—this is perfect!
So happy to hear this, Brigitte 😍😍😍
I should have cut down the liquids given yesterday’s humidity, they were a little difficult to work with. That said, they tasted wonderful. Will whip up another batch tonight to shape for brats. Yum
So happy to hear this, Kari! It’s funny, I also find that depending on the time of year, the dough is wetter than others. I’m going to revisit this recipe soon and offer a range for the liquids. It’s a very wet dough, so even cutting back the liquid a little bit would not, I imagine, compromise the light texture.
Hi, Do you think this recipe would also work when baked in a loaf plan? (instead of individual buns?)
Absolutely!
How would you describe the difference in results between bread flour and all purpose?
A dough made with bread flour will be a little stiffer than a dough made with all-purpose flour, because bread flour absorbs more water. With this recipe, and with so many recipes on my site, because they are typically high-hydration, the difference in the finished product is nearly indiscernible.
Relatively simple and extremely tasty.
A word of warning – this is an EXTREMELY high hydration dough and it WILL be sticky after proofing. Like sourdough sticky. Seriously. It’s sticky.
I was unprepared for that and had to make the switch from “simple yeasted dough shaping” to “high-hydration stick-fest”; and, as a result, wound up handling my dough more than I otherwise would have; resulting in buns that were a bit denser than I’d like them to have been.
In the end, however, it didn’t matter much. They were perfect for turkey burgers and my family loved them. Plus, it’s tough to find a brioche that one can start at 1:00 PM and have it be ready for dinner, so that in itself was awesome.
I’ll just be more mentally prepared for high-hydration stick-fest next time….
I’m so glad this worked out in the end Santos! I definitely lean towards very high hydration doughs, whether it’s yeast or sourdough. The thing that’s crazy with this recipe is that depending on the time of year, the batter varies in consistency. The next time I make this, I’m going to try reducing tbe liquid to see if it might help make the user experience a little bit better without compromising the resulting buns. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Can’t wait to try this! Please be careful to stir the pot when melting butter with the milk and then take it off the heat right away, or just add the butter to the hot milk after you have taken it off the stove. I once saw an old Graham Kerr cooking show. He didn’t stir the milk/butter mixture and left it on the turned-off burner. The melted butter created a seal over the steaming milk and the whole thing exploded, scalding his face, ruining his clothes, and creating a huge dripping mess on the ceiling. He deliberately kept the mistake in the video (returning to film after showering) in order to warn his viewers not to do the same thing.
Mary this is terrifying! Thank you for the warning. I love Graham Kerr.
These turned out great! I did the overnight refrigerator rise, perfect for burgers!
Wonderful to har this, Jessica!
Hi,
Did you mix and refrigerate immediately ? Or let it rise for an hour or so at room temp then put the dough in the fridge ?
Yes! Mix dough, cover, and refrigerate. If you don’t have an airtight container, you might want to slick the dough with oil to prevent a thin crust from forming in the fridge.
I want to make half this recipe. I know what to do with everything but the egg. Should I add the yolk to the dough and use the white for the wash, use a whole egg in the dough, or somehow divide the egg to use half an egg in the dough? (I’m cooking for one and eight rolls are too many.)
Hi! Use 1 whole egg in the recipe… it won’t taste too eggy. Keep in mind: these freeze beautifully if you want to make the whole recipe.
Regarding the egg wash, make it as directed. Immediately stash leftover egg wash in the fridge. Do you make scrambled eggs? Or omelets? Add the leftover egg wash to the mix.
Great flavor. Super easy. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful to hear this, Carla!
OMG…what a horrendous mess!!! Like a rabid 3 year old with a bucket of wallpaper paste!! Never in my life has dough been so sticky (yes, I double checked the proportions ahead of time…AND withheld some liquid. I would have taken a selfie, but was afraid to gum up my phone…LOL.
Had to use at least another cup of flour to get the damn thing to stick together….the 8 “balls” (flat blobs) are resting now….will see what happens. Not holding out much hope.
Laurie, hi! Did you use a scale to measure the flour? What type of flour are you using?
These came out just like the picture, love it when that happens! Delicious and relatively simple. I would love for you to insta-demo Joanna Chang’s egg sandwich some time, so I can use these to up my breakfast game! 🙂
So wonderful to hear this!! I really need to do the egg sandie in Stories asap … will try! It’s such a fun one. So great to hear these turned out well 💕💕💕💕
Hello! I want to make these for burgers tonight but have no cow’s milk. Would it work with buttermilk, oatmaik, heavy cream or any combo of them? Thank you!
I would go for buttermilk!
Used AP flour, lower amt of water, exact weight measurements – everything came together without any issues. Topped eggwash with bagel seasoning – so tasty. Only issue was that the buns seemed “heavier” than the brioche buns I’ve had in the past – what could I have done wrong.
Hi Dmac! Question: how long did the first rise go? One thought is that maybe you could get away with using more water … More water = lighter dough. I offer a range of waters only bc some people have had issues with the dough being too wet. Do you think your dough would have been unmanageable if you had used the higher amount of water?
My first rise was 4 hours. I’ll try it again with more water and see how that goes. After I punch down the dough and I’m ready to make the balls, how much flour should I use?
I would just use as much flour as you need to prevent sticking to your hands and the board. You might also be able to get away with a shorter rise. When I do the warm-oven trick, my dough is ready in 2 hours.
It’s my first try to make brioche buns and they turned out nice. My whole family love them. Do you think can I use gluten-free bread flour instead of AP flour on this recipe?
Wonderful to hear this, Hana! I worry about this recipe being potentially very frustrating if you use gf flour … gf doughs are very hard to shape. You could give it a try, and if the shaping process is tortuous, you could bake the dough in a large loaf pan (10 x 5 inches) or 1 smaller loaf pan (8.5×4.5) and a few other smaller vessels.
Just took 2 focaccia’s out of oven…always the best! Want to try these buns over the weekend, can you suggest subs for butter and milk?? Can’t use those ingredients if we having hamburgers.. would almond milk and oil (or margarine) compromise the flavor? Love your book.
Wonderful to hear this, Joyce! I can’t say for sure because I’ve never tried, but I think almond milk (or simply water) and margarine are a great idea. Oil could possibly work, too, but I worry it will make the dough even wetter than it already is. If you want to use oil, I would use 2 tablespoons.
So glad you love the book… thank you 😍😍😍😍😍
Hi there! Is it fine to sub half & half or buttermilk (or heavy cream) for the milk? I only have oat milk on hand otherwise >.<
Absolutely! I would go for the buttermilk or 1/2 and 1/2. If you’re using a scale, I would just use 78 g of whichever liquid you choose.
All I have is active dry yeast can I use that instead of the instant yeast?
Yes! Combine the liquids. They should be perfectly lukewarm … test with your finger. Sprinkle the yeast over top. Let it stand 15 minutes or until it gets foamy. Then proceed with the recipe.
When you say liquids do you mean just combine the water and milk and then put the active yeast on or combine the melted butter, water, and milk together?
Hi JP! Sorry … this is confusing. I will edit now. I mean all of the “liquids”: water, egg, milk, butter.
Hi! I saw in one of your comments I could freeze the dough. Could you give me your best tips on that? Let it rise first, then shape into rolls, then freeze immediately? Or freeze after rising as rolls? I hope that makes sense. Thanks!
Freeze immediately after shaping the dough into rolls. I would freeze them on a sheet pan; then once they are solid, transfer them to a ziplock bag.
This recipe worked perfectly! The buns were light and fluffy. They were big so next time I will divide into ten instead of eight buns. I used all the water (had my AC on so I think my kitchen is not humid at all) and did the overnight refrigerator method. Thank you!
Wonderful to hear this, Suzy! Thanks so much for writing.
Do you think I could substitute some of the water for pineapple juice to make this sort of like a Hawaiian roll!?
Worth a shot!
Made these yesterday! So good! Thanks for such amazing, easy/user-friendly recipes! These got rave reviews from everyone who ate them (safer at home bubble group), and I’m attempting a half batch today for leftover burgers (hubby didn’t get a roll). Everyone thinks it’s amazing that I make bread from scratch – they have no idea how simple it is. I’m slowing making my way through your site, it’s awesome.
Oh Jessica, yay! So nice to hear this 😍😍😍 Enjoy those buns!!
Have you tried freezing these? Burgers for us are usually a last minute meal and that’s why I keep store bought buns in the freezer, but I am tempted by this recipe and the thought that I could reduce my plastic consumption by making my own rolls and freezing them (in reusable baggies that I already have).
Yes, they freeze beautifully! Let them cool; then transfer to an airtight bag. Freeze for as long as 3 months (maybe longer).
Thank you! Going to make them right now 🙂
Can oil be substituted for the butter?
I think you should cut the oil back a bit. Try 2 tablespoons. I worry 4 tablespoons will make the dough too wet.
Hi, I’ve NEVER cooked with yeast but I’m inspired to make your brioche rolls and peasant bread. I’d like to purchase the SAF instant yeast you recommend, https://www.amazon.com/Saf-Instant-Yeast-Pound-Pouch/dp/B082ZS726X/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&th=1, but I have no idea if the current price is a good one…$14 for 16oz package on Amazon? Is that normal or inflated because of the pandemic? Thoughts from an expert?
Hi Renee! That’s quite expensive unfortunately. I know Baker’s Authority sells SAF, but you’ll have to pay for shipping. It might be worth buying some flour, too, to make the shipping cost more worthwhile??
Hello. I have a flour question. I’ve switched to using einkorn flour for everything (I think you have an einkorn recipe in Bread Toast Crumbs) so I’m wondering if you think the 4 cup measurement would be the same for the einkorn? The brand of einkorn I use is 120 grams/cup, which is slightly less than your weight for regular all-purpose flour, but I know einkorn dough needs to be pretty sticky so the finished bread doesn’t end up being too dry. Thank you for this recipe and your insights.
Hi Wendy,
I have to confess I haven’t baked with einkorn flour in a long time, and my understanding is that each “brand” (not sure if that is the right word here) of Einkorn absorbs water differently and that in general einkorn flour absorbs water more slowly, so it’s important to refrain from adding additional flour initially if the mixture looks too wet. This is a very wet, sticky dough, however, so part of me feels it might be just fine.
I’m torn Wendy! It might be the kind of thing you just have to try once and then adapt depending on how the buns turn out. If the buns are dry; next time add more water. If the buns are too hard to shape, use less water. I did find this link that might be helpful: https://jovialfoods.com/einkorn-baking-tips/
Thank you. I’m being kind of “cheap” with my flour usage these days because it’s not currently available, but after the shortage is over I’ll give it a try and let you know.
I hear you 😍
I’m happy to share einkorn success with your brioche recipe. My first attempt was just a flour substitution, but the dough was VERY sticky and difficult to work with. Then I looked at an egg bread recipe on the Jovial web site and modified the brioche ingredients to provide the same volume of liquid for 4 cups of all-purpose einkorn flour. SUCCESS!!! For 4 cups of all-purpose einkorn flour (480 g) I reduced the water to 1 cup and the milk to 1/3 cup and left everything else the same. The same changes can be used for your Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Buns: for 3 cups of all-purpose einkorn flour (360 g) reduce water to 3/4 cup and milk to 3 tablespoons and leave everything else the same.
Wendy, amazing!! So great to hear this. And thank you SO much for taking the time to write and to share all of this — it’s so helpful for others.
Oops…for 4 cups of all-purpose einkorn flour, reduce the milk to 1/4 cup. The amount of milk for 3 cups of all-purpose einkorn flour is correct. Apologies for my typo. I don’t want anyone to be confused or disappointed if they try the substitution.
Thanks so much for clarifying, Wendy! This is so helpful. Can’t wait to try it.
May I use stoneground whole wheat flour instead of AP flour? Thanks!
Hi Kevin, you can try, but I worry the buns are going to be very dense. Have you made other breads with this particular stoneground whole wheat flour?
Wow!! Who knew you could make the best brioche buns (for burgers in my case) so quickly and easily? I made two for our Wagyu burger today (husband and I), it took so little time, everything went smoothly (I just divided the quantities by 4, and to get the right proportions used some very accurate scales and even drug scales for the yeast). The video was so helpful and also lovely to watch as you are so deft and precise, it was inspiring. Please, anyone out there surfing the web for homemade brioche buns for burgers, sandwiches or anything similar, do not look further, this is the best kept secret brioche bun recipe, get baking! I know I am raving but this is one of those rare moments in life when I can’t hold back! Thank you Alexandra for sharing the recipe and your know-how!
Oh my goodness, Marie-France! Thank you so much for all of this. I love that you successfully scaled this back to yield a smaller number of buns … brilliant! I’m so happy you loved the buns. Thanks so much for writing 💕💕💕
Good morning from Florida! I absolutely love your recipes for bread,rolls,challah,etc. etc.
I have been making one recipe a weekend. I also have had problems getting my King Arthur flour. No bread flour anywhere is to be found. Today I’m experimenting with the brioche recipe and used partial spelt and rye along with all purpose. I also treated myself and ordered the cotton cover for my bread bowl that you had the link posted. Of course my husband has requested the overnight cinnamon rolls AGAIN! A segment of the CBS morning show today featured bread making and how it has skyrocketed during these Covid stay at home times. Bread =home=comfort. Thanks for videos as well. I have been recommending your site to my family and friends. I ordered a pound of yeast on Amazon so I’ll be making a lot of bread in days to come as long as I can find flour. 🙂
Sandy
So nice to hear all of this Sandra! I’m so glad you treated yourself to a cloth bowl cover. Truly, it is my favorite kitchen item. It just makes me happy. And yes, the interest in bread these past few months is kind of mind-blowing. I have never done more bread troubleshooting in my life 🙂 I hope the spelt-rye-ap flour brioche buns turn out well! Thank you for the kind words. Means a lot 🙂 🙂 🙂
My hubby loves sandwiches on soft squishy buns. This recipe works to satisfy both of us. I like the idea of a long slow overnight rise in the fridge. Totally a winner in my book.
Wonderful to hear this, RJK! 😍
Hi Alexandra.
This recipe looks delish. I was wondering if it might also work with spelt flour, be it wholemeal, white or a mixture of the two.
Thanks
I think it should be fine, Marco! You may find the rolls to be a little bit denser due to the wholemeal, but it should work.
I made this recipe on Saturday and it was so easy to follow and the Buns came out great. I used them to make Chicken sandwiches. I also shared the recipe with a friend.
Wonderful to hear this, Cheryl!
Hi Alexandra — what % milk are you using? I have 1%, and I also have half and half. Thanks!
I use 2% because that’s what we have on hand, but 1% is absolutely fine!