Brioche is that yummy soft, slightly sweet bread that is perfect for breakfast, used for burger buns, you can make it as a loaf and slice it like a traditional bread.

It’s one of my favourite breakfast items, and especially when it comes with chocolate chips - because why wouldn’t you want chocolate for breakfast.

This brioche recipe gives you the perfect muffin shaped buns, for breakfast and snacking on.

I wouldn’t recommend this shape for burgers obviously nor would I add the chocolate chips for this use. But you could easily adapt this recipe to not use a muffin tin and not add the chocolate chips if you were looking to make burgers.

This recipe is an overnight proof so it gives anyone who is new to making brioche a better chance of success, as it’ll help the rise.

I do recommend making this later in the day so that you can leave it in the fridge overnight and it’s not going to over proof, then take it out the next morning for shaping and the second proof.

The baked buns will keep in an air-tight container for 2-3 days as with most breads. Or you can freeze then after baking and they’ll keep for several months.

If you freeze then, just defrost them throughly and gently warm them in the over once defrosted at 180C for 5 minutes.

Ingredients 

485g strong white bread flour

7g salt

7g instant yeast

50g caster sugar

135g full fat milk

5 medium eggs

250g unsalted butter

200g dark chocolate chips

Prep time: 10.5 hours | Bake time: 20 minutes

Makes 10-12 buns

Method

Step 1

Put the flour into a bowl of a stand mixer, using a dough hook. Add the sugar and salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other side of the bowl. 

Step 2

Heat the milk in a microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up. Add the milk and eggs to the flour and mix on a slow speed (2 on a kitchenaid), for 2 minutes. 

Step 3

After 2 minutes, increase the mixer to a medium speed (4 on a kitchenaid) and mix for another 8 minutes. 

Step 4

While the dough continues to be mixed, cut the butter so that you have smaller pieces, and heat in microwave for 30 seconds at 15 second intervals. You want the butter to be soft but not melted. 

Step 5

After your dough has been kneading for the additional 8 minutes add the softened butter to the dough and continue on a medium speed for another 4 minutes. 

Step 6

Add the chocolate chops and continue to let the dough mix for another minute to incorporate the chocolate chips. 

Step 7

Tip the dough into a larger bowl or container, and cover with cling film. Pop the dough in the fridge and leave to proof overnight (at least 7 hours). 

Step 8

Grease a muffin tin so that you leave a space between each gap so the dough has room to expand. I use sunflower oil spray to grease my tin, as i find it’s easiest. 

Step 9

Take the brioche dough from the fridge and tip it onto a lightly floured workspace.

Fold the dough into itself 3-4 times to knock the air out.

Step 10

Divide the dough into 10-12 pieces, if you want bigger brioche buns divide it into 10 if you want smaller ones, divide into 12. The dough will rise further in the second proof and in the oven.

Step 11

Take each piece of dough, and encase it in your hand and roll it around on the workspace in small circular motions to create a small ball. 

Step 12

Place each ball into the greased muffin tin spaces and pop each muffin tin in a clean plastic bag, allowing the air to bubble in the bag so that the bag doesnt touch the dough.

Leave in a warn room to proof for a further 2-3 hours 

Step 13

After about 2.5 hours, pre-heat your oven to 190oC 

Step 14

Separate an egg so that you only have the egg yolk, whisk it slightly with a fork.

Step 15

Remove your muffin tins from the bags and lightly glaze the tops of your brioche with the egg yolk

Bake the brioche buns for 20 minutes

Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly in the tin and then transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely 

Enjoy! x