Published: May 2, 2020 by Laura Arteaga

Vegan Brioche Burger Buns

Our delicious Vegan Brioche Burger Buns are so fluffy and soft that you can make them for friends and family, and they won't notice the difference from the classic Brioche Buns.

The first time we looked into making Brioche Burger Buns we got a bit sad seeing so many dairy ingredients. Sometimes replacing those "essential" ingredients don't give you the same results. This one was definitely a bit tricky. Lucky for you, after many tries and failures, we have perfected this recipe!

During these last years, restaurants serving delicious Gourmet Burgers have been expanding all over the globe. During quarantine, with restaurants having to shut down temporarily, people have been creating this gourmet burger at home. We got inspired by our favourite burgers joints here in Mallorca, Spain where we live: Raimundo and Badal Burger. Both serving vegan options, they are a must at least once a month!

Tangzhong

The first thing you want for your brioche buns is for them to be soft. With this Japanese technique called Tangzhong, your buns will be softer but they will also rise faster, be easier to knead, be moister and last good for longer.

What is the Tangzhong Technique?

Basically, this technique consists of cooking a small percentage of the total flour and milk (from 5% to 10%), creating a kind of paste before combining it with the rest of the ingredients.

To make these perfect vegan buns, you will need vegan butter, fresh or dried yeast, flour, dairy-free milk, sugar, salt and water. To substitute the egg wash that gives the buns a glossy look, we use maple syrup and milk.

Let's get technical

In the world of bread making, you will see the hydration level mentioned a lot. This is basically the percentage of liquid to flour in your mix/dough. The higher the hydration level (70-80%) the wetter and stickier the dough will be. The amount of liquid in your dough will affect the final result of the bread. The higher the water content, the bigger the air pockets in the crumb. These buns have a 73% hydration level. Once you get more comfortable making bread you can test different ratios but for now, you don't need to worry about that and can follow our recipe.

Make sure you prepare the brioche buns in advanced, as they need a total of 2 hours rise time. We normally prepare them during the morning, to have them for dinner. From our recipe, you get 8 medium-size buns or 6 larger buns. You can always freeze the buns and they will taste just as good. Before your next burger night, let them thaw out for a few hours, then toast the insides in a pan or under the grill/broiler.

Tips

If this is your first time making brioche buns, the mixture may seem too wet and sticky. Don't panic, it's the right way to go. If you are kneading the mixture by hand you will need a good 15 minutes. If you are using a kitchen aid, 10 minutes should be enough.
To remove any sticky dough from your hands, take a pinch of flour and rub your hands together.
The milk should be loop warm, but make sure that you don't overheat it otherwise it could "kill" the yeast.

Complete your Burger night

Check our Easy Vegan Burgers. Prepare them in 20 minutes, cook (even grill) and enjoy! These burgers are delicious and the perfect option to go with the brioche burger buns.
As a side dish, try our Lemon and Rosemary Potato Wedges or for a fresher option, our Vegan Coleslaw.

About Laura Arteaga

I'm Laura, originally from Mallorca, Spain. My culinary journey began at 21, and despite my background in Economics, cooking stole my heart. I am now a full time writer and food blogger. My food philosophy is simple: "Eat more real food." Through my writing and recipes, I want to inspire people to transition to a plant-based life style, to eat more vegetarian food, or simply to try new recipes in the comfort of their homes.