when you think bun, think brioche bun
Have you been paying attention to the developments in the burger world?
If so, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed the burger revolution of sorts that has taken place over the past several years. Long gone are the days where burgers were relegated exclusively to the domain of diners, sports bars, and other blue-collar-type establishments. Nowadays, no restaurant that knows what it’s doing opens without a gourmet-style burger on its menu. And more often than not, it seems as if brioche is the bun of choice.
And that choice happens to be excellent.
Here at bakerly, we get it. We have “savoir faire.” Our brioche bread buns are fancy, with a french name (of course) and shiny egg-washed top. They’re soft and easy to bite into, not to mention “a kobe-brisket blend topped with English aged cheddar and tomato-bacon jam on a brioche bun” sounds a lot better than ” a kobe-brisket blend topped with English aged cheddar and tomato-bacon jam on a white bun” (although both sound pretty delicious, the brioche bun still sets the two apart). For a bun that gets the job done with an added touch of flash, brioche is the way to go.
brioche buns are good for two simple reasons
To start, brioche bread buns are buttery and eggy and work well in both sweet applications and savory ones. They are also a tad sweet. In France, brioche is considered a viennoiserie, which means it is in the same category as other favorite breads like croissants and danishes. It’s made with butter, eggs, and milk, which makes it softer, moister, and richer than almost all other breads.
The second and arguably most crucial aspect of brioche is that it remains sturdy enough to support a half-pound saucer of grilled ground beef, fried fish, portobello mushroom, or whatever protein you choose. At the same time, it’s fundamentally delicate enough to catch all the excess juices thanks to its light and airy consistency. A good burger releases a good amount of juice, and a brioche bread bun jumps into action and performs like a sponge to keep all of those essential juices from running down yours arms or onto the plate.
When all is said and done, the ideal burger bun must meet a few important criteria.
The bun must be strong enough to withstand the patty without being too hard. It must be soft enough to bite through without falling apart. Its flavor must be mild enough to keep it from overtaking the other flavors in the burger. It must be big enough to encompass the burger without altering the desired bread-burger ratio. With all the different kinds of buns on the market, plenty fall short of such ideal specifications.
There is one bun that is able to rise to the challenge, however, and that bun is brioche! When it comes down to it, stick with a bun that can pass the test. Stick to brioche.
Have you tried a brioche bun on your burger? If so, we’d love to hear what you thought of it! The classic burger for a classic brioche lover is the best way for you to try it out!
I actually prefer the basic sesame seeded bap. I find brioche buns tend to break down more easily and are slightly greasy meaning you need to wash your hands after – not possible when eating outside.
When I have made burgers in the past, I could never get them to taste like the ones in burger outlets. I read somewhere advising to try brioche burger buns. They made all the difference, tasting like the real thing.