My Gluten Free Brioche Buns are as soft as you can imagine, or even softer! They're buttery and light and perfect for sandwiches and burgers or hot dogs.
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If you've been around my blog for a while, you know I LOVE to reuse many of my recipes for multiple things. It's a good practice to get into. For instance, most bakeries don't make several different batches of muffin batter. They make one large batch of muffin batter and then divide it and add the flavors to each individual bowl. It makes production go by much faster and saves money as well.
The same applies for bread doughs. I took a class on Craftsy from the Breadmeister himself, Peter Reinhart. In the class, he teaches that you can (and SHOULD) make multiple different types of bread from one dough. So when I was looking for yet another bun to add to my collection, what perfect dough to use than my gluten free brioche dough? It's soft, light, and so buttery and flavorful and would be a wonderful foil to any sandwich or burger (or hotdog for that matter)!
ingredients you'll need to make brioche buns
- Kim's Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend - there really is no substitute for my bread flour blend. Once you try it, you'll understand why so many people around the world love it.
- Egg and egg yolks - egg yolks are the "magic" ingredient that make these buns extra soft. They cannot be replaced.
- Sugar - sugar plays more than just a sweetener role. Its most important role is that of tenderizer. Without it, these buns won't be quite as tender.
- Butter - butter is what brioche is known for. It makes for a rich, tender, and soft bun.
let's make and shape some buns
Make the dough. Add all of the dough ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix using your dough hook (or the beater blade) for 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Scrape into the center of the bowl, cover the bowl, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. The dough will slow proof in the fridge, so fridge time includes both proofing and chilling (bonus!).
Shape the buns or rolls. Divide the dough into equal pieces. You can use a scale for this and scale them out to around 2-3 ounces each (my preference is 2.5 as the perfect sized bun). For round buns (like for burger buns), fold the dough corners over into the center and pinch the ends. Flip the pinched end down and roll between your cupped hand and an unfloured surface to "tighten" the surface of the bun. For long buns, such as for hotdogs, roll dough into a rope about 6 inches long.
Proof buns. Place buns on parchment-lined baking sheets. For round buns, space about two inches apart. For hotdog style buns that tear apart and are soft-sided, place about ½-inch apart. They will rise into each other so that the sides are touching. Cover and allow to proof until nearly doubled in size, 30-45 minutes.
Egg wash and bake. Brush rolls with an egg wash and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed significantly. Buns should bounce back when touched lightly. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with melted butter.
Prefer to Watch?
Brioche Buns FAQs
Brioche buns are made with more enrichments than other bun recipes. There's more butter and more eggs and egg yolks for a richer, but softer roll.
Yes! After brushing with an egg wash, sprinkle on your choice of toppings, such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, or even flake salt (I LOVE salt to tame the sweetness of the buns).
These buns will stay soft for DAYS! I've made them up to 5 days in advance with still soft results! However, because there are no preservatives, they will need to be frozen for longer storage to avoid mold.
WHY IS THIS RECIPE IN GRAMS ONLY?
I now post all of my bread recipes in grams as it is THE MOST ACCURATE WAY TO BAKE. Volume measurements (cups) are not only inaccurate, but they vary worldwide. There is no way to provide one cup measure that works for everyone in the world. Using weight measurements fixes this problem. I found myself spending WAY TOO MUCH time troubleshooting bread baking problems with readers only to find they didn't weigh their ingredients. As soon as they started weighing their ingredients, the recipes worked perfectly.
If you need to convert a recipe to cups, you are more than welcome to do so via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you. I know change can be difficult, but I'm American and once I tried using a scale for the first time, I never looked back. Baking with a scale is EASY, accurate, and uses way less dishes! That right there should convince ya! Plus, if you are using my bread flour blend (as you should be for any of my bread recipes) you cannot make it without using a scale. So do yourself a favor and keep the scale out for making any of the breads on my blog. Ideally, I'd love to convert ALL of my recipes to grams, but...baby steps. Gluten free breads are notorious for being challenging, so if I can reduce the number of questions I get on just bread alone, it would free up more time for me to do what I love...provide you with many more gluten free recipes!
What can I do with the leftover egg whites?
Don't trash those 6 egg whites you'll have leftover! There are plenty of things to do with them. While you can place them in mason jars and freeze them (make sure to leave enough room for expansion), here are more options for your egg white overload:
- Pavlova
- Easy Gluten Free Angel Food Cake
- Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pie
- Gluten Free Maple Walnut Blondies
- Gluten Free Coconut Cake Recipe
- Gluten Free Hi Hat Cupcakes Recipe
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Gluten Free Funfetti Cake
more gluten free bun and roll recipes
- Gluten Free Potato Buns
- Gluten Free Conchas
- Gluten Free Brioche au Chocolat
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Gluten Free Crusty French Rolls
- Gluten Free Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns
- Pillowy Soft Gluten Free Dinner Rolls
- Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns
- Gluten Free Hawaiian Rolls
- Gluten Free Kolaches
For the softest, most buttery buns ever, these Gluten Free Brioche Buns will BLOW YOU AWAY!! Serve them on their own or as hamburger, hot dog, or sandwich buns.
Gluten Free Brioche Buns
Ingredients
- 240 grams whole milk (a dairy-free milk may be substituted)
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 12 grams instant yeast
- 5 grams whole psyllium husks (3 grams of psyllium husk powder may be substituted)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 85 grams butter, softened
- 245 grams Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
- 5 grams baking powder
- 3 grams kosher salt
- 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk or water (for brushing)
- 14 grams butter, melted (for brushing)
- sesame seeds or poppy seeds, optional (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients, except for the egg wash, butter, and seeds into the bowl of a stand mixer in the order in which they are listed. Using the dough hook OR beater blade, mix on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Scrape into the middle of the bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least six hours.
- Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator and knead it on a well-floured surface until smooth (the dough is on the stickier side, so it's okay to use extra flour). Divide dough into 2.5-3 ounce pieces (70-85 grams) and shape into round or hot dog buns.
- For round buns, place about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. For soft-sided (tear apart) hot dog buns, place about ½-inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. They will rise into each other and be soft on the sides. Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until nearly doubled in size, 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. When buns have finished proofing, brush them with an egg wash and, if desired, sprinkle them with seeds or kosher salt. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.
- While still warm, brush with melted butter. Serve warm or at room temperature. They can also be toasted.
Lisa K Hutchinson says
These buns turned out perfect! I'm going to use them for Brioche con Gelato and stuff them with Hazelnut gelato.
Can I reduce the sugar? They are quite sweet for a savoury meal like Hamburgers etc
Kim says
You could try, but the sugar is also there for tenderness of the buns, not just for sweetness. If you reduce the sugar, you might lose some of that lovely soft, springy texture.
Teresa says
These will cost at least $6.50 to make April 2025
Pamela Franklin says
Can I make a loaf of bread instead of buns with the brioche?
If so, what would be the baking time? And the raise time be any different?
Thanks! Pam
Kim says
Yes! I have a recipe specifically meant for a loaf of bread. Here's the link: https://www.letthemeatgfcake.com/soft-and-buttery-gluten-free-brioche/
Tiffany says
This recipe had a good flavor. They came out beautiful. I did end up using the psyllium husk. I'm not sure if they were supposed to fall apart very easily though. Lol Im sorry I made them before you got back to me. Where can we post pictures of them.
Kim says
You can tag me on instagram at @letthemeatglutenfreecake 🙂
Tiffany says
Do I need to do the instant yeast, sugar and milk together like normal to activate the yeast or do I just put it straight into the mixing bowl. I am also using the gluten free wheat flour. I don't know if that makes any difference.
Kim says
I don't understand what you mean by "gluten free wheat flour"??? Is there such a thing? All of my recipes are written for use with my gluten free bread flour blend, so I can't speak to the results you'll get with this type of flour.
You do not need to activate the yeast because it's instant yeast. It can be added directly to the bowl with the rest of the rest of the ingredients.
Tiffany says
Well I guess it's wheat starch. Antimo Caputo Gluten Free All Natural Multi Purpose Flour & Starch Blend for Baking Pizza, Bread, & Pasta. It also has psyllium seed fiber in it already so I'm not sure if I need the psyllium husk. But I can try a batch with the extra psyllium husk in it and one without. Also thank you so much for answering my questions in advance.
Kim says
Oh, Caputo's! Gotcha!! I actually think Caputo's might work with my recipes. I haven't tried it myself, but I would like to experiment one of these days. I would definitely avoid adding the psyllium husks in my recipe, then. You'll need to reduce the milk content by 1/4 cup (60g).
Kelly Hayes says
Hi Tiffany (and Kim),
Tiffany, how did the buns turn out using Caputo? That flour is my go-to and I plan on making these buns tomorrow. I’ve noted cutting back the milk re: the psyllium already in Caputo (thanks Kim!) .
I may get some psyllium and do 1/2 batch with Caputo and 1/2 batch with Kim’s flour.
Kim, is your bench flour the same flour mix as the rolls? I often use corn flour as it adds extra colour and really helps dough not to stick so much. I find the Caputo flour absorbs in too fast. Would love to know what you use. Thanks.
Kim says
I always use whatever flour is in the dough as my bench flour, so in this it would be my bread flour blend.
Ernie says
Can the way from Macon ricotta cheese be used in place of the way protein isolate? I know it would be liquid instead of powder.
Kim says
If you can find a way to do the math, then it may work, but I don't know.
Touleke Stewart says
I make a lot of your recipes but I made these for the first time today. Absolutely amazing! Definitely my one and only GF burger and hotdog bun recipe to use now!
Kim says
Yay!!!
Rima says
Any idea why the buns deflated few seconds after removing them from the oven? 😔
Kim says
It's possible you didn't bake them long enough, or they could have been under or over proofed. Did you use my flour blend?
Karen Johnson says
A friend of mine has celiac and occasionally she comes for dinner. So I don't need as much as your GF flour recipe makes. Is it possible to use a 1:1 flour like King Arthur's? If not, I've read your comments about rice flour. Is there a brand you would recommend?
THanks,
Kim says
The only one that might work as a substitute would be the new King Arthur bread flour blend, which actually includes wheat starch (supposed to be safe for celiacs). I would not suggest using King Arthur's regular 1:1 blend.
If you go with my flour blend, the brands that I recommend are listed on the flour blends recipe page (they are clickable links to where to buy them).
Kevin says
Some super helpful tips in the video! I definitely learned something new about adding salt to egg washes (which worked beautifully!). Just a quick mention that there’s a discrepancy in the cook times between video and web page. Video says 16-18min, site says 18-20min.
Milleah Espino says
Seriously so good! Best gluten free bun recipe, by far!
Kim says
Awe, thank you so much!!!!
Stephanie says
Wow! While I’ve been cooking for decades, I’m new to GF cooking/baking and it has been frustrating to say the least. These are absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes using your flour blend. Thank you!!
Kim says
Awe, I'm so glad you like them! Thank you so much 🥰
Shannon Denbow says
Oh My Gracious!!!!! These are absolutely amazing. I will say this was a dual effort with my daughter and me. She started and then had to leave. I forgot about them and so it sat for awhile, with the yeast in it.. so when I remembered, it was quite bubbly. lol. I thought oh well, I’ll continue. Then I put in the fridge overnight. My husband woke up the next morning to dough everywhere. It was quite a comical mess. So we pulled it out… started rolling into balls to bake it but we had to add quite a bit of the all purpose flour. But to taste them, was magical! Worth every bit of time and effort. We had left overs because it was just the 2 of us and I ate a couple every day (I love bread) and they were still amazing. Love this !!!!! Excited to try all of the other bread recipes !!!!
Kim says
Hilarious! It is a very active dough, that's for sure. I'm sorry you had a mess to clean, but I'm so glad you liked the final result 🙂
Lloyd Landers says
Thank you for all your posts the information is great. I have tried to make this bread 4 times now and I just can not get it to rise properly. Most of the time the dough is very sticky. A little wetter then sour dough. I am not sure if the alitude plays a part. I am 3,428 feet. I know some recipes call for added flour at higher alitudes. I do get a dence product. The sort you get with under or over proofing. My last batch was 4 oz buns ( bread bowl). They rose a little over an inch and a half. I would really like to get this right so any help would be very appreciated.
My thanks
Kim says
I'm so sorry you're having problems, Lloyd. I live at sea level, but I know there are different things that can be done to fix your problem. Check out this article here: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking Hopefully that will help!
JoAnn says
I made your Brioche recipe. Thank you for sharing this. They were absolutely perfect.
Im going to save this recipe and make them again .
Alissa Probst says
Hey Kim! I absolutely love your Pillowy Soft Gluten Free Dinner Rolls, I made a batch yesterday. I just came across these brioche rolls today, which also look amazing. If you had to choose, which recipe would you make for Thanksgiving? 🙂
Kim says
Hi, Alissa! I love all of them, but honestly my go to for Thanksgiving always seems to be my Hawaiian rolls. They're loved by everyone and work well as slider buns for making sandwiches with some of the turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy (a thing for some of my family members).
Dina says
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but I've attempted these twice now (once in a humid climate at sea level, and once at altitude in a dry climate) and both times there was no way I'd be able to knead this recipe. It was way too sticky and wet, more like a batter than a dough. It still turned out delicious and I just pivoted and scooped the "batter" into muffin tins, but I'd love to know if there's a reason this might be happening.
Kim says
What rice flour are you using in the flour blend? That is usually the culprit. If the rice flour is not superfine or ultrafine and is gritty (Bob's Red Mill is gritty), it will not be able to soak up enough of the liquid in the recipe, causing a very sticky dough.
Dina says
Good to know. I specifically didn't use bobs red mill because I've heard it's not fine enough, but I think it was still probably too coarse. I only made up a single batch of the flour so I will try to find a more fine one for next time. Thanks for the tip!
James Tamulen says
Kim,
Been GF for 50+ years and best rolls ever. Glad I went with your scale recomendation. Made it so easy. Saw the recipe for the dinner rolls and will make a batch to sample in preperation for Thanksgiving.
Kim says
That's awesome, James! So glad you liked them 🥰
Stephanie Grace Pepper says
Hi Kim,
These look awesome. I am having an Autumn Happy Harvest tea party.
I am planning to serve sandwiches with a Chicken Wild Rice soup and these would be beautiful for that. Any idea if coconut sugar can replace granulated sugar? Thanks.
Kim says
I'm not sure, Stephanie. I haven't worked with any sugar substitutes, so unfortunately I don't have an answer for you. I'm so sorry.
Dot says
Excellent!
Jill Barker says
Hi Kim…I just made these and they’re amazing! I wanted to make lobster rolls for the family and didn’t want to miss out and now I won’t have to! Don’t even get me started on the crappy gf buns anywhere while on the road! I weighed them to 2.5 oz but I would like them a little bigger for hamburger buns. Is it a problem to make them more like 3.0-3.5 for hamburger buns? Will the cooking time etc be the same. This is my first attempt at baking bead! Thank you!
Kim says
So glad you like them, Jill! It doesn't matter what size you make them, but it might alter the baking time. I would start checking at the original baking time and then, if still not done, 5 more minutes on and check again. Hope they turn out 🙂
Amada says
Can I add more sugar to make this into a sweet brioche bun?
Nosheen Ausaf Kidwai says
Hi Kim,
Made these and they turned out great!
Thanks for sharing another great recipe.
Love,
Nosheen
Karachi, Pakistan
Mindy says
Can active dry yeast be substituted for the instant yeast?
Kim says
Yes, but you'll need to activate first in some of the liquid from the recipe.
Jonathan Mendelsohn says
I don’t know what i did wrong but they came out overly yeasty tasting. I used a tablespoon but maybe that was too much.
Devan says
Super soft and delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Jill Smith says
Do you have a Gluten-free cookbook with your awesome recipes?
Kim says
Not yet, Jill. I would love to one day, just trying to find the time. I'm hoping to create a few ebooks in the meantime, though!
Frank says
Your bio says you're from the US. Why use grams? Cups and ounces and teaspoons still work pretty good on this side of the Atlantic.
Kim says
This is in the notes of the recipe: "WHY I ONLY OFFER THIS RECIPE IN GRAMS: When it comes to gluten free bread baking, or any baking for that matter, it is really essential to have the proper measurements for each ingredient. The only way to assure this is by weight and not volume. One person's cup measurement could be a little different than another person's. By weighing ingredients, every person will always get the same exact ingredient amounts, which makes for better baking overall and easier troubleshooting if something goes wrong." You wouldn't BELIEVE the time I spend on troubleshooting to help someone who is having problems, most of the time to find that someone didn't weigh their ingredients. Yes, I'm from the US, but that doesn't mean I HAVE to use cups just because that's the way we've been doing it for years. As soon as I got a (very inexpensive) scale and saw how easy it was to use and how accurate my baking was, I never looked back. I would much rather spend my time working on great gluten free recipes than trying to fix a problem for someone that could have been fixed simply by using a scale.
Dino says
What can i use to substitute for eggs on all your recipes
Kim says
I'm sorry, I'm not that knowledgeable of egg substitutes. I don't think an egg substitute would work for this recipe, however.
Marcy says
My husband absolutely flipped over these brioche buns! We made cheeseburgers with them, and he said it was the best he’d ever had, and he can eat gluten. He even made himself another one the next day. I loved them, too, but noticed they look a bit flatter than yours. The dough was very, very soft, to the point of sticking to my hands. Do you think even more flour when kneading would help, or is it more likely under or over proofing?
Thanks for your help!
Kim says
It could be under or overproofing, but adding a little more flour won't hurt it. Make sure the dough is cold when working with it as that really helps with the stickiness too 🥰
Betts Passmore says
I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I plan to.
My question is can I let it rest in the fridge over night?
Patricia Lien says
I left my dough in the fridge overnight and it was fine. I believe that enriched dough-dough with milk or eggs can be refrigerated up to three days before baking.
My family LOVES these!
Patrick says
I am going to try making this gluten-free brioche bun. I am allergic to dairy products and eggs.
I see that you can replace the butter and milk with dairy-free options.
My problem is with the 6 egg yolks and 1 (does this mean 7 egg yolks?). What can I replace those with? Would Psyllium husk be OK? If so, in what quantity?
Kim says
I'm sorry, there really is no substitute for the eggs that I know of.