Brioche Hamburger Buns

1. Stage

Make the sponge: In a small bowl, whisk the yeast and flour together. Add the water and whisk gently until blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the sponge rise at room temperature for 45 minutes

2. Stage

Make the dough: Add the sponge to the mixer bowl and beat with the paddle attachment over medium speed. Add in the eggs, one at a time, incorporating them into the dough. Stop and scrape down the bowl as necessary. Beat in 1 3/4 cups of the flour, the sugar, and salt. The dough will be sticky with a consistency of thick cake batter.

3. Stage

Knead the dough: Switch to the dough hook and with the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 2 cups of flour in 1/2 cup increments. When all of the flour has been incorporated, knead for 8 minutes on medium-low speed, stopping to scrape the down the dough hook occasionally. The dough will be firm but still on the sticky side.

4. Stage

Add the butter: Let the dough rest for 10 minutes before incorporating the butter. (This allows the gluten to relax and makes incorporating the butter easier.) With the mixer running on medium and the dough hook still attached, add the butter to the dough 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait until the butter has been fully incorporated before adding the next tablespoon. After the final tablespoon has been added and incorporated into the dough, continue to knead for an additional 5 minutes. Once the butter has been thoroughly absorbed, the dough will be soft and sticky. Scrape it into a clean bowl, shaping it loosely into a ball.

5. Stage

Let the dough rise at room temperature: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

6. Stage

Let the dough rise in the refrigerator: Press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the dough and let rise in the refrigerator overnight (8 to 12 hours).

7. Stage

Shape the buns: On a floured board, turn out the cold dough and press it into a flat circle that’s about 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. If you have a scale, weigh your dough (whole) and divide it by 8 to determine the weight of each bun so they will all be of equal size. Hold a piece of dough in one hand and draw the edges in toward the center to form a ball. The dough will be quite soft and will not seem stretchy. Place a dough ball on the board with the smooth side on top. Cup your fingers on one side of the roll and move it in a circular motion, drawing your cupped hand towards your thumb and using the friction on the board to shape it into a ball. Repeat with remaining rolls. You should not need to re-flour the board. You want a little stickiness to help you shape the balls.

8. Stage

Final shaping and rise: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the balls of dough 3 inches apart on the baking sheet and press them flat so they are about 3 1/2 inches across. Cover the dough balls with a lightweight dish towel and let rise until puffy and almost doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

9. Stage

Preheat the oven: Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.

10. Stage

Brush with egg wash: In a small bowl, beat the egg and 1 tablespoon of water with a fork until thoroughly combined. Using a light touch to keep from deflating the dough, use a pastry brush to brush the rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.

11. Stage

Bake the bread: Bake the rolls for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, sounds slightly hollow when tapped and reaches an internal temperature of 190°F. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool. Slice and use for your favorite burgers, sandwiches, and salads.