These Sweet Brioche Buns are filled in the center with a sweet cream cheese and then topped with a zesty lemon curd after baking, making them a delicious treat for breakfast or dessert.
Have you ever had a Brioche Bun with your burgers? Aren't they just the perfect buns to go along with your delicious burger? Ok, so hear me out here: they are also perfect as a sweet or breakfast treat! These Sweet Brioche Buns are soft, pillowy, and have a hint of sweetness, and pair perfectly with the sweet cream cheese and zesty lemon curd.
The idea came because I started off by making a lemon curd and really wanted something to go with that. Originally I thought to fill some cupcakes, then changed my mind and thought to make cookies filled with lemon curd. Then I thought maybe some lemon bars? But all those things had been done so many times before and I really wanted something a little more unique.
This dessert is inspired by a Skolebrod, a Norwegian pastry made of a Brioche-like dough and filled with custards and jams. I came across a video quite a few months ago and fell in love with the idea, and ever since I just really wanted to make it. My Fluffy Brioche Bun version is a bit different because instead of custards and jams, I use a sweet cream cheese and a lemon curd.
What are Brioche Buns?
Sweet Brioche Buns or Brioche Buns are made with an enriched dough and have an added sweetness factor to them than regular dough. Enriched doughs contain milk, eggs and butter. Basically, a lot more fat than a regular dough would have. Brioche dough typically contains more sugar than you would find in a normal dough, as well as a lot more butter.
Sweet Brioche Buns Dough Recipe
The dough is pretty simple, but can be a little time-consuming because of the kneading and the two proofs it needs.
Ingredients for Brioche Buns Recipe
- Bread flour
- Milk
- Yeast
- Sugar
- Egg Yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Butter
How to Make Sweet Brioche Dough
First, add the yeast ingredients to a small bowl and set aside to activate and foam. Should take about 5 minutes.
Next, in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add the dry ingredients, the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract, then add the yeast mixture and let it knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough forms a sort of ball and pulls away from the bowl.
Then, add in the softened butter until combined and let knead until the the butter is incorporated in the dough and it becomes smooth, silky, and satiny and pulls away from the bowl. Could take anywhere from 10-15 minutes, but don't skimp out on the time because this is very important. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let proof/rise for at least an hour.
Lemon Curd
I absolutely love anything with lemon. Lemon cookies, lemon cake, lemon bars, or anything with that lemony zing to it! However, as much as I love lemon curd, I have had quite a few problems in the past with making it. I would follow every single bit of instructions and it would come out perfect, but it would end up tasting like pure metal. Have you ever tasted lemon curd that tasted like metal? I do not recommend! So I steered clear for years and years!
Until now. I finally gave it another try, and I'm so glad I did, because these Lemon Curd Buns are absolutely delicious with this small batch lemon curd recipe.
Tips for Making Lemon Curd Recipe
- Make sure your lemons are fresh. Don't use old lemon or store-bought lemon juice. It just won't work.
- Don't over zest your lemons. You don't want the bitterness of the white part of the lemon.
- Stir or whisk continuously until the mixture thickens.
- If you want a smooth lemon curd, strain before storing.
- Use a double boiler to avoid overcooking your eggs if you're worried that your pan will be too hot.
- Let cool completely before using. As it cools, the lemon curd thickens.
Sweet Cream Cheese
The sweet cream cheese filling is incredibly easy to put together. All you need is softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Add them to a bowl and mix until completely combined. Set it aside until you're ready to fill the buns.
How to Shape Brioche Buns
Once dough has risen, remove from bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces using a kitchen scale. Roll each piece into a ball, then using your fingers press into the center of each Brioche bun ball, forming a center indent (see image), which creates a soft of disc that has a hole where we will fill them with the sweet cream cheese. Let them proof on a baking sheet for 30-45 minutes until puffy and doubled in size.
After the Second Proof
Once the Brioche Buns have doubled in size, take a cup or a small bowl (make sure it's floured so it doesn't stick) and create an even larger indent in the center (I used a ¼ cup initially, but found that a ⅓ cup was better).
Fill each indent with the sweet cream cheese
Bake them in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until they're golden brown and the cream cheese is starting to form a slight color.
If you have a large baking sheet, I highly recommend it to avoid the fluffy Brioche buns from touching. This will help the buns spread in the oven and bake evenly. Basically, don't do what I did. 🙂
Once out of the oven, let them cool for several minutes before removing from the pan. Top with lemon curd and powdered sugar and enjoy warm.
Tips to Make the Best Sweet and Fluffy Brioche Buns Recipe
- The best way to measure your ingredients is using a kitchen scale because it's the most accurate. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method of measuring your flour.
- First, fluff the flour with a spoon, then spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off with a butter knife. This will prevent you from adding more flour than necessary.
- Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes before adding the softened butter. This will ensure the dough forms and pulls away from the bowl. Then once you add the butter, knead for another 10-15 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated the dough has pulled away from the bowl again.
- This dough will be tacky, but shouldn't stick to your hands. It will also be very silky (this due to all the butter added). If while kneading, the dough doesn't come together after 15 minutes, you can add one tablespoon of flour at a time. But be patient before adding the flour. You don't want a dry dough.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is Brioche Buns Recipe different?
Brioche Buns recipe or Brioche bread recipes are different than regular dough recipes because of the amount of fat it contains. A regular bread recipe typically contains flour, yeast, water, salt. A brioche bread recipe is an enriched recipe that contains milk, eggs, and butter. My Brioche Buns recipe contain 1/24cup of sugar to give it an extra hint of sweetness, which is not typical in a regular bread recipe.
Can I use this Brioche Buns Recipe for Other Recipes?
Absolutely! This Brioche Buns Recipe can be a base for so many bread recipes. You can top it with whatever you desire, sweet or savory. You can even make them into Burger Buns! Stay turned because this will be a base for many great recipes to come.
What Sweet Brioche Fillings Can I use?
I have several different brioche buns variations that you could try.
Pumpkin - A perfect fall recipe, or any other time you're craving pumpkin, use my Pumpkin Brioche Buns.
Apple - This is one of my favorite, and also a favorite of many readers, for many years. Switch it up and add apples, like my Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns.
Berries - Use any type of berry, like my Raspberry Cheesecake Brioche Buns.
Pastry Cream - Make an easy pastry cream and turn these buns into Vanilla Custard Buns.
Cranberries - Use my Orange Cranberry Buns recipe for a holiday or winter twist.
Savory - Turn these buns into a breakfast delight with my Breakfast Brioche Buns recipe.
Are there Store-Bought Alternatives to Brioche Buns?
Unfortunately, you can't really substitute Brioche Buns with anything you'd fund at the store pre-made because the doughs you typically find are pizza doughs which are not enriched doughs. If you really don't want to make a dough but want to try these fillings, you can use puff pastry. It won't be the same texture or taste, but you'll still get a delicious treat.
How Can I Store These Brioche Buns?
Once completely cooled, store the Sweet Brioche Buns in an airtight container or a ziploc bag and keep it at room temperature. You can eat them at room temperature or warm them slightly in the microwave or oven.
Can I Freeze Brioche Buns?
Yes! Once they're completely cooled, store them in a freezer ziploc bag and they should keep for several months.
If you try this recipe, leave a review and let me know! If you enjoy lemon desserts, try my Lemon Bundt Cake recipe!
Reader Feedback
Since developing my first brioche bun recipe in 2022, I've had many people remake them, with such great feedback. I have, however, had people mention that the dough can be a little too sticky/wet and they needed to add more flour. For this reason, I went back to the drawing board to test the recipe with ¼ cup less milk, so only ¾ cup total milk instead of 1 cup, and it turns out great! However, this is with my controlled environment, and with using a scale to weigh my flour.
If you're a long-time reader who has had success with a whole cup of milk, then keep making the recipe that way.
📖 Recipe Card
Sweet Brioche Buns with Cream Cheese and Lemon Curd
Equipment
- 1 Large baking sheet
Ingredients
Sweet Brioche Dough
- ¾ cup +1 tablespoon warm milk, 110℉ (202g) (see notes)
- 1 package active dry yeast (7g)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 cups (360g) bread flour
- ⅓ cup (66g) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
Small Batch Lemon Curd
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter cubed, cold or room temperature
Sweet Cream Cheese
- 6 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Sweet Brioche Dough
- In a small bowl, combine the warm milk, packet of yeast and a teaspoon of sugar and let sit and foam for about 5 minutes.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add flour, sugar, salt, 2 egg yolks, vanilla extract, and the activated yeast mixture and let knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough comes away from the bowl and forms a sort of ball.
- Start adding the softened butter slowly until all is incorporated and knead for an additional 12-15 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball and does not stick to the sides of the bowl. When touching with your finger, the dough should not stick at all. The dough will be tacky and a lot smoother/silkier than a regular dough.Humidity: If you live in an area with high humidity, you may need to add extra flour or reduce the amount of milk added to the dough. I've had readers have success with either adding more flour or reducing the milk. I've had to add more flour during the summer months when humidity is high.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover and let rise for at least an hour.
Lemon Curd
- In a medium sauce pan, bring 1-2 inches of water to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- In a medium heat-proof bowl, add egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk until combined, then place the bowl on top of the pot. You could also use a double boiler.
- Whisk the mixture until it thickens, about 7-10 minutes. When it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (or the temperature reaches 170℉). IF after 10 minutes, it has not thickened, increase the heat, but make sure it doesn't burn. Once thick enough, remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter.
- Strain the lemon curd through a fine sieve to remove any large bits of zest, then transfer to a glass container and cover with saran wrap, making sure the saran wrap touches the surface of the lemon curd.
- Chill in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Sweet Cream Cheese
- In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and mix until completely smooth.
Shaping the Sweet Brioche Buns
- Prepare a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Once dough has risen, remove from bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces using a kitchen scale. Roll each piece into a ball, then using your fingers press into the center of each ball, forming a center indent, which creates a soft of disc that has a hole where we will fill them with the sweet cream cheese.
- Once all have been formed, transfer them to a baking sheet, cover with saran wrap and let rise for 30-45 minutes. Try to make sure there is enough space between them so that they aren't touching when rising.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- After 30-45 minutes, the buns should now be doubled in side. Take a cup or a small bowl (make sure it's floured so it doesn't stick) and create an even larger indent in the center (I used a ¼ cup initially, but found that a ⅓ cup was better).
- Add the sweet cream cheese to the each bun.
- (optional) brush the sides of each bun with egg wash. This will create a deeper color. Otherwise, it's not necessary.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the buns become golden brown and the cream cheese starts to form a bit of a color on top.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes, then top with lemon curd and powdered sugar.
- These Sweet Brioche Buns are delicious warm, but taste great at room temperature as well.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
Reader Feedback
Since developing my first brioche bun recipe in 2022, I've had many people remake them, with such great feedback. I have, however, had people mention that the dough can be a little too sticky/wet and they needed to add more flour. For this reason, I went back to the drawing board to test the recipe with ¼ cup less milk, so only ¾ cup total milk instead of 1 cup, and it turns out great! However, this is with my controlled environment, and with using a scale to weigh my flour. If you're a long-time reader who has had success with a whole cup of milk, then keep making the recipe that way. Tips for the best results:- Measure Flour Correctly: As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
- Don’t Skip Kneading: Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes before adding the softened butter. This will ensure the dough forms and pulls away from the bowl. Then once you add the butter, knead for another 10-20 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough has pulled away from the bowl again.
- Don’t add too much flour: This dough will be tacky, but shouldn’t stick to your hands. It will also be very silky (this due to all the butter added). If while kneading, the dough doesn’t come together after 15 minutes, you can add one tablespoon of flour at a time. But be patient before adding the flour. You don’t want a dry dough.
- Make Ahead: You can absolutely make this recipe ahead of time by letting the dough proof in the refrigerator overnight for the first rise. When you’re ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and continue with the recipe. You won’t need to let the dough come to room temperature because you’ll still need to proof a second time, so it will have plenty of time.
- Proof in pre-heated oven: One trick I love doing is to pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then turning off the oven and letting my dough proof in the oven. This cuts down on proofing time, especially if I’m in a hurry, but it also helps in the winter when it’s especially cold.
- Windowpane test: To know if your dough is ready, perform the windowpane test where you take a small piece of dough and stretch it out between your fingers. If it stretches out without tearing and light can pass through, then it has passed the windowpane test. If it tears, let the dough knead another 5 minutes, then perform the test again.
- Humidity: Due to reader feedback, I've updated the recipe to reduce the amount of milk to ¾ of a cup instead of a whole cup. See Reader feedback for more info.
Chelsea Duke says
These are so so good! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hakima says
I'm so happy you liked them! Thank you so much for the review! 🙂
aaminah says
Such an easy recipe to follow and the outcome is 10/10!! absolutely loved making these 💕
Hakima says
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and the review! I'm so happy you loved them. It's one of my favorite recipes on the blog. 🙂
Nina says
Can you freeze the buns
Hakima says
Hi Nina. I've never frozen the buns fully made, so I can't say how well it would turn out. If you want, you could potentially freeze the dough after shaping and before baking or adding the cream cheese/lemon curd.
Caroline says
Can I shape the buns, cover, and refrigerate overnight to bake up in the morning?
Hakima says
Yes, you can do that. You'll want to let the dough rise first, then shape them and let them rise in the refrigerator over night, but you'll want to let them come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.
Sana says
Followed the recipe exactly, these turned out so good! Can't wait to try the other versions of these brioche buns!!
Jennifer says
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry?
Hakima says
Yes, you can.
Hannah says
Fantastic! Everything was easy to follows The lemon curd was so good I would probably make more next time.
Hakima says
Thanks so much, Hannah! I'm so glad you found this recipe easy. Appreciate the review! 🙂