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One reason to bake bread is to fill your kitchen with that aroma. Even if the bread turns out badly, the smell of its baking never fails to improve a hour or mood. people trying to sell their homes are often advised to bake a loaf of bread before showing it. The underlying idea here is that freshly baked bread is the ultimate olfactory synecdoche for hominess. Which, when you think about it, is odd, since how many of us grew up in homes where bread was ever baked? Yet somehow that sense memory and its association with a happy domesticity endure. ~ Michael Pollen, Cooked

True isn’t it? Biting into freshly baked bread gives us comfort and hygge. It’s like snuggling into a warm blanket on a cold, wintry night. The whole process from kneading to baking is meditative. It’s magical—producing the perfect golden-hued crust never fails to impress me. And it’s a time when I can see my effort, my creativity, thoughts and communion, get reflected through the work of my hands. It is joy that spreads its aroma through the house and brings satisfaction and happiness to all.

College Days Nostalgia And A Basket Of Bread

With barely a few hundred in our pockets, during college days, a bunch of us would rush to Cafe Isfahan in Taj Palace, Delhi. The grand five-star provided respite from the boring, long Economic (Honours) lectures. Also, since Jesus and Mary College is right next door made it easier for us to run there when we had a couple of hours free in between classes. Of course, we were stringent in the way we blew our pocket money. It had to be enough to pick up our fashion wear for the month from Delhi’s famous flea and street market, Sarojini Nagar so careful spending was always on our minds.

The final brush with egg wash and sesame seeds

Ordering soup was always a good idea. Served with a bread basket and salted butter, we satiated ourselves with the brioche buns, breadsticks, croissants, crostinos and focaccia. These stretchy, warm, savoury, yeasty, sweet or crispy mixed delights were delicious to munch on before the piping hot soup reached our table. Slathering the warm, pillowy buns with butter and breaking off a piece, was like biting into a cloud. A luscious, buttery cloud.

Fresh out of the oven

Time has flown and I have left college years far behind, but the memory of those times continue to stay fresh in my mind. During the lockdown when I learnt how to make sourdough bread, focaccia and all the possible bake recipes I could lay my hands on, I craved to remake the brioche buns. A few hit and trials and I finally had these amazing buns baking in my oven.

The fluffy, pillowy brioche buns

After making them, I don’t think I am ever going to go back to buying them from the stores. They’re yummilicious. The following recipe makes 8 pieces. If you’re left with any after a meal, store them in an air tight container lest they lose their moisture and dry out. Microwave for a few seconds and they’re as good as new.

I hope you enjoy the recipe of this beautiful French yeast bread. Use them for hamburgers for dinner or enjoy them for breakfast with bacon, eggs and cheese. It’s wonderful with a lavish spread of good ole’ jam and butter too.

Note: I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s “My Friend Alexa”

Print Recipe
The Best Brioche Buns Ever!
Enriched with egg, milk and butter, these buns are soft, buttery and pillowy. They can be relished straight out of the oven with a thick slather of butter or lightly toasted to enjoy with your meal.
Servings
buns
Ingredients
For the Buns
For the Glaze
Servings
buns
Ingredients
For the Buns
For the Glaze
Instructions
  1. Mix yeast, sugar and lukewarm water in a bowl. Allow to sit for 10 mins.
  2. In the meantime, take a large bowl and mix all purpose flour with salt.
  3. Mix eggs, milk, honey and softened butter together.
  4. Combine all the above ingredients together and knead into a dough for 7-8 minutes. Cover the dough and proof for one and a half hours or till doubled in size.
  5. Tip out on a clean surface and divide into eight equal portions.
  6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roll each portion into a round shape and place them on the sheet, ensuring that they have space to double in size.
  7. Cover and let them rise in a warm spot for about one hour, or until puffy.
  8. Beat an egg for the final wash. Brush the buns with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds.
  9. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 30 mins.
  10. Once out of the oven, give it a glossy finish with a brush of melted butter
  11. Let them cool before eating.
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