Mari's Marvelous Brioche Buns with Fresh Rosemary

Last week when I saw these amazing looking Brioche Buns on Once Upon a Plate, a beautiful blog by Mari, I knew it would just be a matter of time before the fragrance of buttery, delicious brioche would be permeating my kitchen.......
Yesterday I spent the day cooking for a party that I'm having this weekend. I was trying to decide what type of rolls to make for the chicken salad sandwiches I'm planning to serve. All of a sudden I remembered Mari's brioche buns and before you could say lickety split, I had my mixer just a whirring.

Since I had planned to be at home most of the day, it was the perfect time to make these yummy rolls. The start to finish time is several hours, but most of this is rising time for the dough. The hands-on time is quite minimal, especially if you have a stand mixer. The results are stunning; shiny, deep golden, unbelievably fragrant brioche buns. One bite will assure you that any amount of time and/or labor was well worth it!

Oh, and check out Once Upon a Plate - it is one of the most beautiful blogs I have ever seen, full of amazing recipes and incredible photos!

P.S. For a fun twist I added some fresh rosemary to these rolls, we loved this hint of fresh herb, but either way they will be delicious!

Brioche Buns with Fresh Rosemary

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon dry yeast
½ cup warm water, 105-115˚, if you're not used to working with yeast, use a thermometer
4 large eggs
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (I added this and we loved it, but leave it out if you don't like rosemary)
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, you might need a bit more
4 ounces butter, softened
Egg wash- 1 large egg beaten with 2 Tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water, then whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour in order to form a loose paste. Allow to rise in a warm place until the batter has risen and fallen (this usually takes about 1 hour.) 

2. Add eggs, sugar, salt and remaining flour to the fallen yeast mixture. Knead the dough until it's smooth. (I use the stand mixer with dough hook inserted.) Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky. Add the soft butter and knead until it is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic. Allow dough to rise in a bowl in a warm place until doubled; 1 to 2 hours. Cover bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.

3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Cut dough into 12- 18 equal pieces, roll into balls, place on the prepared sheet pan. Allow to rise until almost doubled, 30-60 minutes. Brush tops of the buns with egg wash (and sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden on the top and golden on the bottom of the buns.

For a great article on shaping rolls, check out this site!

Adapted from Once Upon a Plate

PRINTABLE RECIPE