How to Make Ahead and Freeze Soft Brioche Buns

Why settle for just one day of fresh bread when you can learn how to make ahead and freeze soft brioche buns, and enjoy homemade bread all week long?

I’ve always loved the taste of freshly baked brioche, but let’s be honest—that warm, buttery, soft flavor doesn’t last very long. That’s why I’ve perfected the art of baking and freezing brioche buns.

In today’s post, I’ll show you how to bake brioche buns that are fluffy, rich, and perfect for any occasion—from BBQs to gourmet sandwiches.

I’m also sharing tips to properly freeze these beautiful buns so that you can maximize their shelf life and enjoy them on demand. Imagine grilling burgers and having your homemade brioche buns ready to go, no sweat. No more freezer burn, no more wasted bread. Let’s get into it!

How to Freeze Brioche Bread

Whether you make your own homemade brioche buns or use store-bought brioche buns, you’ll still want to maintain that fresh taste. 

Here are two awesome methods for freezing brioche buns.

Freezing Brioche Bread in an Airtight Container 

This method is perfect if you want to make a batch of brioche ahead of time and freeze it for later.  First, wrap your brioche loaf or brioche buns in plastic wrap, poly bags, or cellophane, ensuring that they are tightly sealed. Then place these wrapped buns into an airtight container.

Benefits:

• Long-lasting Freshness: The airtight container is great at preventing freezer burn, helping to keep that tender crumb and buttery flavor intact.
• Easy Organization: Using a container helps you keep your freezer tidy. Just stack them up, label the container with the date, and you’re good to go.
• Bulk Storage: This method works great if you’ve baked a large batch and plan on using it within a short period.

 As a home-based baker, I used this method a lot. I would bake and freeze several batches of brioche buns during the week so that I could have plenty to sell at the farmer’s market during prime BBQ season. I’ve always believed that it’s perfectly okay to freeze your bread before serving or selling, as long as it tastes as soft and fresh as it did when it was baked. 

These are my favorite bread bags for keeping brioche bread fresh. They are micro perforated which allows moisture to escape from defrosting. 

Pro tip: Preparing for an event? My favorite approach is to freeze the bread fully packaged and labeled. To prevent your labels from getting smudged or smeared due to freezer moisture, opt for thermal printer labels. Want to know how thermal printer labels work? Click here.

How to Freeze Brioche Bread in Zip Lock Bags

To preserve your brioche bread in freezer bags, start by wrapping individual brioche buns in aluminum foil. Make sure they’re tightly wrapped, then place these foil packets into a freezer-safe bag. If you can’t eat a whole loaf before it goes bad, try freezing your bread in smaller packets with a few slices each.

Benefits:

• Individual Servings: One of the major pros here is the ability to pull out just a little at a time, making it super convenient.
• Reduced Waste: If you live alone or don’t need many buns at once, this method prevents you from defrosting more than you need.
• Versatility: This method is perfect for buns of various sizes or shapes, as the aluminum foil can easily adapt to the form of each bun.

Both methods work wonderfully, but the choice ultimately depends on your lifestyle and how you plan to use your frozen brioche. Whether you opt for the airtight container for long-lasting freshness or the aluminum foil and freezer bag method for individual servings, you’re able to enjoy great-tasting brioche any day of the week!

Why are Brioche Buns So Good?

Brioche is a type of French bread that’s enriched with butter, eggs, and sometimes a little bit of sugar. This combination results in a bread that’s soft, rich, and has a tender crumb. The golden brown hue, often achieved through an egg wash before baking, makes it visually irresistible as well.

Brioche Buns vs. Regular Hamburger Buns

Now, you might be wondering, “Why can’t I just stick with regular hamburger buns?” Here’s the scoop:

Simply put, brioche buns bring more to the table than your average burger bun. They’re more tender, packed with rich, buttery flavor, and less crumbly. Toast them, and they reach a whole new level of deliciousness. But don’t just stop at the grill…

Brioche burger buns are perfect for:

• Sandwiches
• Bread pudding
• French toast

Why settle for ordinary buns when you can have extraordinary ones?

My Favorite Recipe for Brioche 

This recipe makes 10 full-size burger buns, 20 slider buns, or 2 brioche loaves. 

Here’s what you’ll need to make the dough:

• Bread flour- Don’t be tempted to substitute all-purpose flour. 
• Active dry yeast- non-instant yeast is best
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Large eggs- the fresher, the better
• Unsalted butter- room temperature

Step by Step Instructions

Making brioche dough isn’t quite like preparing other yeast breads. You skip the step of activating the yeast in warm water or milk. Instead, just add the dry yeast straight to the mix of flour and salt. 

Step One: Mixing Brioche

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the dry ingredients, yeast, and eggs. Mix on low speed until a sticky dough forms. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead the bread dough until a smooth dough develops. 

Step Two: Adding Butter to Brioche

Add the butter in small pieces, letting it incorporate into the dough before adding more. Make sure your butter is at room temperature; this helps it blend smoothly into the dough.

Step Three: Proof the Dough

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place it in a warm place. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.

Step Four: Divide the Dough

Divide the dough according to the type of brioche you want to make:

• Full-size hamburger buns: 10- 4 oz pieces
• Brioche slider buns: 20-2 oz pieces
• Brioche loaves: 2-21 oz pieces

Step Five: Shape Your Brioche

To shape brioche dough pieces into buns, turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface and divide the dough into equal pieces. Because there is lots of butter and egg in this enriched dough, it can get quite sticky and hard to shape. For this reason, I like to chill the dough pieces in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up the butter before shaping.

Step Six: Proof and Bake

While the dough pieces are chilling, prepare the baking pans by lining them with parchment paper. I like to bake the full-sized buns with 6 on a baking sheet, and the sliders in two  9 x13 cake pans.  

To shape the buns, round the dough with the palm of your hand on an un-floured surface. 

Then flatten them between the palms of your hands and place the flattened discs on the prepared baking pans. 

Brushing the tops of the sliders with egg wash is an essential step and will give them that beautiful golden color. Now is when you can top the brioche rolls with poppy seeds, or sesame seeds. Lightly cover the rolls with plastic wrap and give them one final proof before baking.

Bake the brioche buns in a 35-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Storage Tips

Wrap your brioche buns individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe bag. Make sure to squeeze out all the air to prevent freezer burn. When you’re ready to enjoy them, defrost them at room temperature or warm them up in a toaster oven.

 Recommended Tools

Stand mixer with a dough hook attachment

Kitchen scale

Parchment paper

Freezer-safe Ziploc bags

Related Recipes from My Blog

Chocolate Brioche Bread

Soft and Fluffy Homemade Focaccia Bread

The Best Copycat Dave’s Killer Bread 

Can You Freeze Brioche Bread? Yes! 

Why settle for a day of fresh brioche when you can savor it all week? Whether you’re prepping for a BBQ or stocking up your home bakery’s inventory, these tips will help you make sure your brioche buns are always ready to impress.

No more freezer burn, no more wasted bread—just mouthwatering brioche whenever you want it!