Avocado Brioche Burger Buns

Avocado Brioche Burger Buns is an adaptation of a recipe taken from a marvelous TV program called ‘The Vegan Corner.’ I have altered the method to make it a little easier, and I’ve added some 100% Whole Wheat Pastry Flour to boost its nutritional content. I’ve been fiddling with this recipe in a desire to add even more whole grain. This recipe is 25% whole wheat pastry flour. I’ve also tried making it with a 50/50 white flour to whole wheat pastry flour ratio, and that makes an acceptable bun appropriate for meaty veggie burger fillings that are firm and hold together much like meat, such as a whole grilled or roasted portobello mushroom. But if you are making a barbecued jackfruit filling, or a chickpea salad (similar in consistency to a chicken salad), or making a burger of soft vegetables, you may prefer to opt for this 25% version that is softer and more resilient when compressed. I’ve also created a 100% whole wheat pastry flour recipe. The result was very dense, suitable for making toast or an open-faced sandwich but not so much as a bun to be filled with even firm ingredients. I call it my hockey-puck version.

For a burger bun, you want bread that is soft and gives when you bite into it. Harder bread squeezes the ingredients of your sandwich out the sides, creating a big, albeit often delicious, mess. This bun recipe is perfect for making vegan barbecue “pulled pork” sandwiches from jackfruit, and my wonderfully delicious veggie sandwich made from a variety of sweet, soft marinated root vegetables and topped with sour, crisp fermented veggies. Look for my posts on BBQ Jackfruit aka Vegan “Pulled pork” and my astonishingly delicious Veggie Sandwich.

Avocado Brioche Burger Buns

This recipe isn’t a quick one, but it is certainly worth the time it takes to prepare. A batch makes ten burger buns. I always make a double batch to save time. They can be cooked together on different oven racks, which saves time in that you only have to go through two periods of dough rises for two batches, rather than two rises per batch. I make twenty and freeze them in gallon freezer bags, which hold eight each. Rich and I scarf down one each while they are hot right out of the oven and save the remaining two in the fridge for lunch the next day. With sixteen stored safely in our freezer, we are ready for unexpected guests, or anytime we want to make a quick sandwich for ourselves. You can either let them thaw on the countertop or in the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute. I like them best thawed and then toasted.

An Important Note About Measurements!!

It is always better to weigh flour than it is to rely on the volume measurement of a measuring cup. If you weigh it, your results will always be consistent. If you use a measuring cup, the amount of flour can vary according to how densely you may pack the cup. If you don’t have a scale and must rely on volume measurement, be sure to loosen your flour in the beginning before weighing. I keep mine in half-gallon canning jars, so the flour is easily loosened by shaking.

You can attain nearly the same result by transferring your flour from a bag to a large bowl and stirring it with a wire whisk. Then, take the flour out a heaping tablespoon at a time and gently fill your measuring cup. Do not scoop the flour out with the measuring cup! This will pack the flour and result in more flour than called for in the recipe. Using the back of a knife, rake it across the top of your measuring cup until you have an even cup of flour. Transfer to a mixing bowl and continue this process until you have the right number of cups in your mixing bowl. Now you can put the flour you aren’t using back into your storage bag or container for later use.

 

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5 from 1 vote

Avocado Brioche Burger Buns

For a burger bun, you want bread that is soft and gives when you bite into it. Harder bread squeezes the ingredients of your sandwich out the sides, creating a big, albeit often delicious, mess. This perfect burger bun takes a little time, but it is well worth the effort.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American, American Comfort Food
Keyword: brioche, vegan
Servings: 10 buns
Calories: 512kcal

Ingredients

Eggless Wash:

  • 2 floz water
  • 2 fl oz sugar

Dough:

  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp water (5.6 floz or 160g)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 pkg or 1/4 oz)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup plant-based milk (8.5 fl oz or 240g)
  • 14 oz avocado, mashed (200g or about 1 1/2 med-large avocados)
  • 1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (7 oz/200g – may substitute whole wheat flour)
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour (21 oz or 600g, plus a little more for kneading)
  • small amount EarthBalance (to oil pans)

Garnish:

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup white sesame seeds (toasted or raw)
  • 1/2 cup black sesame seeds (toasted or raw)

Instructions

Eggless wash:

  • Combine the sugar and water in a small bowl and microwave for 30-45 seconds. Stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool.

Dough:

  • In a large mixing bowl or bread bowl, stir the brown sugar, and water in a large measuring cup until combined. Stir in yeast and allow to rest until frothy. If the yeast does not become active within 10 minutes, it is likely bad. Throw it out and begin again.
  • While the yeast is activating, in a Vitamix or Cuisinart, blend milk, salt, and avocado until creamy. Stir into bowl with yeast.
  • Gradually stir in wheat flour until incorporated, then stir in all-purpose flour with a dough whisk until you can no longer stir it. Set the whisk aside and begin kneading with your hands. Continue to knead for about four minutes and form into a soft ball, adding a little more flour if necessary. The ball should be slightly sticky but should not cling to your hands.
  • Cover with plastic, a clean towel or even a dinner plate and allow to rise for one to two hours or until doubled in size. Deflate ball of dough and weigh. Divide by ten. Each bun should weight somewhere between 138 and 149 grams.
  • Form balls and press into four-inch discs. Place each disc in the middle of a 4-inch greased springform pan. Place 10 of these pans in a half-sheet baking pan. Brush tops with eggless wash, cover with a clean cloth and allow to double in size. While they are rising, preheat oven to 355º.
  • Brush again with eggless wash and sprinkle with oats and sesame seeds. Bake in preheated oven on the middle shelf for seven minutes. If doubling the recipe, use the top and middle shelves. Turn the trays around and, if doubling the recipe, switch oven shelves. Cook for another seven minutes.
  • Allow to cool for five minutes in springform pans. Resist the temptation to eat these while they are hot. Release and carefully remove buns. (Alright, you can have one!) Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool thoroughly. Bread continue to cook as they cool so this is an important step. Allow to cool thoroughly before cutting. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 6.2mg

Below are the equipment and products I used in this recipe. Click on the photo to order yours through my affiliate link with Amazon.com, for which I receive a small advertising fee. Please visit my Store for more information.

Wilton 4-inch Mini Springform Pans

Balloon Whisks

Danish Dough Whisk

Hydrofarm Seedling Heat Mat

CoolingBake Stainless Steel Wire Cooling and Baking Rack

Checkered Chef Half-Sheet Baking Pan and Cooling/Broiling Rack