Brioche au Sucre (Sugar Brioche)

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My brioche au sucre (aka sugar brioche) recipe produces buns that are soft, pillowy, and deeply buttery. They're topped with Swedish pearl sugar for a satisfying crunch and a touch of sweetness. This recipe starts with my homemade brioche dough, which is made with plenty of eggs and butter for a tender crumb and rich, indulgent flavor

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time20

Rising and Chilling1

Total Time1 1 50

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: French

Servings: buns

Calories: 180kcal

Author: Cheryl Norris

Equipment

Ingredients

Brioche Dough

1/2 recipe (460 grams) brioche dough

Egg Wash

1 large (50 grams) egg
1 teaspoon milk

Sugar Topping

1 tablespoon (12 grams) Swedish pearl sugar

Instructions

Make the Brioche Dough

Follow my recipe for making brioche dough. This recipe calls for half a recipe of the dough. You can either double this recipe or make a brioche loaf with the other half of the dough.

Make the Buns

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Weigh the dough and divide it into 2 even pieces about 460 grams each. Place one half back in the refrigerator.
Line a rimmed half baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Divide the dough into 8 even pieces, about 57 grams each. Weight each piece to ensure they all weigh the same.
If a piece of dough weighs more, use a bench scraper to cut off small pieces until the desired weight each achieved. If the piece of dough doesn’t weigh enough, cut off small pieces of dough from the other pieces until the desired weight is achieved.
Take piece of dough (press it together if you’ve add to add smaller pieces to it) and flatten it on the work surface. Center the palm of your hand over the dough. With your hand lightly pressing the dough go in a circular motion to form the dough into a ball. As the dough forms into a ball, form a cage with your hands so your hand is barely pressing against the dough. Once the ball is formed set it aside and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Place the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheet evenly spaced a part. Light spray a large piece with cooking spray. Place the plastic wrap lightly over the balls of dough and let the dough rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
To test if the dough is ready, lightly press the side of the dough with the knuckle of one of your fingers. If the dough bounces back, it’s ready to make. If it doesn’t bounce back let it rise for another 10-15 minutes.

Bake the Brioche

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the rack in the bottom third of the oven. Whisk together the egg and the milk. Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash. Be careful not to deflate the dough as you brush it. Sprinkle the Swedish pearl sugar over the buns.
Place the brioche in the oven and bake it for 15-18 minutes, until the bread has risen, baked to a dark golden brown, and has reached a temperature of 190°F in the center as measured by an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the brioche from the oven, place the pan on a wire cooling rack, and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan. The buns can be served warm.

How to Store the Bread

Because of the butter and eggs in the brioche goes stale quickly. The buns are best eaten within the first 1-2 days. If the bread does go stale, use leftovers for bread pudding or breakfast sandwiches.

Notes

Don’t rush the chill: After the first rise, refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours (or overnight). This step isn’t just about timing, it’s key to easy shaping and better flavor. The dough is much softer right after rising and harder to handle. The chill firms it up and makes the shaping process smoother and less frustrating.

Use a kitchen scale: Divide your dough evenly so the loaf bakes consistently. Each dough ball should weigh about 55 grams. Uniform shaping helps the loaf rise evenly in the oven.

Use a dough scraper ready: Brioche dough is soft and slightly sticky. A dough scraper makes it easier to handle, especially when transferring or cleaning around the mixer bowl.

Be patient with mixing: It takes time to develop the gluten and incorporate the butter fully, sometimes up to 30-35 minutes of total mixing. If the dough seems sticky or lumpy during butter incorporation, keep going. It will come together.

Use gentle shaping: Don’t overwork the dough when forming the balls. A smooth top and sealed seam are key, but there’s no need to deflate the dough completely. That bit of tension is what gives the loaf its height.

Proof by feel, not just time: The second rise can take 1 to 2 hours depending on the temperature in your kitchen. The dough is ready when it looks puffed and springs back slowly when gently pressed. If it deflates easily, it’s over-proofed; if it springs back immediately, it needs more time.

Freezing the Brioche: Once the buns are fully cooled, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. They'll keep well for up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw at room temperature and warm in a 300°F oven for about 8–10 minutes, or until heated through. The pearl sugar topping holds up well through freezing.

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