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Brioche is a fabulously luxurious dough enriched with eggs and copious amounts of butter (often 25% or more of the total dough). Supermarket brioche buns, however, are a little different: the best products contain about 6-11% butter at most and some, surprisingly, contained none at all, using replacements such as palm fat and rapeseed oil instead.
But all is not lost: even the most processed products were passable, and the best were quite delicious. I tested these straight from the packet, analysing the egg wash, type of crumb and texture. I scored on flavour, value, processing, sustainability (though most products lack standards and certifications) and animal welfare.
The bar here is pretty low, though, with most buns sitting firmly in UPF territory. Squishy, carotene-coloured and stored in plastic, they’re fabricated from a cocktail of fats, emulsifiers and preservatives, creating remarkable shelf life but unremarkable buns with little authenticity.
The best supermarket brioche burger buns
Best overall:
Waitrose No 1 brioche rolls
★★★★☆
An extra-large bun with a light, fluffy texture and open crumb, with a distinguishable nutty flavour from the brown butter. A notably simple ingredients list, including a good ratio of free-range egg and butter. Emulsifier- and preservative-free.
Best bargain:
Co-op Irresistible four brioche buns
★★★☆☆
A large, round, dark-golden bun with a turmeric-yellow crumb and a really nice, buttery flavour. Contains eggs, emulsifiers and flavouring.
And the rest …
M&S Collection brioche buns made with sourdough
★★★★☆
An extra-large bun with a dark-brown glaze and an open, cakey crumb. Made with a simple ingredients list, including sourdough, which gives it a sour twang. Enriched with butter from Brittany, free-range egg and clotted cream. No emulsifiers, preservatives or acidity regulators.
Aldi Specially Selected brioche burger buns
★★★☆☆
Four French-made, small, shiny golden buns with a closed crumb and springy texture. A great burger bun with good flavour, rich, sweet, and without the sourness found in some other products. Contains emulsifiers, eggs, and no artificial flavourings or preservatives.
Asda Exceptional brioche burger buns
★★★☆☆
A medium-sized classic, airy brioche bun with a nice, golden carotene-coloured closed crumb and sour twang. Rich, sweet and soft. Made with free-range eggs. Contains emulsifiers, palm fat, preservatives and maltodextrin.
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Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference brioche burger buns
★★★☆☆
A medium-sized bun with a classic texture, light and fluffy, with a closed crumb. Rich and buttery and quite sweet, with a sourness from the vinegar. Contains eggs and palm oil. No artificial flavourings or preservatives.
Morrisons the Best brioche burger buns
★★☆☆☆
A small, soft and buttery roll with an open crumb and sweet finish. A long ingredients list including eggs, palm fat, emulsifiers, preservative, maltodextrin and flavouring.
Tesco Fire Pit brioche burger buns
★★☆☆☆
A party pack of eight egg-glazed brioche buns. Sweet with a sour twang from the fermented wheat flour. Soft but a little bready, with a light but open crumb; holds together well, though. Contains eggs, palm oil and emulsifiers.
St Pierre brioche buns
★★☆☆☆
A sweet, small, sliced French brioche, with a uniform glaze. Soft in texture with a closed crumb and a chemical-like plastic aroma (probably from the packaging). Contains eggs, invert sugar syrup, flavouring and emulsifier.
La Boulangère brioche burger buns
★☆☆☆☆
A long-life French import made with barn eggs and no butter (just rapeseed oil) so arguably not brioche at all. A classic, golden egg glaze, a white bready texture, with good bounce and an open crumb. It contains preservatives and has a chemical aroma, but it is emulsifier-free.
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For more, read the best supermarket salad bags and best supermarket veggie burgers
