Are brioche buns gluten-free? Brioche buns are the perfect bread for sweet and savory dishes. But can you enjoy this bread if you are avoiding gluten?
Brioche buns are not gluten-free. It consists of wheat flour, which contains gliadin and glutenin. These proteins react when you hydrate the dough, which results in the development of gluten.
In this article, we will tackle whether or not you can make gluten-free brioche buns. It is also essential to discuss what gluten can do to one’s body.
Brioche Buns
Who does not love brioche buns? They have a slightly sweet flavor on their soft crumbs and a golden-brown crust with a buttery flavor. You can also turn these buns into almost any food you can imagine. For instance, you can make French toast, burgers, and sandwiches using brioche buns.
The rich flavor of brioche buns makes them extremely popular. In fact, it started becoming popular in the 18th century, with its first recipe written in 1742. Despite how long people have been making brioche buns, they are still famous pastries that people turn into different meals.
But are brioche buns gluten-free?
Do Brioche Buns Contain Gluten?
Brioche buns consist of wheat flour, eggs, butter, and milk. While all these ingredients account for the rich flavor and soft texture of the bird, the flour also added to brioche buns is a source of gluten.
Therefore, brioche buns are not gluten-free.
Gluten binds the dough when you are making brioche buns. It is also responsible for the dough’s stretch quality, allowing you to shape it without ripping quickly.
If you notice, a brioche bun’s crumbs have a soft texture that you can flake off when you rip the bread. Gluten is also responsible for giving brioche this texture. When fermenting your dough, the gluten helps it rise by trapping the gas bubbles produced by your leavening agent.
How Does Gluten In Brioche Buns Develop?
You can find gluten in any wheat product, meaning it is present in brioche buns. Wheat flour, used for making brioche, contains two proteins – gliadin and glutenin. When these proteins come into contact with liquid, they have a reaction that leads to the production of gluten.
Gluten development starts when you mix and agitate your dough. However, kneading your brioche dough only helps ensure the flour is hydrated. The process of gluten development takes time. Therefore, you also need to rest your dough for the gliadin and glutenin to bind and become stretchy. (source)
Can You Make Gluten-Free Brioche Buns? How?
While brioche buns initially have gluten, making a gluten-free version of the bread is possible. Even better, you can still get the rich and delicious taste of brioche buns, even without gluten. And you do not need complex ingredients to enjoy your gluten-free brioche buns.
Here’s how you can make brioche buns gluten-free.
Ingredients for making gluten-free brioche buns:
- 400 grams of gluten-free bread flour
- 180 ml of milk – make the brioche buns taste rich
- 12 grams of instant dry yeast
- Three eggs
- 87 ml honey – you can also opt for sugar if you do not have honey
- One tablespoon of salt
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- Two tablespoons of xanthan gum will act as your “gluten,” which binds the dough together. It will also make your dough stretchy after proofing.
- One tablespoon of sesame seeds (optional for presentation)
- Mix all the dry ingredients
Get a large mixing bowl and combine all the dry ingredients except the sesame seeds. Mix all the dry ingredients until well combined. You can also do this on a stand mixer. Combining the dry ingredients before mixing the wet ingredients will ensure that you only have to do minimal mixing. It also ensures an even distribution of all the dry ingredients. Combining all the ingredients well will result in rich and soft brioche buns after baking them.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients
Once the dry ingredients are well combined, mix the wet ingredients, leaving one of the eggs behind. Stir until your dry ingredients are hydrated. If you are working on the dough using a stand mixer, kneading the dough can take up to five minutes. If you knead the dough by hand, you need to work on it until it becomes smooth, soft, and stretchy.
Be careful not to overwork your dough, as it will make the brioche buns tough.
- Portion and shape the dough
After kneading the dough, divide and shape it into six even balls. You can opt to sprinkle sesame seeds on top of each bun for added look and texture.
Next, cover the brioche dough balls with a damp cloth and let them rest at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. The damp cloth will prevent the dough’s surface from drying out.
- Time to bake the buns
Halfway through resting the dough, preheat your oven to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, mix the remaining egg with a bit of milk to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash on top of the buns before putting them in the oven.
Bake your brioche buns for 12 minutes or until they become golden brown. Lastly, allow the buns to cool on a rack.
Does Gluten-Free Mean Healthier?
Gluten is present in almost all the bread you can think of, including brioche buns. However, many people are starting to ditch gluten and adapting to a gluten-free diet. But does gluten-free mean healthier?
While a gluten-free diet is trendy right now, there is no evidence avoiding gluten has any health benefits. The reason is that gluten does not possess any nutrients. For this reason, removing it from your diet will not cause any benefit unless you are allergic to it.
Who Should Avoid Gluten?
Gluten is not bad for your health as long as your body can tolerate it. But, while gluten does not necessarily have any nutrients in it, specific individuals should avoid it for medical reasons:
People with celiac disease
Gluten causes inflammation in people with celiac disease; therefore, they must avoid gluten. When a person with celiac disease eats something with gluten, the gluten triggers their immune system to attack the lining of their small intestine. It causes damage, which can become a significant health problem in the long run. The reason is that the damage to their small intestine prevents them from absorbing nutrients from their food.
Constant exposure to gluten can cause these problems in people with celiac disease:
- Anemia
- Weight loss
- Infertility
- Osteoporosis
Fortunately, removing gluten from food like brioche buns does not remove any nutritional benefits. (source)
Individuals with wheat allergy
People sometimes confuse wheat allergy with celiac disease. However, these two conditions are very much different. As mentioned, celiac disease causes the immune system to attack and damage the small intestine’s lining in response to gluten intake. On the other hand, wheat allergy also triggers an immune response. Still, the results are different from what celiac disease does.
Wheat allergy causes an abnormal immune system reaction, which results in the following:
- Nasal congestion
- Hives
- Itchy skin swelling
- Swelling and irritation of the mouth and throat
- Nausea
- Headache
- Difficulty in breathing
- Anaphylaxis
(source)
How Many Nutrients Are In Brioche Buns?
Brioche buns contain milk, butter, and eggs. Of course, it is common knowledge that milk and eggs are excellent sources of nutrients. However, butter is a type of solid fat that many people opt to avoid.
Considering the ingredients brioche buns contain, what nutrients can you get from 100 grams of brioche buns?
Calories
A hundred-gram slice of brioche bun contains 289 calories. These calories provide your body with the energy you need to function. The more calories you take daily, your body will have more energy. In fact, calories are essential as they help your organs function.
However, you must ensure that you burn more calories than you consume to keep yourself healthy.
Fat
Brioche buns contain lipids, which are responsible for storing the calories your body converts into energy. While the amount of fat you need daily depends on your calorie consumption, brioche buns contain 3.95 grams of lipids.
Protein
You can get 10.53 grams of protein from brioche buns. A healthy adult should consume about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For instance, if you weigh 165 pounds. You need to consume 60 grams of protein each day. This way, your body can build and repair tissues and coordinate bodily functions.
Considering the number of proteins a person should consume, brioche buns are a good protein source if consumed in moderation.
Carbohydrates
Brioche buns contain 52.63 grams of carbohydrates. Since a person needs 225 to 325 grams of fiber daily, a serving of brioche buns can provide a good amount of carbohydrates. Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose, providing your body with the daily energy you need.
Additional Nutrients You Can Get From 100 Grams Of Brioche Buns:
| Fiber | 2.6 grams |
| Added sugars | 7.89 |
| Sodium | 526 milligrams |
| Calcium | 26 milligrams |
| Iron | 2.63 milligrams |
(source)
Benefits Of Eating Gluten-Free Brioche Buns
Gluten-free brioche buns contain flour, milk, eggs, yeast, and sugar. For this reason, they are not a significant source of many nutrients. This bread may also not help you meet your daily health needs. However, that does not mean that gluten-free brioche buns do not have any benefit at all.
Below are the benefits that you can get from eating gluten-free brioche buns:
Easy to digest
Brioche buns contain a minimal amount of fiber. In particular, 100 grams of brioche buns only contain 2.6 grams of fiber. It makes the bread easy to digest, which is beneficial if you have a sensitive stomach or recovering from a gastrointestinal problem.
Gluten-free brioche buns are also beneficial for people who need to fuel up before doing a heavy task. For instance, athletes who need a source of carbohydrates before their workout can eat brioche buns. And since brioche is easy to digest, they can easily absorb the carbohydrates from the bread and convert them to energy.
Ideal for a low-fat diet
While fats are essential for the body, they are also not ideal for people who are cutting calories. So, gluten-free brioche buns are a good option if you are on a low-fat diet, may it be due to a health condition or want to maintain a healthy weight. Reducing your fat intake can help you cut your daily caloric intake by 15 percent.
However, it is essential to note that you must eat a balanced diet to reduce fat intake. You can fill your brioche buns with meat and vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce. This way, you can get the nutrients your body needs.
Good energy source
Gluten-free brioche buns contain a good amount of carbohydrates. For this reason, eating this bread will provide your body with energy. As you absorb the carbohydrates from the bread, your body breaks them down and turns them into glucose.
This glucose fuels your body to keep you functioning, especially your brain. When your brain has enough glucose stored, your neurotransmitters will work efficiently. (source)
Final Thoughts
Are brioche buns gluten-free? Brioche buns consist of wheat flour. For this reason, it is not gluten-free. However, you can make a gluten-free version of this bread by replacing wheat flour with gluten-free flour and a bit of xanthan gum.
Do you have questions, comments, or suggestions? We would love to hear them! You can reach us by leaving your thoughts in the comments section!
Gluten does not cause anything detrimental to health unless you have a gluten allergy. Still, it is up to you whether you want your brioche buns to be gluten-free.
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