Berry Brioche Danish (Custard Brioche Buns)

These Berry Brioche Danish are my answer to the classic cheese and fruit pastries, but made with a soft, enriched dough instead of laminated pastry. Think of them as a cross between a cream cheese danish and Nancy Silverton's famous creme fraiche brioche tart, just in a perfectly portioned, handheld version.

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If you have ever wanted to make Bakery Style Brioche Pastries but didn't think you could do it, this is your moment. These soft brioche buns are filled with a creamy creme fraiche custard, topped with fresh berries, and baked until golden and just set. They are rich, lightly sweet, and rise overnight, ready for a simple morning finish.

Today we are turning my brioche bread into bakery style breakfast pastries that look impressive but are actually easy for even new bakers. I made thousands of these brioche buns when I worked at the bakery, so you can trust that I'm going to teach you all my tricks.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Bakery-style - These look like they came from behind a glass case, but you made them in your own kitchen.
• Soft texture - The brioche stays tender and pillowy with a lightly sweet taste.
• Simple dough - No laminating, no folding, just the easiest brioche dough ever.
• Flexible toppings - Use berries, jam, or leave them classic and creamy.
• Make-ahead friendly - The overnight rise makes these simple to finish in time for breakfast or brunch the next day.

One batch, and suddenly you are the person who "just casually makes danishes." Your new reputation is set!

Ingredients & Substitutions

The photos below show everything you need to make the brioche dough and the filling. I will go over all of the key ingredients and show you how you can swap them if needed.

Brioche dough ingredients

• All-purpose flour - I wanted these danish to have a beautifully soft texture, and I find all purpose flour is perfect. Bread flour can be used for a slightly chewier texture.
• Milk - because this is an enriched dough, we use dairy milk. Whole milk is best, but 2 percent will also work. I have not tried this with a plant based milk.
• Butter - My brioche dough is unique because I use melted butter, greatly reducing the amount of time it takes to mix. Use unsalted butter so you control the salt level, or if using salted butter, decrease the added salt by half.
• Eggs - I use two large eggs to make this enriched dough. Room temperature is essential so that they don't cause the melted butter to seize. Pop your eggs into a bowl of hot tap water for about 10 minutes to bring them to room temp quickly.

Creme fraiche filling

• Creme fraiche - This gives the filling its soft texture and slight tang. If you do not have creme fraiche, you can use additional cream cheese for a thicker, more classic cheese danish filling. Simply replace the creme fraiche with a total of 12 ounces of cream cheese and add a couple of tablespoons of milk to thin the filling.
• Cream cheese - Adds structure to the filling, but can be increased if you want more of a cream cheese danish vibe (see above).
• Granulated sugar - Regular white or caster sugar is what I used, but you can substitute with powdered or icing sugar.
• Egg yolks - Two large egg yolks give this filling flavor as well as helping it to set when cooled. You can leave them out, but you're filing will be more loose after baking. You will also need an additional egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash.
• Vanilla bean paste - Our crème fraîche filling always had speckles of vanilla bean seeds from the vanilla bean paste. The flavor is fantastic, but you can use an equal amount of vanilla extract if that's what you have.
• Pearl sugar - At the bakery we would egg wash the rim of our pastries and sprinkle them with Swedish pearl sugar. It gives a light sweetness to the dough and also a satisfying crunch. If you don't have that, you can leave them plain or you can sprinkle with coarse sugar or granulated sugar instead.
• Fresh berries (not pictured) - Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or even a mix will be delicious. Sometimes I like to use strawberry jam or blueberry jam in addition to the fresh fruit.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variations

Make these one time, you will start thinking of ways to play with them immediately.

• Classic cheese danish - Skip the fruit and lean into the cream cheese flavor by increasing the cream cheese slightly.
• Citrus sugar - Rub lemon or orange zest into the sugar in the dough and the filling for a bright, bakery style twist.
• Morning bun energy - Add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar to the rim before baking for a soft morning bun vibe.
• Boston cream style - Pour warm cream over chopped chocolate, whisk smooth, and spread over the baked pastries.

Quick Recipe Video

Step-by-Step Instructions

This is a very approachable dough and shaping process. If you follow along with the step by step photos, you will be just fine. I divided it into three easy sections, so take it one step at a time.

Make the brioche dough

Step 1: In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Melt butter and add warm milk, then whisk in room temperature eggs.

Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Step 3: Switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides.

Step 4: Shape into a ball, place back into a greased bowl.

Rise and shape

Step 5: Cover and let rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled.

Step 6: Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Gather each piece like a drawstring bag

Step 7: Roll into a smooth ball. Place all the dough balls on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Step 8: Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours.

Make filling

Step 9: In the morning, Let the dough come to room temperature for about an hour while you preheat your oven to 375°F and make your filling. Place all creme fraiche filling ingredients in a medium bowl.

Step 10: Use a hand mixer to combine ingredients until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Fill and bake

Step 11: Place 6 dough balls each on a large sheet pan covered with a piece of parchment paper. Press down the center of each dough ball to create a well, leaving a rim. I find a ¼ cup measuring cup is the perfect size.

Step 12: Brush the rims with an egg wash consisting of one large egg whisk with 1 tablespoon of water or milk.

Step 13: Sprinkle with pearl sugar or coarse sugar, if using.

Step 14: Fill each depression with about 2 tablespoons of filling. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 18 minutes until golden.

Finish: Leave plain or top with fresh fruit or jam, or a combination. Serve slightly warm or fully cooled when the filling has set. They are perfect with coffee, brunch spreads, or standing at the counter eating one quietly before anyone else wakes up.

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