We Tried: St. Pierre’s Spicy Brioche Burger Buns

If you’re a baker, especially if you’re a very amateur baker such as myself (seriously, I still kinda run around “It’s aliiiiive!”–style when the yeast starts to bubble), an enriched bread like brioche is a bit intimidating. If you’re an eater, especially if you’re a burger enthusiast, well, you already know the sweet, tender glories of the brioche burger bun, that―when it’s well-matched to its contents―brioche burger buns make everything oh-so-perfectly bougie. 

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So even though it doesn’t seem like you could, or should, try to improve on the brioche bun, if anyone can, it’s gotta be France, right? Birthplace of brioche and unofficial global capital of wholesome bread fetishism. In case your summer needed any more sizzle, France-based St. Pierre Bakery has come out with a limited-time variation on a classic theme, Spicy Brioche Burger Buns, and I got to see how hard they really kick.

“Soft Brioche with a Hint of Chili”

That’s how St. Pierre describes its buns, which come in a four-pack and are topped with a delicate flurry of breadcrumbs. FYI: I tried them with standard expectations―i.e. these buns were not subjected to swordfish steaks or triple-decker layers of ooey-gooey melting cheese. Each bun clocks in at 160 calories and 4 grams of fat per bun (which makes sense for an enriched dough) and they also have 5 grams of protein.

Pros: Aroma. If you love brioche (I love brioche), you know one of the great pleasures is tearing off a golden hunk and releasing that faintly eggy, faintly sweet aroma. St. Pierre’s buns didn’t disappoint. They did surprise with the very faintest “je ne sais quoi” kick of spicy aromatics on the second…let’s call it “inhalation.” I know, it’s in the name―shouldn’t be a surprise. Maybe I was expecting some kind of stuffy formal nod to heat? Whatever. I was wrong. Very (very) faintly in the aroma, and much more (though low- to medium-low) assertively in flavor, the heat is there. Granted my heat tolerance levels aren’t the highest, but I have been tasting all levels of heat proportioned well (and terroristically) in foods of all kinds, for many years. And even with that classic eggy richness to clamber over, heat and spice kick in pretty quickly. And they linger. As for the origins of that kick, I checked the ingredients list and found only “Chili Extract,” used here in moderation. No, they’re not hot. But they’d make your fried spicy chicken sandwich or jalapeño-studded bacon cheeseburger just a bit friskier. 

Cons: If you don’t like or can’t tolerate any level of spicy kick, you’ll have to avoid these. Yes, I’ve eaten spicier chips and chewy candies, but this isn’t the kind of gimmicky spice that flickers once and goes out. It hangs around. Also, and it’s a tiny complaint, but I didn’t get a ton of smokiness from the smoked paprika in the ingredients list―which could maybe be a good thing, since then the bun would be barking over your burger. But I’d be curious to taste just a tiny bit more redolent smoke in the back-end of the bite. The texture is just barely a con―it’s better than an average, non-brioche bun but stops a bit short of the rich lustrousness of maybe fancier brioche buns. But then I don’t imagine this bun participating in any kind of “fancy” burger moment. It’s a fun bun―really, that’s all it is. 

Our Final Verdict

This might seem high or low, or just right (like that porridge that blonde girl stole in that story one time). Think of it this way: a 10 out of 10 burger bun would still be a background player. St. Pierre’s Spicy Brioche Burger Buns get an 8 (that should maybe be a 7―they’re a bit dry) because they’re fun, different, and still sidestep the tragedy of food gimmickry. They also brown nicely, and (not least) add another layer of flavor to your burger-build, whatever it contains.