Homemade Hamburger Buns

You can’t go wrong with this amazing homemade hamburger buns recipe. In fact, once you make them, you won’t want to buy them from the store again, they are that good! They are soft, buttery, hold up really well when assembled, and oh so delicious. I have to keep myself from eating them plain.

I love hamburgers. Nothing like a big juicy hamburger, chips or fries, and a tall glass of strawberry lemonade to brighten my day. Hamburgers are one of my favorite things to eat.

One of the secrets to an amazing burger is having an amazing bun. These homemade hamburger buns are absolutely perfect. A mix between a classic brioche roll and my yummy homemade white bread. They are very easy to make, if I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get baking!

Step 1: Gather the ingredients

In order to make incredible homemade hamburger buns from scratch you need a handful of everyday ingredients:

• Water – I always use filtered water, because my tap water tastes terrible.
• Sugar – The total amount of sugar and be reduced in half, but I recommend making it as is first.
• Yeast – I always use active dry yeast, but rapid-rise and instant yeast will work too.
• Flour – Bread flour makes these that much better, but all-purpose/plain flour will work. No self-rising flour for these.
• Egg – The egg adds a bit of richness to the dough, helps make the bun more tender, and helps it to rise a little higher. If you are Vegan or can’t have eggs, you can leave it out.
• Butter – I love using butter in the dough, but you can substitute the butter with olive oil if you like. Butter is also used for basting the tops of the baked homemade hamburger buns.
• Salt – The salt will add a balance to the flavors and enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Sesame seeds – These are optional, although some would claim they are not optional.

Egg Wash

• Egg – The egg wash gives the baked buns and amazing color.
• Milk – Any milk will work.

Step 2: How to make homemade hamburger buns

Begin the hamburger buns by prepping the yeast. Take a medium bowl and add the water to it. Then heat it up in the microwave for 30 to 35 seconds until the water is about 105 to 115F/40 to 44 C. You may also heat the water up in pot on stovetop burner.

Sprinkle in about 1 teaspoon of the sugar into the warm water. Then add in the yeast. Next add in about 1/4 cup of the flour and mix everything together with a whisk.

Now allow the mixture to rest for 10 to 15 minutes until it gets nice and foamy.

In a large bowl add the egg and whisk it. Then add in the rest of the sugar and whisk those two ingredients together for a few seconds.

Melt the butter just until barely melted and not hot, and then pour it into the large bowl with the egg and sugar mixture. Follow that up by pouring in the yeast mixture.

Whisk everything together really well.

Step 3: Finish making the homemade hamburger buns dough

Pour in about 1 cup of the flour and whisk it in. After that, you can put the whisk away, and switch to a wooden spoon, you may also use a stand mixer with a dough hook if you like.

Now add in another cup of the flour as well as the salt. Stir it into the dough. Once combined the dough will be tacky and sticky.

Pour the dough out onto a floured surface and then knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. Add more flour a little at a time while kneading as necessary. Be careful not to add too much flour. Just until the dough is slightly sticky. It is better to have a slightly sticky dough then a dough with too much flour in it.

I still really enjoy hand kneading bread dough and other yeast-based doughs. Who needs a stand mixer right? Haha, at some point I may use a stand mixer, but most likely not anytime soon.

Once you are done kneading the homemade hamburger buns dough, shape it into a nice ball. Then place it in a large bowl which has been sprayed with some cooking spray, or put a little bit of olive oil in the bottom. Next, move the ball of dough all around into the bowl coating it lightly with the oil.

The thin coating of oil will protect the dough and keep it from drying out as well as keep it from sticking to the sides of the bowl and the plastic wrap or damp cloth covering.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and place it in a warm area of the house to rise for 1 to 2 hours, until it at least doubles in size.

Step 4: Cut and shape the dough into hamburger buns

After the dough rises, dump it out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 to 10 equal pieces. To be precise, weight the full ball of dough first. Then divide that number by 8 to 10 and then you will know how much each piece should weigh.

8 pieces will result in nice large hamburger buns. 10 pieces will give you medium sized buns. If you want to make small slider style buns, you can divide it into 14 to 16 pieces.

Take a piece of dough and fold in the ends of it to the middle of the dough, and then pinch them on the bottom, which will form it into a ball with a smooth top. Cup your hands around it and turn it which will further shape it into a ball. Lightly pat it down into a fat disc shape. You can also hold it in your hands and gently press around it to make it into a disc.

Step 5: The second rise

After shaping the dough pieces into flat discs, place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, or a silicone mat. You can also just lightly spray the pan with cooking spray. If you like you can use a hamburger bun pan. Make sure to set them about an inch apart.

Lightly pray the tops of the buns with cooking spray or baste them lightly with olive oil or sprinkle them lightly with flour. Then loosely cover them with plastic wrap. You don’t want the dough to stick to the plastic wrap, so don’t skip that step.

Allow the homemade hamburger buns to rise for an hour. After they have risen gently remove the plastic wrap from on top.

Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Make sure the rack is in the middle position.

Step 6: How to bake hamburger buns

Make an egg wash with the egg and the milk. Just place those two ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. Then baste the tops of the unbaked hamburger buns with the egg wash. Sprinkle on sesame seeds on the top if you like.

Place the pan of buns in the oven, middle rack position, and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops get nice and golden brown.

Once they come out of the oven, baste the tops of them with melted butter. And allow them to cool. While they are cooling you can cook the hamburger patties and make the other fixings.

Step 7: Assemble the burger with the homemade hamburger buns

Now it is time to assemble that yummy homemade hamburger. Cut a bun in half and then add on the lettuce, burger patty, cheese, bacon, etc. Now you are ready to eat that delicious burger with those incredible homemade hamburger buns. Enjoy!

How long do hamburger buns from scratch last?

If you place the homemade hamburger buns in an airtight container they will last 5 to 6 days at room temperature, or a few days longer than that in the fridge. They also freeze well for longer term storage.

Here are some other recipes you may like:

Pico de Gallo

Homemade English Muffins

Baked Tuna Patties

Crispy Onion Rings

Easy Homemade Bagels

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5 from 3 votes

Homemade Hamburger Buns

These homemade hamburger buns are so yummy. They are soft, buttery, and hold up well with all those hamburger fixings. If you love hamburgers then you have got to try these. If I can do it, you can do it.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Rising Time2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time3 hrs 20 mins

Course: Bread, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: burger, buttery, soft

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Matt Taylor

Equipment

• Bowls
• Sheet pan or Hamburger pan
• parchment paper or a silicone mat
• Plastic wrap
• Damp towel
• cooking spray
• Dough cutter
• Whisk
• Wooden spoon
• Fork

Ingredients

• 1 cup of water 250ml
• 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar 50g can halve it if you want them a little less sweet
• 2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast rapid rise or instant yeast (7g)
• 3 cups bread flour or use all-purpose/plain flour (360g)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp of butter or oil 28g
• 1 tsp. of salt 5g
• Sesame seeds for the top
• 1 tbsp melted butter for basting

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp of milk 15ml

Instructions

• Begin by heating up the water until it is 105 to 115 F/40 to 44 C. Sprinkle in about 1 tsp. of the sugar. Then add the yeast. Next, add about 1/4 cup of the flour and then mix everything together with a whisk. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes until it gets nice and foamy on top.
• Take a large bowl and add the egg and rest of the sugar and whisk them together. Melt the butter just until barely melted and not hot. Add the melted butter to the large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and whisk everything together.
• Whisk in 1 cup of the flour. Then switch to a wooden spoon. Add another cup of flour along with the salt. Stir everything together until a tacky sticky dough forms. Or you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
• Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Most likely you won't use all the 3 cups of flour. It is better if at the end the dough is just ever so slightly sticky.

  Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl with a bit of oil in it. Move the ball of dough around so it gets lightly coated with the oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours until at least doubled in size.
• After the dough rises, punch it down and place it on a floured surface. Shape it into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Divide it into 8 to 10 equal parts. Use a knife, pizza roller, or dough cutter.

  Take each piece of dough and pull each corner towards the center of the dough, creating a ball. Then gently press the ball down and shape it with your fingers and palm until it is a fat disc 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
• Prepare a sheet pan with cooking spray, silicone mat, or parchment paper. Place each disc of dough on the pan about 1 inch apart. Spray the tops of the dough with cooking spray or baste lightly with oil. This will keep the dough from sticking to the covering.

  Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise another hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.

  After rising, gently remove the plastic wrap. Whisk together an egg and the milk in a small bowl creating the egg wash. Baste the tops of the buns then sprinkle on the sesame seeds.

  Bake the hamburger buns for 15 to 20 minutes until nice and golden brown on top. Remove them from the oven and baste the tops with butter. Allow them to cool.
• While the buns cool, cook the patties, bacon, and prepare any other fixings. Then slice the bun in half and assemble your burger. Enjoy!

Video

How to Make Hamburger Buns | Amazing Homemade Hamburger Buns Recipe

Notes

Note: This recipe makes 8 large buns or 10 medium buns. You can also get 14 to 16 slider buns out of it. 

The buns will last 5 to 6 days at room temperature in an airtight container, or a few more days than that in the fridge. You can freeze them for a few months. 

Do you like this recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it. If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.