Fluffy and fabulous homemade Hamburger Buns are the tastiest you’ll ever eat! And your burgers deserve the very best.
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The greatest burger starts with making your own hamburger buns.
What is even IN store-bought hamburger buns that allow them to last in those plastic bags for weeks on end? Whatever it is, it doesn’t help their flavor—let’s be real, they basically exist as a vehicle to deliver things like Smash Burgers and Hamburgers to your mouth. They’re not really meant to be appreciated.
Homemade hamburger buns are a different story. They’re soft and fluffy in delicious in a way that you’ll be very familiar with if you bake your own bread.
This recipe is easy as far as homemade bread goes—we’re not making babka here!—but like my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and Homemade Dinner Rolls, it does take more time than opening up that plastic bag of buns from the grocery store. The good news is that you can make them when you have time and freeze them for when you need them!
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
For the Buns:
- Water. You’ll need to warm this up, but you don’t want it hot. If you don’t have a thermometer, it’s better to err on the side of cooler. Cooler water will just take more time to activate the yeast, while hot water will kill it.
- Active Dry Yeast. Or instant yeast. If you don’t bake often and you’ve had the packets sitting in your pantry for a while, make sure the yeast isn’t expired.
- Granulated Sugar. This helps feed the yeast.
- All-Purpose Flour. Lightly spoon this into the measuring cup rather than scooping.
- Butter. This needs to be room temperature so it can incorporate easily into the dough.
- Egg. Also at room temperature! These hamburger buns are an enriched bread, which means they’re made with eggs and butter. That’s how they get their pillowy soft texture.
- Kosher Salt. Absolutely essential if you want this recipe to taste good!
For topping:
- Sesame seeds. The classic hamburger bun topping! But everything bagel seasoning is also delish.
- Egg. Beat this with a tablespoon of water to create an egg wash, which helps the buns get a nice golden color and sheen. If, like me, you’re a thrifty midwesterner, you can freeze any leftover egg wash to use in another recipe.
How to Make Hamburger Buns: My Top Tips
You’ll find the full recipe instructions below, but I wanted to call out a few critical tips I have for making sure your burger buns turn out perfect.
Watch the Dough, Not the Clock. When a recipe with yeast says to let the dough rise for a certain amount of time, it’s not a hard and fast rule to follow—it’s an average. If your kitchen is warm, the dough may finish rising sooner; if it’s cold, it will take longer. (Bake with yeast often? It might be worth it for you to buy a warming mat.)
Divide the Dough Evenly. After (gently!) punching down the dough, (gently!) shape it into a fairly even circle. Use a bench scraper, pizza rocker, or chef’s knife to cut the circle in half, then into quarters, and finally into eighths.
Rolling Dough Into Balls Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does. A lot of baking recipes will say to roll dough into a ball—it took me a while realize it didn’t mean like rolling cookie dough. You’ll need to stretch and pull the edges of each portion of dough to the center. Flip it over, then cup your hands around it and drag the dough across the counter, turning it as you do so. This creates tension in the sides of the bun so it bakes up tall rather than flat.
Ideas for Filling These Homemade Burger Buns
- You made your own hamburger buns from scratch, so why not make your own Refrigerator Pickles too? Now you’ll really impress everyone!
- This Chicken Burger recipe has a few tips to make lean ground chicken patties ultra tender and juicy.
- Make it meatless with these scrumptious Quinoa Burgers. They’re one of my favorites!
- For classic burger vibes made quick and easy, you can’t beat my Air Fryer Hamburgers.
Hamburger Buns
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Ingredients
For the Buns:
- ¾ to 1 cup water warmed to the temperature indicated on your yeast packet (see notes)
- 2 packets active dry yeast or instant yeast, 1 ½ tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
For the Bun Toppings:
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water to create an eggwash
- Sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- In a glass measuring cup with the spout, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let rest 2 minutes. The yeast should foam up; if it doesn't, your yeast is no longer good and you need to start over with new yeast.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, place the flour, 2 tablespoons butter, egg, and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed for two minutes, then increase the heat to medium high and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and soft, about 5 minutes. (If kneading by hand, combine the ingredients in a large bowl to start, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface to knead).
- Place the dough in a bowl (if it’s not already), cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes depending upon your kitchen.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. With your fist, gently press down the dough in its center. Turn it out dough out onto a clean surface and divide into eight pieces (a bench scraper works well for this).
- Form each piece into a ball by pulling the edges towards each other into the center, then flip the dough over so the seam is touching the counter. Cup your hands around the ball and drag it gently towards you so that you create surface tension against the counter and forms a smooth surface. Gently rotate the dough and repeat until you have a nice, smooth ball. With your palm, press down until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick, then release (the dough will spring back up). Arrange 4 buns per sheet, placing them seam side down and leaving them plenty of room to rise.
- Cover the rolls with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest until puffy and almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Towards the end of the rising time, place racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 375°F. Brush the egg wash over the tops of the buns. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds
- Bake the hamburger buns on the lower rack for 8 minutes, then rotate the pans 180°F and switch their positions on the upper and lower racks. Continue baking until the buns are golden and cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes more. Let cool, then slice in half horizontally.
Notes
- WATER: Use 3/4 water if you are in a warm, humid environment (think summertime in Florida). If it’s winter or the air is dryer, use up to 1 full cup. For something in between, use 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
- YEAST: I use active dry yeast and warm my water to between 100°F and 110°F
- TO STORE: Place the cooled buns in an airtight container or zip-top bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze the hamburger buns in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before using.
- Recipe adapted from The Big Book of Bread
Nutrition
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At first, I was worried they might be too dense, but they came out light, airy, and buttery soft. The kneading process was surprisingly easy, and the rise time was just right. I even made a batch to freeze, and they reheated beautifully. If you’re on the fence about making homemade buns, DO IT!
Way to go, thank you so much for sharing!
These turned out amazing. The texture is soft but not too airy.
So glad to hear it!!
I loved the process of shaping the buns and watching them rise. They baked up with a gorgeous golden crust, and the inside was pillowy soft. We used them for homemade cheeseburgers, and they held up so well without getting soggy. It’s a bit time consuming but it’s definitely worth it. Thank you!
So glad to hear, thank you Camilla!