Homemade Hamburger Buns (Light & Fluffy)
by Chungah
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THE BEST (and easiest) buns ever! So soft, pillowy and airy, perfect for any burger or sandwich. You’ll never want store-bought ever again!
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why you’ll love this hamburger bun recipe
- Easy and simple to make. Hamburger buns are easy and simple to make. The recipe is straightforward and does not require too many ingredients.
- Minimal hands on time. We’re talking 15-20 minutes of actual hands-on time here.
- So versatile. These homemade buns are not just epic for cheeseburgers. They are equally amazing for any sandwich – fried chicken sandwiches, club sandwiches, BLTs, sloppy joes…you name it.
- Hold up very well. These are the type of pillowy buns that will hold up everything (think saucy bbq pulled pork and sloppy joes!) so well without falling apart.
- Freezer-friendly. Did you know hamburger buns can keep in the freezer for at least 2 months? Cool, seal, and flash-freeze, toasting them directly from frozen.
Tips and tricks for perfect burger buns
- Check for expired yeast. When using expired yeast, the buns will not rise well, resulting in dense, flat, heavy burger buns.
- Avoid over-flouring. Adding too much flour will lead to dry, dense buns.
- Slightly tacky feels like a Post-It note. The dough should feel slightly tacky, similar to the back of a Post-It note. These are signs of good gluten development.
- Use an egg wash. Applying an egg wash before baking will yield that glossy, golden-brown finish (and also helping those sesame seeds adhere to the tops).
- Make it whole wheat. Swap out half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour while keeping the rest of the recipe the same. The texture will be a little more dense and heavy compared to using solely all-purpose flour.
freezing and storage
Storage
Leftover burger buns can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Homemade hamburger buns can be reheated in the toaster oven or n the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through. For a crispy finish, they can also be toasted on a hot buttered skillet, cut side down, for 2-3 minutes. Leftover burger buns reheated in the microwave can lead to soggy, chewy buns.
Freeze after baking
Let the burger buns cool completely. Wrap each bun in plastic wrap before transferring the buns to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or reheat in the oven (directly from frozen) at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
what to serve in homemade hamburger buns
Homemade Hamburger Buns (Light & Fluffy): Frequently Asked Questions
The dough should be soft, tacky, and slightly sticky, similar to the back of a Post-It note.
This can be due to a few various factors such as kneading too much, over flouring, or not letting them rise enough.
Brush the tops of the buns with an egg wash immediately before baking for that favorited glossy, bakery-style look.
Homemade buns can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Storing in the fridge can cause the buns to dry out.
Absolutely! For long term storage, cool the buns completely, slice the buns prior to freezing, and wrap each bun in plastic wrap before storing in an airtight, resealable freezer bag for at least 2 months.
Homemade Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water, 100-110 degrees F
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, divided
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour, divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with dough hook attachment, beat the water mixture, butter, 1 egg, 2 cups flour and salt on medium-low speed until a smooth batter forms, about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, smooth ball of dough is formed. The dough should feel elastic and slightly tacky to the touch. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large bowl or coat with nonstick spray; place dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Gently deflate dough by punching down.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, divide into 8 equal pieces, weighing the pieces as needed; shape each piece into a smooth ball.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place rolls onto the prepared baking sheet; flatten each ball to 3 inches.
- Cover with a clean dishtowel and let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and milk. Brush tops of dough with egg mixture; sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Place into oven and bake until golden brown, about 15-18 minutes.
Equipment
Did you make this recipe?
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This recipe was easy to follow and the result is realy nice. I just forgot to flatten them ut a little, so they turned out a little thik, exept for that they wire super tasty. Thank you for the recipe
Forgot the rating!
I have made these a couple of times and they turned out great. This time I mixed the dough, put in the fridge overnight (rather than letting them rise the first time), took them out in the morning and formed into buns. Let them rise about 2 hours, baked as directed and they are perfect! Thanks for this easy and versatile recipe.
This recipe made the most perfect, fluffy and soft burger buns! I am never buying burger buns again!
Loved these buns! 100% will make again! Could this recipe be made into a sandwich bread too? Just skip the dividing part?
These came out great! This time, I subbed in 3/4 c of whole-wheat flour and still great. I may try more next time. This recipe is a keeper!
These are over the top DELICIOUS!!
My husbands words: “these are the best buns I’ve ever had” !
These buns turned out beautifully! I boiled a small patato, peeled & mashed it and added it into the mixing bowl before proofing my dough. This is the best mini potato buns ever. Thanks for the recipe
Ever since I started making my own hamburger buns, I haven’t gone back to store bought. I’ve tried a number of recipes, mostly no-knead while my KitchenAid stand mixer was in storage (four years, long story). With my KA and this recipe, I turned out the best hamburgers buns I ever made. No fault to the no-kneads, but you need overnight if you need flavor. And the texture! These were both tender and also held together. My new go-to!
These are WONDERFUL!!
Very easy and delicious! Wouldn’t change a thing about this recipe
These came out ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!! I have a tendency to try new recipes at the last minute when making food to bring to social events. These did not let me down! Gorgeous glossy beautifully brown and deliciously soft and flavorful! Brought these to a hamburger bbq and used leftovers for breakfast sandwiches. I am now sad they’re all gone. 100% will make again!
Perfect! I made these today, it was easy to fit in the hands on steps between meetings and we ate them with Sloppy Joe’s for dinner. They were so good and they turned out picture perfect. I may never buy rolls again!
OMG, these were seriously damn delicious! I made them because I wanted to make brisket sandwiches with my leftover brisket and had no buns. I have to say, that I won’t buy buns again. These buns were soft, but they held up to all of the bbq sauce better than any bun I have ever had!
Just made these, but added some sour dough starter. Very good!
These will be our “goto recipe” for buns now! Maybe even loaf bread too with a few adjustments (but not much, I mean, these were good!)
how much sourdough starter did you add and did you let it bulk ferment? Or did you follow the recipe as is, except you added sourdough starter?
So gooood!
My family loved them!
These were delicious. Super easy and fast I will definitely make these from now on and my kids requested them for breakfast sandwiches!!
Boom!! This is hands down THE go to bun recipe in my house if I’m not doing sourdough. I usually shape my patties on the larger side so I like to make the buns a bit bigger too. A double batch is perfect for about 11…ish buns for me 😉
Happy baking!! This recipe is the best!!!
SO GOOD. I used olive oil because of health reasons and they were PERFECT. This is the go to recipe now.