These pillowy-soft homemade hamburger buns will elevate your burger game to restaurant-quality status.
Made from scratch in just over 3 hours, these Greek-inspired buns strike the perfect balance between fluffy interior and golden-brown crust.
Each 304-calorie bun delivers the ideal foundation for your favorite burger creations, with just the right amount of structure to hold all your toppings.
Whether you’re hosting a backyard BBQ or planning a special family dinner, these foolproof buns will make every bite memorable.
Ingredients for Homemade Burger Buns
- Active Dry Yeast: 1 package (8g) – ensure it’s fresh for proper rising
- Warm Water: 250ml – temperature should match your finger temperature
- All-Purpose Flour: 520-550g – measured precisely for perfect texture
- Sugar: 3 tablespoons – helps activate the yeast and adds flavor
- Salt: 1½ teaspoons – enhances overall taste
- Butter: 3 tablespoons, melted – brings richness to the dough
- Egg: 1 large – adds structure and richness
- For Topping:
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Activate the Yeast: Combine warm water, yeast, and 50g flour. Let rest 6-7 minutes until bubbly.
- Prepare the Base: Mix melted butter (finger temperature), egg, and sugar into yeast mixture.
- Form the Dough: Add remaining flour and salt. Mix 10 minutes until soft and slightly sticky.
- First Rise: Cover oiled dough and let rise 2 hours until doubled in size.
- Shape the Buns: Divide into 8 equal pieces, shape into rounds, flatten to 1.5cm thickness.
- Second Rise: Let shaped buns rise 1 hour until doubled.
- Final Touch: Brush with egg wash, sprinkle sesame seeds.
- Bake to Perfection: 180°C for 16-17 minutes until golden brown.
Technique Tips
Making these buns is all about getting the yeast and temperature just right! The water and melted butter should feel the same as your finger – not hot, not cold.
This simple finger test takes the guesswork out of yeast baking. When kneading, keep the dough soft and slightly sticky – resist adding extra flour, even if it feels a bit messy. Your patience will pay off with perfectly fluffy buns!
Serving Ideas
These golden, fluffy buns are perfect for classic beef burgers, but don’t stop there! Try them with grilled portobello mushrooms, pulled pork, or chicken patties.
They’re also amazing for breakfast sandwiches – just split, toast, and fill with eggs and cheese. For a fun twist, serve them as mini sliders by dividing the dough into 16 pieces instead of 8.
Storage Tips
Your fresh-baked buns will stay soft and tasty for 1-2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Want to keep them longer?
Pop them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To refresh, just warm them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes, or microwave frozen buns for 20-30 seconds.
The buns might look a little wrinkly after freezing, but warming them brings back their soft texture.
Best Homemade Hamburger Buns
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Baking tray
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
For the burger buns
- 250 ml warm water
- 1 package dry active yeast (8g/0.28 oz.)
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsps melted butter
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsps sugar
- 520-550 g all-purpose flour (18.5-19.5 oz.)
For the topping
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- To prepare this homemade hamburger buns recipe, start by making the dough. Add in the mixer’s bowl the yeast, the warm water and 50g flour (5 tbsps). Using a hand whisk, whisk all the ingredients to form a batter. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 6-7 minutes, until the yeast rises and starts bubbling.
- In the meantime melt the butter at very low heat. The butter should be at the same temperature as your finger. If it is warmer, leave to cool down for a few minutes.
- Pour the butter in the yeast mixture and add the egg and sugar. Whisk to combine. Top with the flour and add the salt.
- Using the dough hook mix at first at low speed, until the ingredients start to combine and then mix at medium-high speed for about 10 minutes, until the dough doesn’t stick on the sides of the bowl.
- Coat lightly the dough with oil and place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Gently deflate the dough and divide in 8 equal sized pieces (approx. 115 g./4 oz. each). Form each piece into a round shape and pat into flat disc shapes about 1.5 cm thick.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined baking tray, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Brush tops with egg wash (beaten egg and milk) and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 16-17 minutes until nicely colored.