Ultimate Homemade Hamburger Buns

5 from 1 vote

This recipe for the Ultimate Homemade Hamburger Buns is the last one that you'll ever need. These buns are ultra-soft, ultra-delicious, and perfect for burgers and sandwiches!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Proofing Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: Buns

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Spencer Klickman

Equipment

Small Saucepan
Stand Mixer
Baking Sheet
Wire Cooling Racks

Ingredients

The Ultimate Hamburger Buns

¾ Cup 90-100°F Whole Milk 185g
2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast 7g
1 ½ Tablespoons Honey 30g
2 ¾ Cups Bread Flour 340g
2 Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt 10g
5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter 70g - Softened, Plus more for brushing
1 Large Egg About 50g

Egg Wash

1 Large Egg White
1 Tablespoon Water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the milk and honey to a small saucepan and heat to 90 – 100°F over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the honey is dissolved. Remove from the heat, whisk in the yeast and allow to bloom for 5 to 10 minutes.
While the yeast is blooming, whisk together the bread flour and fine sea salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook.
Add the yeast mixture and large egg to the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add the softened butter and increase the speed to medium and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until a smooth dough is formed and it pulls away cleanly from the edges of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto the counter and shape into a smooth ball. Place the dough into a large mixing bowl, cover and rest for 1-hour until doubled in size. Towards the end of the first rise, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto an un-floured work surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces, about 75 grams each. Form each piece of dough into a ball, tucking the edges together and then pinching the seams on the bottom. Roll each ball seam-side down into tight dough balls using the friction of the work surface to pull the outer layer of the dough slightly taught.
Transfer the dough balls to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, staggering 2 to 3 inches apart so they don’t touch during baking (ideal spacing is shown in the blog post above). Gently press the tops down with the palm of your hand to lightly flatten (do this carefully so you don’t knock all the air out your buns - flat buns = no bueno). Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and proof for an additional hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F in the last 15 minutes of the second proof.
In a small container, combine the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg wash over the tops of the buns. Optionally top with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or flaky sea salt.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and shiny. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack until cooled completely. Once cooled, lightly brush with melted butter.
For optional softness, transfer to a plastic bag once cool and store at room temperature until ready to serve.

Notes

Extra Dough

You will have a little extra dough left over if you use 75-gram dough balls for each bun. The extra can be discarded, or you can increase the bun size to 80 grams (maximum) to reduce the amount of dough you have to discard.

Top Tips for Burger Bun Success

- Weighing the flour will give you the best results. If you don't have a kitchen scale, scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon, and scrape the extra off the top.

- Heat the milk to 95–100°F to kick start the fermentation process. This will help the first rise.

- Stagger the buns on your baking sheet as shown above to ensure that they bake evenly. If you bake them in a row, they will rise too much, bunch together, and the outside edges won't brown.

- Store the cooled buns in a sealed container or zip-top bag for an hour or two to enhance their softness prior to serving.

Storing & Reheating

These buns are the best the same day they are made, but they can can be stored at room temperature for up to three days. After three days, transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

These buns do really well in the freezer. Reheating them is as simple thawing at room temperature overnight or warming them in a 300°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes until soft

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