Ready for tender and fluffy hamburger buns, perfect for piling high with your favorite protein and burger toppings? This homemade hamburger bun recipe will have you kicking store bought buns to the curb.
While these buns are baking, cook up some burger patties from the freezer seasoned with this amazing Hamburger Seasoning, and lay out an array of burger toppings. Add a side of Classic Potato Salad and you’re all set! Dinner at home has never tasted so good!
Twenty years ago we bought our first mortgage. In a town where we knew no one and had no job!
Some would call that a bold move. Others would say it was pure stupid.
I say thanks to the grace of God, we survived. My husband got a great job working for one of the best men we ever met. We learned how to scale back and make do.
And I learned to bake.
Specifically, I made homemade hamburger buns. Now, you may think that store bought hamburger buns are cheap enough, why bother making them at home?
Why Make This
Homemade hamburger buns taste AMAZING, that’s why. Seriously, this hamburger bun recipe will elevate the simplest meal to something sensational. If this is your first time making homemade hamburger buns, you’re in for a treat! You’ll be so glad you gave this a shot.
It can save you money. While some store buns are cheap on sale, the regular price is not. In fact, I’ve seen the cheap buns for $3/package, a little less than the cost of a bag of flour. You can make a lot more homemade baked goods with that bag of flour than you can the bag of burger buns.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade hamburger bun recipe:
warm water – You’ll need warm water to dissolve the yeast and get it ready for baking.
active dry yeast – Yeast adds flavor as well as helps dough rise. You can’t omit this, but you can use instant yeast which simply doesn’t need to be dissolved in water if you want to make the dough more quickly. If you prefer not to use commercial yeast at all, be sure to try your hand at growing a sourdough starter and baking buns that way. Learn more about different kinds of yeast here.
granulated sugar – Just a bit of sugar adds just the right sweetness. You can also use honey if you prefer, or omit it, though the buns won’t be as tender if you leave out the sugar.
warm milk – You’ll need milk for the dough as well as for brushing the rolls before baking. I do this instead of an egg wash to further cut the costs.
olive oil – You can also use melted butter, avocado oil, or your favorite kind of cooking oil, if you prefer.
bread flour – For best texture I use bread flour in my hamburger buns recipe. You can use all-purpose flour and even a portion of whole wheat flour if you like. Due to the nature of yeast, you cannot make this burger buns recipe with gluten free flour.
salt – Table salt adds both delicious texture and flavor to the buns. Do not omit it.
sesame seeds – I like the classic look of sesame seeds atop my homemade hamburger buns. If you want a slight twist, try my Everything Hamburger Buns recipe that uses a homemade everything bagel seasoning.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Homemade Hamburger Buns are something that you must make at least once. Just know that these tastier, healthier, often cheaper alternatives to spongy store-bought buns will have you hooked. You’ll never look back when you try this easy recipe.
Prepare the dough:
- If using a stand mixer: place the water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar into the mixer bowl. Stir to combine. Allow to proof about 5 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, milk, and oil as well as the bread flour and salt. Mix with the dough hook for a few minutes until the dough forms a ball around the hook. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough ball in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- If using the bread machine: place all the ingredients in the bread machine pan according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for “dough.”
- If mixing the dough by hand: place the water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Allow to proof about 5 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, milk, and oil as well as the bread flour and salt. Stir until the dough starts to come together. Remove the dough to a lightly oiled surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough ball in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Form the rolls and bake the buns:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- When the dough is ready, remove it to a lightly oiled surface. Divide the dough into 12 or 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a flat round by pulling the dough around the sides and pinching it together on the underside. Place each piece on the prepared baking sheet and flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the buns to rise for 30 minutes.
- If desired, brush the buns with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns for 15 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool them on a rack before serving.
This recipe makes 12 regular size hamburger buns or 16 slider buns. If you can keep your people from eating all these buns — I have to make a double batch and there are rarely leftovers — you can freeze them for a future date.
Just be sure that you’ve cooled them completely before you place them in ziptop freezer bags and freeze. Be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible.
FAQs
There are a few things you can do to keep buns from getting soggy: don’t assemble the burgers until right before serving and/or toast the cut side of the buns prior to assembly.
Hamburger buns are simply yeast rolls made large enough to hold the size of a hamburger patty. You can make them with space between them if you like a firmer crust on the bun, closer together if you prefer softer rolls.
Homemade and storebought hamburger buns can both be frozen. Make sure they are completely cool, if freshly baked, and secured in an airtight container before placing in the freezer. Store for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Yes! Use water or almond milk instead of the regular milk in this recipe and you’re good to go.
What to Serve with Homemade Hamburger Buns:
You don’t have to wait for burger night to make these homemade hamburger buns. When we’re running low on bread, I often make a batch for sandwiches.
It’s a quick and easy way to save money using what we already have at home. If you’re not up to speed on baking your own sandwich bread, baking buns is an easy way to get accustomed to home baking.
Here are some other recipes that we love to use these homemade hamburger buns:
Tell us what you think!
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Homemade Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- ½ cup water , warmed
- 2 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk , warmed, plus more for brushing
- ⅓ cup neutral oil such as avocado or olive
- 4 cup bread flour
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- If using a stand mixer: place the water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar into the mixer bowl. Stir to combine. Allow to proof about 5 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, milk, and oil as well as the bread flour and salt. Mix with the dough hook for a few minutes until the dough forms a ball around the hook. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough ball in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.½ cup water, 2 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast, 3 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 cup milk, ⅓ cup neutral oil, 4 cup bread flour, 2 teaspoon salt
- If using the bread machine: place all the ingredients in the bread machine pan according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for “dough.”
- If mixing the dough by hand: place the water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Allow to proof about 5 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, milk, and oil as well as the bread flour and salt. Stir until the dough starts to come together. Remove the dough to a lightly oiled surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough ball in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Bake the buns:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- When the dough is ready, remove it to a lightly oiled surface. Divide the dough into 12 or 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a flat round by pulling the dough around the sides and pinching it together on the underside. Place each piece on the prepared baking sheet and flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the buns to rise for 30 minutes.
- If desired, brush the buns with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns for 15 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool them on a rack before serving.1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on July 31, 2008. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Kathy C
I cut the recipe in half to make 6 hamburger buns for two people. It turned out great (did not use sesame seeds). I wish I always had time and remembered to make buns in advance!
Lisa S
Curious to know if you have ever tried using unsweetened almond milk and if it still works or if the proteins are just too different? Thank you.
Jessica Fisher
It should be fine. I’ve sometimes used water when needed.
Shara
Two questions: do you ever use whole wheat flour and if so how much can you substitute? Also, could you make them into knots instead of just rounds?
Jessica Fisher
Yes, I often use up to half whole wheat flour. As for knots, absolutely. Here’s one variation.
Amber in Bend Oregon
I made these last night and they turned out perfect! 16 gorgeous little slider style buns for our elk bugers. Thanks for perfecting the recipe and giving great directions!
Jessica Fisher
Excellent! I’m so glad to hear they were a success! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Betti
Hi!
I’m hungarian, so sorry if my english wont be perfect…I’d like to ask u if this hamburger buns are like at McDonald’s? I can buy them anywhere, but I would like to bake them myself. This will bi the 5th recipe Im trying, but for first, I wanna be sure if they are the perfect ones. Could u send some photos of these buns? we also have a recipe for hamburger buns at Hungary, but its called “fatty” and has a different look and taste. If u are interested at, I will share our recipe. Betti
JessieLeigh
I happily make all of our bread, english muffins, bagels, tortillas, etc… but after innumerable bun flops, this is ONE item I pick up at the store. Maybe I’ll get the nerve to try it again with a new recipe here… thanks for sharing!