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A person holding a homemade hamburger bun that is topped with sesame seeds with his hand over a baking rack filled with more buns.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Course: Lunch / Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Proof and Cooling Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 316kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
You probably never thought you could make hamburger buns that would be better than you could get from your local market. Folks, it's time to rethink that theory. These buns are fool-proof and so delicious! Your family and friends will be blown away! Remember that your eggs and butter need to be at room temperature.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Stand-mixer, or electric mixer, preferably with dough attachment
  • Digital scale optional (but very helpful)
  • Palm scale optional (but very helpful)
  • Sheet pan with rack or a baking sheet with rack
  • plastic wrap

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup warm water 85°F to 95°F (180 ML)
  • 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast 1 package (0.25 ounces)
  • 3 tablespoon sugar (38 grams)
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour (420 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder (5 grams) optional
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 large egg divided, room temperature
  • 1½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
  • cooking spray

For the Egg Wash and Toppings

  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • ½ cup sesame seeds or everything bagle topping (recipe in NOTES)

Instructions

  • Add the warm water to the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk in the yeast and sugar until dissolved. Let it sit for 5 to 7 minutes, until foamy. 
    ¾ cup warm water, 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast, 3 tablespoon sugar
  • Add the flour, malt (if using), butter, egg, and salt. Mix on medium-low for 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. 
    3½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder, 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Remove the dough and form it into a ball. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Spray some oil over the top of the ball. Cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm, non-drafty area until doubled in size, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
    cooking spray
  • Punch the dough down and then scrape the dough onto an unfloured surface. Use a bench scraper (or knife) to cut the dough into 8 equal portions (weighing them helps - weigh the dough, then divide that number by 8). 
  • Fold the dough up (or down) with your finger to form them into smooth balls and place on one or two baking sheets lined with a silicone mat(s) or parchment paper, 3 inches apart. Use your palm to flatten the ball into a 3 to 3½ inch disc. (see video for visual guidance).
  • Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let proof for another hour to 90 minutes. They should have puffed visibly. In the last 15 minutes of proofing, preheat the oven to 375°F (remove the pans from the oven at this time if you are proofing them in the oven).
  • In a small bowl, mix together the water and egg. Gently brush the egg wash over the tops of the risen buns, trying not to deflate them. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds (or everything bagel topping).
    1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water, ½ cup sesame seeds
  • Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown, switching the pans (if using 2 pans).
  • Cool on racks. Cool completely. Slice just before serving. 

Video

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video near the top of the recipe for visual guidance.
We recommend weighing the ingredients, if possible. Investing in a digital scale and a palm scale is affordable, and they tools you will use repeatedly. See links for these tools in the blog post and recipe card. 
Don't slice the buns until you are ready to serve them. Buttering and toasting the buns creates a bit of a crisp exterior on the buns and helps to keep them from getting soggy when condiments and a juicy burger are placed on them. 
Keep buns in an air-tight container if not serving the same day made. They are at their best if served within a few hours of being baked. 
The buns can be frozen for up to 1 month.  Let thaw completely before using.  They won't be as fresh as when freshly made, but they are still very good. 
Recipe for Everything Bagel Topping:
  • 4 teaspoon white sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoon dried minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container. Will keep for several months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 457mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 4mg