These homemade hamburger buns are buttery, soft and will elevate your burger nights. This easy burger bun recipe takes about an hour and yields buns that are far better than store-bought.
I always prefer homemade bread — whether it’s no‑knead bread, pretzel bread, french bread, or dinner rolls, homemade usually wins. These hamburger buns are no exception: rich with butter, soft in texture, and the perfect match for a great burger.
Burger Buns: Ingredients & Substitutions
Notes about the main ingredients and simple substitutions you can use without sacrificing texture and flavor.
- Granulated sugar. Sugar helps the yeast activate; you can substitute honey if desired.
- Whole milk. Any milk (not fat free) will work, but whole milk gives the richest crumb.
- All-purpose flour. You can replace up to half the flour with whole wheat pastry or white whole wheat, but these buns are best with a quality all-purpose or bread flour.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter is fine; adjust salt if you use unsalted.
How to Make Hamburger Buns
You can make these buns in a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand. Both methods are straightforward.
Start by combining warm water, sugar, and active dry yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or in a large bowl if mixing by hand. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
Add melted and cooled butter, milk, and the egg to the proofed yeast and stir gently to combine.
Ingredient Temperature
Make sure the butter and milk are cooled completely before adding to the yeast. If the mixture is over 105°F, it can kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise.
Stir in 3 cups of all‑purpose flour and the sea salt using the dough hook. Add additional flour in 1/4 cup increments and knead until the dough forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball. If mixing by hand, use a wooden spoon or spatula and finish kneading by hand if needed.
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes.
Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Weighing the dough ensures uniform buns, but you can approximate if you don’t have a scale.
Shape each portion into a flat, round disc about 2–3 inches in diameter so the baked buns aren’t too tall to bite into. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with a damp towel (not touching the rolls), and let rise again until doubled, 30–60 minutes.
Bake & Serve
Near the end of the final rise, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the buns for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove the buns from the oven and immediately brush the tops with melted butter, then sprinkle with sesame seeds or coarse sea salt.
Serve
Slice the buns in half and use them for hamburgers, turkey or chicken burgers, shredded BBQ chicken, or hearty sandwiches. They also pair well with chicken salad, egg salad, or veggie burgers.
Burger Buns Recipe FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Cool completely, place in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 1 month.
To crisp buns, slice them in half and: 1) place cut-side down on a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes; 2) toast them in a toaster; or 3) place them cut-side down on the grill for 30–60 seconds.
If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment and rating. I love seeing your photos and creations!
Homemade Hamburger Buns (Burger Buns)
Laura
Equipment
- KitchenAid Mixer (optional)
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Spatula
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Burger Buns:
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk (room temperature)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 ½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons butter (melted)
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds or coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add melted butter, milk, and egg; gently stir to combine.
- Add 3 cups flour and sea salt, mix on low with a dough hook.
- Add more flour ¼ cup at a time and knead until dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes.
- Punch down, divide into 12 pieces, and shape into flat discs about 2–3 inches across.
- Cover and let rise again until doubled, 30–60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F during the final rise.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds or salt. Serve warm.
Notes
Store: Keep buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month.
How to crisp: Slice and toast in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, in a toaster, or briefly on the grill.
Ingredient substitutions:
- Granulated sugar can be replaced with honey if preferred.
- Any milk except fat-free works; whole milk gives the best texture.
- Up to half the flour may be swapped for whole wheat pastry or white whole wheat, but the best results come from all-purpose or bread flour.
- Unsalted butter can be used; adjust salt to taste.
Nutrition
| Calories: 220 kcal
| Carbs: 32 g
| Protein: 5 g
| Fat: 8 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.