Homemade Hamburger Buns

In case you weren’t aware, May is National Burger Month. With a long weekend for grilling burgers with family and friends coming up, I certainly wanted to share one of our favorite burgers (o.k. one of many). But before I get to that recipe, I want you to have the recipe for a platform that can support that beefy goodness.

I know what you are thinking, make your own buns– really?! But honestly, once you start (and taste) there really is no going back to the artificial cardboard flavor that comes from too many of the store-bought variety (not to mention the pocket change you save by doing so).

I use my white bread dough recipe with a few minor adaptations. First, I enrich the dough with an egg. Once shaped, I brush the buns with an egg wash and give them a sprinkling of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or leave them plain depending on the type of burger I am making. Finally, to give them a good rise in the oven I increase the baking temperature to 400°F. 

The golden brown appearance, the slight pull, the buttery flavor–all these qualities help to make the at-home burger experience a truly exceptional one.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

By Nicole Prep: 15 minsCook: 15 minsRise Time: 3 hrsTotal: 3 hrs 30 mins Servings: 8 These homemade hamburger buns surpass anything you can buy at the store in flavor and texture!

Equipment

• Stand mixer

Ingredients 

For the Buns

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast or 2 ¼teaspoons active dry yeast
• ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons 1 ½ ounces unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup nonfat dry milk
• ¼ cup potato flour, I use Bob’s Red Mill
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
• 1 extra-large egg

For the egg wash

• 1 extra-large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• Sesame seeds or poppy seeds, optional

Instructions 

1. Combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, butter, dry milk, potato flour, water, and egg in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. (You can also make this by hand or in a bread machine.) Adjust the dough's consistency with additional flour or water as needed but remember, the more flour you add, the heavier and drier your buns will be. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Lightly spray the inside of a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and loosely cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place in a draft-free space to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently deflate the dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball and flatten into a 3 ½-inch disc. Transfer discs to a parchment lined baking sheet spacing them 2 ½-inches apart. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours in a warm, draft-free space.
3. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush the top of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if using. Bake the buns until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and use for your favorite burger recipe. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 187mg, Potassium: 213mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 273IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.