This homemade hamburger buns recipe is a game changer! From burgers to chicken sandwiches to pulled pork, these soft flavorful buns will elevate any filling you serve them with!
I shared the recipe for these homemade burger buns almost 15 years ago. They have been a family favorite from the very first time I made them!
The texture and flavor are so much better than store-bought buns! Even my boys, who usually just wolf things down, noticed. The 15-year-old commented how yummy and moist they were.
I doubled the batch, so we had leftover buns. My boys ate them plain the next day. They never would have done that with store-bought buns. You have got to try these super soft hamburger buns!
How to make your own homemade hamburger buns:
- DOUGH – Combine the warm water, oil, sugar, yeast, salt, and egg with about 1 1/2 cups of flour in a large bowl. (I use my Bosch Mixer and the dough hook attachment.) Beat till smooth.
Add enough flour to make a dough that is slightly sticky, but doesn’t stick to your finger. Knead for about 5 minutes in the mixer or on a lightly floured surface. - REST – Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes.
- FORM – Divide dough into eight equal portions. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball.
- RISE – Place dough balls on silicone lined baking sheet (or use cooking spray). Press each ball down with the palm of your hand. Cover and let rise 30-60 minutes at room temperature, or until doubled in size.
- SEEDS – If desired, brush each bun with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds.
- BAKE – Bake hamburger buns in a preheated oven at 350° for about 15-18 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
- CUT – For easiest slicing, let the buns cool completely on a wire rack.
Use for your favorite burger or sloppy joes!
Leftover buns can be stored in a plastic bag or airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. Just make sure they are completely cool so they don’t sweat in the bag and get soggy.
Homemade hamburger bun recipe variations:
- You can use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, but you will need to dissolve it first in the warm water. Instead of just letting the dough rest for 5 minutes, you will need to do a first rise for 30 minutes. The second rise may also take longer, but the baking instructions are the same.
- Instead of using water, you can brush your buns with an egg wash before baking.
- Bread flour can be used in place of all purpose flour.
- I have also made these buns with half whole wheat flour with great results!
- Instead of using sesame seeds, you can brush the top of the buns with melted butter when they come out of the oven.
Can I use this recipe to make hot dog buns?
Absolutely! Instead of forming your dough into circles, shape each piece into an oblong shape about 6 inches long. Rising time will be the same, but they do bake a little faster.
PRO TIPS:
- For best results, make sure your yeast is fresh. If you aren’t sure, mix about 1/4 teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of yeast in 1/4 cup warm water (100-115° F). Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. It should be nice and bubbly. If not, you need to replace it.
- Measure your flour by touch, not exact quantity! You want a soft, elastic dough. If you use too much flour, your hamburger buns will be tough and chewy instead of soft and fluffy.
MORE HOMEMADE BREAD RECIPES:
- Oatmeal Bread Recipe
- Cornmeal Dinner Rolls
- Macaroni Grill Bread Recipe
- Homemade French Bread
- One Hour Rolls
- Easy Naan Recipe
- Soft Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Hamburger Buns Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp instant yeast I used SAF brand
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour more or less
- Optional: sesame seeds or poppy seeds
Instructions
- Combine water, oil, sugar, yeast, salt, and egg with about 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a large bowl. I use my Bosch. Beat till smooth.
- Add enough flour to make a soft dough that is tacky, but doesn't stick to your finger. Knead for about 5 minutes in your mixer, or on a lightly floured counter.
- Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes, then divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each portion into a round ball.
- Place dough balls on a well-greased cookie sheet and press down with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise till doubled. (Mine took about 30 minutes, but it could take up to 60 depending on the temperature of your kitchen.)
- If desired, brush the top of the buns with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for about 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let buns cool on a wire rack. Cut in half and be prepared for the yummiest hamburger you've ever had!
Nutrition
Soft and flavorful, these are the best buns for hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and so much more!
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I’ll give them a try tomorrow. Look so good. Only letting them rise once ?
Yes, if you use instant yeast you only need one rise. If you are using regular active yeast, dissolve the yeast in water and also let the dough rise before forming the buns.
I really wanted to thank you for the recipe. I couldn’t find really good hamburger buns here in Iraq. I decided to try your recipe and it was successful and really good!!! Thank you for posting this recipe the guys LOVED it. They said the hamburger and bun reminded them of the States!!!
So glad to hear that the recipe was a hit!!
I wanted to make hamburgers yesterday but we didn’t have buns. I went right to Pinterest and this was one of the first recipes to pop up and when I saw it was from your site I knew it had to be good. And it did not disappoint. They looked beautiful and tasted delicious! Hoping I’ll never buy store buns again. Thanks!!
So glad to hear it Dezi! It’s crazy how much tastier than store bought they are, isn’t it?
what kind of flour do i use
You can use all purpose flour, bread flour, or even whole wheat flour.
tried them recently with pineapple turkey burgers and oh my god, they are soo good! thanks for sharing!!
Made this recipe last night and we loved them. Thanks for sharing!
Can this recipe be used for hot dog buns?
I made one batch in the bread machine and let it rise in there and one where I took it out and let it rise on the pan. It worked better rising on the pan but it’s delicious either way! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So glad to hear it Amy! I don’t have a bread machine, so thanks for testing it out and letting everyone else know that it works. Have a wonderful weekend!
I made these in my bread machine on the dough setting and it worked great! I just let them rise in there and then formed and baked them. They are still baking, but I will let you know how they taste later. 🙂 Just thought I would share in case anyone else was wondering if it would work.
Duh, just saw that you already tried dissolving the yeast first. Not sure why it isn’t rising for some of you. Sometimes when I bake during the winter my kitchen is cold and my dough raises really slow. I preheat my oven to 200, then turn it off. I place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack, and my covered rolls/buns on the top rack. Then I close the oven door to make a little “sauna” for my dough. It does the trick every time!
Mine didn’t rise either. They are like small hockey pucks lol. The yeast is not expired (has about 4 months more till then) Not sure what i did wrong.
I’ve tried it again taking a different method to this recipe… Letting the yeast activate. Still doesn’t rise. I have used same yeast for pizza dough and french bread recently and have had no issues. Somethings not right
Are you using the instant yeast? If not you have to dissolve it in the water first (use warm, not hot). If you are using the instant yeast, make sure your water is really hot so it warms up the dough. If that doesn’t work, you can dissolve the instant yeast in warm water and see if that works. Let me know.
Kara
Thanks for sharing! Wonderful recipe!
Thanks for the recipe! I gave it a try…and wondering what I’m doing wrong? They didn’t rise very much, though I let the dough rest. And I didn’t get that beautiful browning on top.
Believe me, this is a user error on my end. The buns were great tasting…my family loved them! But mine didn’t look quite like yours…and I would love for them too! Especially because they taste so good!
Keep on doing what you’re doing!
these were fabulous! i made 8 and they were like slider rolls instead of full size buns. i wonder if i could replace 1/2 the flour with whole wheat or use WW pastry flour instead? anyone tried this?
these seem insanely easy… must try!
OK made these today – FABULOUS! Quick and Easy – I am posting about this on tomorrows blog post. Thank you!
These are great! Easy, fast (for bread), and just plain yummy. They also stand up well to juicy, loaded burgers, unlike many store-boughten buns.
I’ve made them several times per your original recipe and WAY dig ’em. Also used this dough to make hot-dog buns, altho’ I only make six per batch of dough, ‘cuz we like a big bun for full-sized dogs and bunches of toppings. At the moment, I’ve got a batch rising made with half the flour being whole-wheat.
Thanks for sharing.
Is there a way to bake this as a loaf? Its the perfect bread period and I’d like a sliceable version.
It worked perfectly! Thanks Kara. Next time I’ll do a double loaf since 8 buns makes for a small loaf.
I know this is an older post, but I came across your recipe and had to let you know the buns turned out great! I’ve tried a few other recipes before, but these are the best, and easy! Thanks for posting!
These look amazing!! I plan to make them for some buffalo burgers I just picked up! (with meat that delicious I couldn’t risk ruining the burgers with store bought buns!)
Thanks for sharing!
they look great- I’m making them now and wondering if the egg goes in the dough or just to brush on top? I just don’t want to put it in the dough if it’s not supposed to be in there! 🙂 Thanks, renee
I made these last night. They were so tasty. I’ve done a lot of baking and I was also impressed at how easy they were to make. Thanks for the great recipe.
When I saw the picture and the simple, simple recipe, I just knew I had to make it! This was my first time making bread, but the buns turned out great! Definitely better than store bought. I do wonder if they freeze well, so I can always have a batch of these ready to use. With only one other person in the household, finishing 8 burger buns while they’re fresh just isn’t always possible. And I’d hate to waste such lovely homemade food!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Daphne,
I freeze my homemade bread all the time, so I bet these would freeze well too. Just make sure to wrap them in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. 🙂
I was just thinking of trying hamburger buns becuase I hate paying for them when they don’t taste as good as homemade bread. Now I know what recipe to use! Thanks!
Kara, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog…especially the recipes. I have made so many of your dishes (really good roast, bajio pork, rolls, pretzels, smoothies, etc, etc) and always look at your recipe index when I’m looking for something specific. I’m trying a new pulled pork recipe from Recipezaar so wanted to make your homemade hamburger buns. Just wanted to let you know the buns aren’t in your index! Thanks for your blog. It’s inspiring me to get going on the posts I have!
So glad you’re trying my recipes and enjoying them. That just always makes my day. 🙂
Thanks for letting me know about the Hamburger Bun link in the index. Ooops! It’s there now.
That looks delicious!
Thanks for linking up!
~Liz
These look great! I remember when I was in school that they had what I believed were homemade hamburger buns. They would make shredded bar b que meat and place it on these buns. UMMMM, I’ve never forgotten them! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Yum, that sounds good! Maybe I’ll have to try it next. 🙂
That looks perfect – better than an advertisement. It makes my mouth water.
I am totally going to try this. I’ve been trying to do more homemade bread products.
oooh! Thanks for the recipe! Grilling is a summer staple at our house too — can’t wait to try making these!
Wow, I want to eat that photo. Nothing better than burgers and bbq’s in the summer! Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day! 🙂
I started making home made hamburger buns recently and I completely agree, they are so much better than the ones from the store!!!!
Those look yummy! I’m def. going to make those next time we have hamburgers..like up tomorrow! 🙂
I linked up my project but the button doesn’t show the picture..has anyone else had the same?
It’s showing up now. Sometimes it just takes a minute or two. Not sure why.
Love the pedestal bowl by the way! 🙂
These look insanely good… might have to try them this weekend. Thanks for sharing!