Homemade Hamburger Buns

A square shot of a white bowl filled with hamburger buns. One of the sandwiches has been cut open

Making your own hamburger buns is easy—soft, airy buns with a crispy crust and well-known sesame seeds. You will be amazed at how easy this is to make. This recipe is suitable for the bread machine (up to the first rise) and for kneading by hand. Super tasty with a delicious burger from the BBQ. You'll be going to enjoy it to the last bite!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Rising 2 30

Total Time 3

Course Bread Baking, Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings buns

Calories 265 kcal

Equipment

A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
Hand Mixer optional
Bread baking machine optional
Baking tray
Parchment paper

Ingredients

Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic

Instructions

In the bread baking machine

In the bread-making machine, you first add the wet ingredients: milk, sunflower oil, and egg to the bowl. Then you sprinkle the flour on top. Spoon the yeast into one corner of the bowl and the salt into the opposite corner. In the middle, add the sugar.
4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons yeast, 1¼ teaspoon salt, 1⅔ tablespoons sunflower oil, 1 egg, 1¼ cup milk, 2 teaspoons sugar
Start the bread baking machine at its dough program (kneading and first rise). Take the dough out of the bowl and put it on the work surface. Push the air out.

By hand or mixer

Warm the milk until it's lukewarm (99 °F / 37 ·C).
1¼ cup milk
Add the sugar and yeast.
2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons yeast
Let it stand for 5 minutes. Bubbles should appear on the surface. If they won't, your yeast isn't working anymore, and you should start with new yeast.
Put the flour in a bowl and add the milk mixture, oil, and egg.
4 cups all-purpose flour, 1⅔ tablespoons sunflower oil, 1 egg
Knead for 5 minutes, then sprinkle the salt on top.
1¼ teaspoon salt
Knead further for another 5 minutes until the dough becomes soft and elastic. (* see notes)
Oil a bowl and put the dough in. Turn around once.
Cover with a slightly wet towel and wrap plastic foil over the towel.
Put in a warm environment for about 90 minutes. The dough should be doubled by then.
Put the dough in front of you on your working surface and press the air out of the dough with your hands.

After the first step with the bread baking machine or kneading by hand or mixer.

Place the parchment paper on the baking plate.
Divide the dough into nine equal pieces and make a ball from each piece.
Place the balls on the baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Press the balls with a flat hand.
Brush the top with water and sprinkle the sesame seeds on the bun.
sesame seeds
Press the seeds a bit and put a towel over the bread.
Let the burger buns rise for 1 hour.
Turn on the oven for the final 30 minutes, so it can pre-heat to 390 °F (200 °C).
Spray the buns with water from a spray bottle and slide them into the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes until brown. Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack.

NOTES

1. Yeast - This recipe uses two teaspoons of instant yeast. If you prefer to use fresh yeast, you need ½ oz. If you use dry yeast, you also need two teaspoons. Note: with both fresh yeast and dry yeast, you must first dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water before adding it to your dough. That way, it already starts doing its job

2. Salt - Adds flavor to the hamburger buns. But watch out with yeast, as salt can kill the yeast if it comes into contact in large amounts. That is why you knead the dough lightly, distribute the salt over the dough and knead further.

3. How do you check whether your dough is kneaded enough?

Check the dough because you don't want to under-knead or over-knead. You do that by pulling a fleece. Next, flatten a small ball (about ½ inch diameter) of dough. Stretch the dough slightly, turn it in your hands a quarter turn and turn again. Then stretch the dough again and turn it a little again. Do this until a thin membrane (which you can see your fingers through) is formed (you cannot do this in one go). If the dough tears before you see a thin membrane, it is not good yet, and you knead it for another 2 minutes. Then let the dough rise.

4. Oven - When you use a conventional oven, set the temperature to 390 °F (200 °C). In a convection oven, 350 °F (180 °C) is enough. If you can choose, use the conventional setting.

5. Storage

Room temperature - You can store the sandwiches in a (paper) bag at room temperature for up to two days.
Refrigerator - Do not keep the sandwiches in the fridge. Due to the high humidity, the bread rolls become moist.
Freezer - Freeze the sandwiches in a freezer bag or container. This way, they stay good for up to 2 months. Thaw the buns at room temperature. Tip: Place baking paper between the buns. This way, they don't freeze together, and you can remove and thaw precisely the required number of hamburger buns from the packaging.
To crisp up again: Moisten the tops of the buns and heat them in an oven at 390 °F (200 °C) for 5 minutes (or 3 minutes at 390 °F / 200 °C in the Air fryer).

6. The nutritional value shown is per homemade hamburger bun.

Nutrition

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