This hamburger bun recipe is super easy to make with regular pantry ingredients, and the result is a SOFT roll that stays soft!
All you need is milk, an egg, a little sugar, all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt. Sesame seeds are optional! With summer upon us, I know this recipe will come in handy all season.
The Recipe That Keeps on Giving
Our beloved milk bread is the recipe that keeps on giving. Since we first released it in January 2015 (almost 10 years ago now), we have developed so many recipes using it as a base.
There’s Bill’s milk bread croissants, Kaitlin’s fluffy cinnamon rolls (like these hamburger buns, they also stay soft and fluffy), and a whole collection of Chinese bakery buns. I think there are over 20 recipes on our blog that start with this quick, reliable dough.
This time, I adapted it to make homemade soft hamburger buns. Like the original recipe, you just dump all the ingredients into a mixing bowl at the same time. This recipe is even easier though, because it’s a lighter dough.
Instead of heavy cream, I used milk, which most of us already have on hand. Rather than a mix of bread flour and cake flour, you can use all-purpose flour. (After more testing, I found it is a fine substitute for all our milk bread recipes). I also added less sugar, since these buns aren’t as sweet.
A Soft Hamburger Bun Recipe
Thanks to the enriched dough (a dough with dairy and egg added), these hamburger buns are super fluffy and soft.
The key to a soft, not dry hamburger bun is to avoid drying out your dough, and this one is on the stickier side. When you mix it, it should stick to just the bottom of the mixing bowl, and not the sides.
I know working with a stickier dough can be challenging at times, but avoid adding additional flour. If you follow the recipe and are sparing with your flour when working with the dough, you’ll get great results.
The consistency of your dough will also change depending on the humidity in your kitchen. In the summertime, when it’s extra humid, you may need a little extra flour on your hands.
That said, this recipe is really quite simple in the grand scheme of bread baking. Again, whether you use active dry or instant yeast, you don’t have to activate the yeast in lukewarm water first. The ingredients get added to the mixer all at once! Just make sure to add them in the order listed and that your milk and egg are at room temperature.
These soft, fluffy rolls are not just great for burgers, but any sandwich. And you know exactly what goes into them.
Sometimes, instead of buying ingredients at the store, I would rather just make them from scratch. Especially with prices being so high, it can be a rewarding way to save money and also avoid preservatives and other unwanted additives.
The Trick to Keeping Sesame Seeds on Bread
We also have a fun and handy technique for keeping the sesame seeds firmly on your buns. Bill discovered this little secret when developing his recipe for Chinese Sesame Balls.
The key is to wet the sesame seeds, not the dough. After soaking the sesame seeds briefly, strain them, and then press the dough into the wet seeds.
If you brush the dough with water and then sprinkle the sesame seeds on, they will fall off! Trust me, I already tried.
Storage and Make-Ahead
To store: keep the leftover buns covered from drying out—on a covered cake stand or in a closed container or resealable bag.
Because of the risk of over-proofing, the dough shouldn’t sit around overnight. If you want to make them ahead, these hamburger buns should keep for a few days on the counter and in the refrigerator for 7-10 days in a resealable bag.
Don’t store them on the counter if you’re going to take longer than a few days to eat them, as bread turns moldy faster in the summer heat than in the fall or winter.
These buns also freeze well after baking. Just put them in a resealable bag, freeze, and thaw them in the refrigerator. You can microwave them for 10-20 seconds just before enjoying, and they’ll be fresh and soft!
Soft Hamburger Buns Recipe Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in the following order: milk, egg, sugar, all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt. Turn on the mixer to “stir,” and knead for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together.
If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time just until it pulls away from the sides (it should be sticking to the bottom of the mixing bowl, but not the sides). If mixing and kneading by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.
Next, cover the dough with a damp towel, and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size (about 1-2 hours). Do check at the 1 hour mark, as you don’t want to over-proof the dough. (We like to proof dough in a closed microwave with a mug of just-boiled water next to it.)
Meanwhile, add the sesame seeds to a small bowl with some water. Then strain them using a fine-meshed strainer. Shake off any excess water, then transfer them to a medium bowl or shallow dish (big enough to fit one dough ball comfortably). Set aside.
After the dough has doubled in size, put it back into the mixer and knead on low speed for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and cut it into 10 equal pieces (about 100-110g each). Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces if you want slightly smaller buns, or 20 equal pieces if you want slider buns.
Take a dough ball, and knead it with the heel of your hand about a dozen times to get rid of more air bubbles. Then shape it into a ball, ensuring the top is as smooth as you can manage.
Then lower the smooth side onto the sesame seeds, patting the dough into the seeds to get even coverage in a single layer.
Pat the sesame seeds into the dough, gently reshaping as needed to keep it a round ball.
Place it on an un-greased sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, spacing them about 2 inches (5cm) apart. (When they bake, it is okay if they end up slightly touching, as you can easily pull them apart.)
Next, cover the dough balls with a dry kitchen towel for the second proofing. Proof on the counter for 30-60 minutes (depending on the ambient temperature in your kitchen), until the buns have increased in size by 1.5x.
When the buns are almost done proofing, position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350° F/175°C. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. (If making smaller buns, reduce baking time as needed by a few minutes.) Remove from the oven.
Cool before cutting into them.
Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!
Recipe
Hamburger Bun Recipe (Soft!)
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cup whole milk (at room temperature)
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in the following order: milk, egg, sugar, all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt. Turn on the mixer to “stir,” and knead for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time just until it pulls away from the sides (it should be sticking to the bottom of the mixing bowl, but not the sides). If mixing and kneading by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.
- Next, cover the dough with a damp towel, and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size (about 1-2 hours). Do check at the 1 hour mark, as you don’t want to over-proof the dough. (We like to proof dough in a closed microwave with a mug of just-boiled water next to it.)
- Meanwhile, add the sesame seeds to a small bowl with some water. Then strain them using a fine-meshed strainer. Shake off any excess water, then transfer them to a medium bowl or shallow dish (big enough to fit one dough ball comfortably). Set aside.
- After the dough has doubled in size, put it back into the mixer and knead on low speed for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and cut it into 10 equal pieces (about 100-110g each). Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces if you want slightly smaller buns, or 20 equal pieces if you want slider buns.
- Take a dough ball, and knead it with the heel of your hand about a dozen times to get rid of more air bubbles. Then shape it into a ball, ensuring the top is as smooth as you can manage. Then lower the smooth side onto the sesame seeds, patting the dough into the seeds to get even coverage in a single layer.
- Pat the sesame seeds into the dough, gently reshaping as needed to keep it a round ball. Place it on an un-greased sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, spacing them about 2 inches (5cm) apart. (When they bake, it is okay if they end up slightly touching, as you can easily pull them apart.)
- Next, cover the dough balls with a dry kitchen towel for the second proofing. Proof on the counter for 30-60 minutes, until the buns have increased in size by 1.5x.
- When the buns are almost done proofing, position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat it to 350° F/175°C. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown (if making smaller buns, reduce baking time as needed by a few minutes). Remove from the oven and cool before cutting into them.
