This week, I have shredded BBQ chicken sliders and cheeseburgers on the menu, so instead of buying burger buns, I have decided to make my own. Burger buns are really easy and if you make your own, you know exactly what is in them and you can make them any size you need! I am using my absolute favorite burger bun recipe by King Arthur Baking Company.
These buns are soft, fluffy and really consistent. The recipe gives exact weights and measurements, so there is very little guesswork when bringing the dough together. Just mix, knead, rise and bake and then you have a little batch of beautiful burger buns ready to be used in so many delicious ways.
Let’s get them started…
Now you don’t HAVE to weigh everything out, but you should. If you weigh out your ingredients, your buns will turn out exactly like my buns, but if you don’t weigh out your ingredients, they may be different. Too dry or too tough or too flat… who knows, but if they don’t turn out, you won’t know why and that can be frustrating. That is one of the biggest reasons that people don’t bake, but these buns are so soft, delicious and easy that I would love for you to make them, love them and keep them on your rotation for years to come!
Start by gathering 418 grams of all purpose flour, 28 grams of room temperature butter, 1 large egg, 50 grams of granulated sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of instant yeast and 1 cup of water warmed to 100-110 degrees (like warm bathwater).
The first step is to combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Next, whisk the egg in a small bowl and add 3/4 cup of water and the whisked egg into the dry ingredients and mix until a dough begins to form.
You only want to use enough water to bring the dough together, so start with 3/4 of a cup and once it has been fully incorporated (along with the egg) decide if you need to add more. Today, I only needed 3/4 of a cup, but I have needed more in the past during drier weather. Once the flour has been fully worked into the dough, add the softened butter and begin kneading it into the dough.
Once the dough is smooth and elastic feeling, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 90 minutes. Once it has doubled in size, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Next, we divide the dough. If you want standard big burger buns, divide the dough into 8 equal portions. For smaller buns, use 50 grams of dough for slider sized buns or 75 grams for cocktail size burger buns. I usually make a few of each size, because you never know what you need, right?
Once you have the dough divided, start forming your smooth topped buns by tucking the sides of the dough into the center all the way around each bun. This creates a smooth top and pulls the sides in smooth and round. Flip the dough over (tucked side down) and place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Cover the dough with a dry kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 60 minutes.
Once the dough is all puffy, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it over the top of each bun. If you want to top your buns with sesame seeds (or anything else you can think of), sprinkle it over each freshly buttered bun.
Bake the buns at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The sliders will be done around 15 minutes, but the larger buns will take a bit longer. Once they are golden on top, transfer the buns to a cooling rack and let them cool for a bit before slicing.
These buns are so pretty! You can top them with sesame seeds, poppyseeds, everything bagel seasoning… whatever you want!
These buns are great for burgers (of course), but they are also great for BBQ chicken sandwiches, bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, chicken parmesan sliders or any other sandwich that can or should be placed on a bun. You will love these buns, however you decide to use them and with fall right around the corner, if you weren’t planning on grilling something that needs to be put on a bun… you should be…
Burger Buns
Ingredients
- 3/4-1 cup water, warm (between 100-110 degrees)
- 2 tablespoon butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- sesame seeds, poppyseeds, everything bagel seasoning (optional garnishes)
Instructions
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl
- Add 3/4 cup of warm water and 1 egg into the dry ingredients and mix until a dough begins to form
- If the dough is too dry, add a bit more water, but only use what is necessary to bring the dough together
- Once all of the flour is fully incorporated, add 28 grams (2 tablespoons) of room temperature butter and knead until the butter is fully incorporated
- Once the dough is smooth and elastic, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for about 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide (further instructions above)
- Form each portion into a smooth round ball by tucking the sides under all the way around until the top is smooth and round
- Place the formed dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet seam side down
- Once all of the dough has been formed, cover the baking sheet with a dry kitchen towel and rest for 60 minutes
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Once the buns are puffy, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with toppings (optional)
- Bake at 375 degrees for between 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown
- Once the buns are baked, transfer them onto a cooling rack
- Store at room temperature in an air tight container