Homemade Hamburger Buns are the best way to elevate your burger game. Imagine how impressed everyone will be when you tell them you not only made the Hamburgers from scratch but you also made the buns!
This recipe comes together easily with staple ingredients. It’s freezer-friendly, so you can make it in a large batch and freeze it for later. Watch the video tutorial, and you’ll see that it isn’t any more complicated than making dinner rolls.
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Homemade Hamburger Buns
The first time I made my own hamburger buns, my family wouldn’t stop talking about how much they loved their burgers (case in point: don’t miss my darling daughter who guest stared in the video taste test below). That’s when I knew I’d be making my own homemade burger buns forever. With the right buns, your Hamburger will taste like a gourmet burger from a fancy steakhouse.
I’m all for making foods from scratch – especially home-baked bread, from Sourdough Bread to Dinner Rolls and of course, Overnight Pizza Dough! You can control the quality of the ingredients and avoid preservatives and highly processed foods by making them from scratch. And most importantly, they taste so much better and it’s easier to make than you think.
Since these freeze well, you can make them now and stash them for later which is what we do. We have zip bags full of homemade hamburger buns stashed in the freezer ready for the next time the burger craving strikes!
Burger Buns Video Tutorial
Watch Natasha make these homemade hamburger buns from scratch! You’ll never reach for the store-bought burger buns again.
Ingredients
Pantry staples are all you need to make these easy homemade hamburger buns.
- Eggs – Eggs keep the crumb moist and help to puff the roll. We also use an egg for the egg wash to give it a golden glossy finish.
- Sugar – This won’t make the bread sweet. Instead, sugar feeds the yeast for a fluffy crumb
- Salt – provides stability in the breads rise and flavors the bread
- Instant yeast – you’ll need a Tablespoon which is slightly more than 1 packet. It’s quicker than active dry yeast and creates a bigger rise. You can substitute with active yeast if that’s all you have, but be sure to activate it for 7-10 minutes before adding flour. Also, be aware that the bread may take longer to rise.
- Butter – unsalted is best so you can control the sodium in the buns. Soften the butter by leaving it at room temperature for an hour or heating it in a microwave for 10-15 seconds. You want to be able to easily dent the surface with a finger.
- Flour – Watch this tutorial on how to measure flour. Too much flour could make the bread dense and dry, while too little will be sticky and flat.
- Toppings – optional, we like to add sesame seeds or Everything Bagel Seasoning
Pro Tip:
Be sure your ingredients are at room temperature (including the eggs) to help the yeast activate for the best rise and crumb.
How to Make Homemade Hamburger Buns
This simple recipe creates 8 beautiful, airy burger buns in only a few hours of rise time. It’s one of my favorite baking projects – I especially love working with this dough, it’s almost therapeutic to shape and press it into buns.
Make the Hamburger Bun Dough
- Hydrate the Yeast – In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water (about 110°F), egg, sugar, salt, and yeast and whisk for 1 minute. You can mix these right in the bowl of a stand mixer if you are using one.
- Make the Dough – Add the butter and nearly all of the flour, leaving 2 tablespoons of flour reserved. Mix until the dough comes together. If it feels too sticky to the touch add the remaining flour just until it isn’t too sticky to knead (be careful not to add too much flour). Knead or mix using a dough hook for 5-6 minutes.
- Rest the Dough – Cover and let the dough double in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I like to put the whole bowl in my oven (turned off!) with the light on to speed it along, but it can also sit at room temperature.
- Shape the Hamburger Buns – Once doubled, turn the dough onto a work surface and cut into 8 pieces (about 100g each). Roll each piece into a tight ball (see my video above to see my technique).
- Second Rise – Place rolled burger buns on a lined baking sheet. Flatten to about 3” diameter and cover with plastic wrap until puffed (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
- Bake – Make the egg wash by beating the egg and water together, and then brush it on the top and the sides of each bun. Sprinkle the toppings on top if using, then bake at 400°F for 15-16 minutes. Cool completely on a rack and store uncut until ready to use.
Pro Tip:
This recipe makes 8 regular-sized hamburger buns, but you can roll the buns in step 4 into 16 (50g) balls for Cheeseburger Sliders! Don’t forget to reduce the bake time.
Pro Tip:
For the best texture and taste, cool the hamburger buns completely, and then store them uncut right away. Cut them just before you are ready to serve so they don’t dry out.
How to Serve Homemade Hamburger Buns
Once ready to serve, slice the burger buns with a serrated knife, and then load them up with your favorite sandwich or burger toppings (don’t miss the Cowboy Burgers in the Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook). Here are a few of our favorite ways to use burger buns:
- Smashburgers
- Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Portobello Sandwich
- Sloppy Joes
- Tuna Salad Sandwich
- Shrimp Sandwiches
- Garlic and Herb Burgers
Pro Tip:
To keep the buns from getting soggy from condiments, cut and then spread butter on both sides and place on the grill or toast in a skillet for a few minutes. This golden browning keeps the sauces from soaking into the bread and gives even more flavor.
Make-Ahead
Be sure the buns are completely cooled before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
- To Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for 5 days
- Freezing: Freeze the cooled hamburger buns in zip-top bags for 3 months
- To Reheat: Thaw on the counter
Our homemade Hamburger Buns are so easy to make but still impress all our friends and family. The burger bun is made with pantry staples and it just tastes amazing. Try this recipe for a fun and delicious bread you will love making—and eating!
More Homemade Bread Recipes
Once you make these homemade hamburger buns, you’ll be hooked on fresh-baked bread. Try these easy recipes:
- Crusty French Bread
- No-Knead Bread
- Brioche Bread Recipe
- Focaccia Bread
- Rye Whole Wheat Bread
- Pita Bread
- Homemade Biscuits
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Homemade Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
Ingredients for Burger Buns:
- 3/4 cup warm water, about 110 ̊F
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 Tbsp instant yeast, rapid rise
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/4 cups Unbleached all-purpose flour (400g)*, plus more as needed
Egg Wash and Toppings:
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds, or Everything Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm water, egg, sugar, salt, and yeast. Whisk for 1 minute to hydrate the yeast.
- Add softened butter then add most of your flour (leave out about 1-2 Tbsp of flour). Use a firm spatula or dough hook attachment to mix the dough just until it comes together. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes or until it is smooth, soft, and elastic. The dough should feel sticky to the touch but should not stick to clean/dry fingertips. If it’s too sticky to knead, add more flour or until you reach the desired consistency.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place (I like to put it in my oven with the light on so it’s not hotter than 100 ̊F) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or at room temperature for about 2 hours. The dough must double in volume.
- Scrape the dough out onto a clean work surface and use a food scraper or knife to cut it into 8 equal pieces, about 100 grams each piece. Cup your hand around a piece of dough and gently roll each piece of dough into a ball over your clean work surface or over the palm of your hand. Roll the dough balls until the surface is smooth and the dimple underneath shrinks.
- Set dough balls onto a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping them evenly spaced. Flatten each dough ball into a 3” to 3 1/2” wide diameter, patting it down evenly. Cover the baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature until visibly puffed (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400 ̊F.
- Make the egg wash by beating together egg and water with a fork then brush it generously over the tops and sides of the buns. Sprinkle on sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning if desired and bake at 400 ̊F for 15 to 16 minutes, or until the tops are deeply golden. Transfer to a rack to cool completely then cover and store until ready to use. Before serving, slice the buns in half lengthwise with a serrated knife.
Notes
2. To keep the buns from getting too soft or soggy from the burger sauces, spread the cut sides of the bun lightly with butter and toast on a skillet or griddle until golden brown. This creates a barrier for the sauces and also adds great flavor and texture to the burger bun.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Getting ready to make these again. Delicious
Wow, I made these today and my husband was absolutely enamored with them. They’re beautiful and have the perfect crumb.
Hi, can I substitute honey for sugar?
Thanks…
Hi Natalie! One of our readers shared this comment “First time making these buns and they were a hit with my family!
I didn’t have butter so I substituted avocado oil and honey for sugar.” Hope that helps.
love this recipen5 star rating
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Really easy and pretty quick to make. Literally the softest and best burger buns I have ever had.
First time making these buns and they were a hit with my family!
I didn’t have butter so I substituted avocado oil and honey for sugar.
I’m so glad to hear it worked out so well, Nuvia! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Can these be frozen UNBAKED ? And if so, explain how please.
Hi Judith, I haven’t tested freezing these after they have baked so I’m not able to advise on freezing it before baking. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Can I use bread flour for this recipe?
Big fan of your recipes! 🙂
For best results, I suggest using the exact ingredients in the recipe. I have not tested using just bread flour to advise,
So much better than store bought buns! This recipe is a keeper!
I used bread flour because I had 1.5 bags of it and no all purpose. They are a teensy bit more dense than the ones in the video but also really good. The family liked them. I only used half the salt because my butter was salted as well.