Soft Whole Wheat Burger Buns
A burger bun is as important as the burger itself. Soft with a tender crust that melts in the mouth. These soft whole wheat burger buns are, soft, tender, and delicious.
My classic burger buns have always been a big hit — both at home and on the blog. They’re soft, fluffy, and honestly, a family favorite. I can’t even count how many times we’ve used them for cookouts, weeknight dinners, and “just because” burger nights.
But over time, I kept getting the same question: “Can I make these with whole wheat flour?”
And of course, I had to find out!
So I started testing. I tried all kinds of flour ratios, tweaking things here and there. And while I know a lot of people wish for a 100% whole wheat version, the truth is — it’s just not the same. Fully whole wheat buns tend to come out a little too dense and heavy. Good, sure, but not that soft, pillowy bite you want with a juicy burger.
What I found was that blending whole wheat flour with some all-purpose flour gives you the best of both worlds: a healthier bun with that beautiful light texture we all love. It’s hearty enough to feel wholesome, but soft enough to complement the burger rather than compete with it.
So if you’re looking for a burger bun that’s a little more wholesome, but still absolutely delicious — this one’s for you!
Why are these the best buns?
- Texture: The combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour, along with vital wheat gluten, gives these buns a soft and light texture, making them perfect for burgers.
- Flavor: Honey adds a touch of sweetness, enhancing the buns’ flavor without being overpowering.
- Nutrition: Whole wheat flour provides more fiber and nutrients compared to using only all-purpose flour, making these buns a healthier choice.
- Versatility: These buns can be used for a variety of burgers, from classic beef burgers to vegetarian options like bean or mushroom burgers.
- Ease of preparation: The recipe is straightforward and doesn’t require any special equipment. With just a few simple steps, you can have fresh, homemade burger buns.
- Customization: You can easily customize these buns by adding seeds or herbs to the dough or brushing the tops with an egg wash for a shiny finish.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Whole wheat flour – Adds a nice nutty flavor to the bread and makes the buns more wholesome and nutritious.
- Flour – Since this bread is not 100% whole wheat, the rest of the flour is all-purpose flour. I have always used all-purpose flour, and it works great.
And yet, if you prefer, you can use bread flour – I have no doubt it will be even softer. - Warm milk – I like adding milk to this bread recipe. It gives the bread a nice, soft, tender crumb. And yet, if you want, you can substitute the milk with water. That would work just as well. But, the dough might be a bit looser. So, adding a few handfuls of flour may be necessary.
- Yeast – Active dry yeast is usually what I use, but any active yeast works. Over the years, I’ve used many different brands. And I can tell the yeast has never been an issue. I have even used fresh yeast when I made it in India, and the bread was just as soft.
Step-by-step: Whole wheat burger buns
- Wet ingredients – Combine warm water/milk, yeast, and sugar/honey in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add olive oil/melted butter, egg, salt, whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour to the yeast mixture. Stir until a dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Rise – Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Shape – Punch down the dough and divide it into 8-10 equal parts. Shape each part into a smooth ball.
- Proof – Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand. Cover the buns with a damp towel and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes.
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 375°F /190°C/ Gas mark 5.
- Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Troubleshooting
- Why did my dough not rise? Most often, the simplest explanation for this is that the liquid (milk) used was not warm. The liquid should be no more than 110°F/41°C. Anything hotter will not activate the yeast. In some cases, the yeast may have been old and not good.
- My burger buns were not soft. They were dense. If you add too much flour to the dough, the buns will be dense, not soft. You want the dough to be soft, elastic, and still slightly sticky when kneading.
- My burger buns deflated when baking. Proof the buns for only 45 minutes or until they are almost doubled in volume. They will continue to rise further in the oven during baking. If you overproof the buns, they tend to rise and deflate when baking.
- Why are my buns flat? Again, if you overproof the buns before baking, they will rise and deflate, giving you flat hamburger buns.
Frequently asked questions
Whole wheat bread/buns can dry out more quickly than white-flour bread, so it is important to store them correctly. Store these in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to three days. You can also freeze them for up to three months.
Unless you are making buns to feed a crowd, you don’t need a stand mixer. I usually make these in batches of 12 and always make them by hand. I find kneading dough by hand very therapeutic. You should try it. But if you have a stand mixer, then definitely use it.
The consistency of the dough.
The dough should be soft, elastic, and slightly sticky. Avoid the temptation to add more flour. Use flour on your hands when kneading, but don’t make the dough dense.
My mom used to say – A well-kneaded bread dough should be soft and jiggly like a baby’s bottom.
Whole Wheat Burger Buns Recipe
A burger bun is as important as the burger itself. Soft with a tender crust that melts in the mouth with the burger. That is what these soft whole wheat burger buns are, soft, tender and nutritious. And, they are also homemade. This is a step by step tutorial on how to make these best, softest, whole wheat hamburger buns from scratch.
Ingredients
- 240 g (1 cups) Warm milk or water – about 41 C or 105 F
- 50 g (1 large) Egg large
- 60 g (4 tbsp) Melted butter or oil
- 30 g (2 tbsp) Sugar or honey
- 7 g (2¼ tsp) Instant dry yeast
- 5 g (1 tsp) Salt
- 260 g (2 cups) Whole wheat flour
- 160 g (1¼ cups) All-purpose flour
- 1 Egg wash beaten egg with 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds or poppy seeds
Method
- Wet ingredients – Combine warm milk/ water, yeast, and sugar/honey in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add olive oil/melted butter, egg, salt, whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour to the yeast mixture. Stir until a dough forms.240 g Warm milk , 50 g Egg , 60 g Melted butter, 30 g Sugar, 7 g Instant dry yeast, 5 g Salt, 260 g Whole wheat flour, 160 g All-purpose flour
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Rise – Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Shape – Punch down the dough and divide it into 8-10 equal parts. Shape each part into a smooth ball.
- Proof – Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand. Cover the buns with a damp towel and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes.
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 375°F /190°C/ Gas mark 5.
- Bake – Brush the tops of the buns with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.1 Egg wash, 2 tbsp Sesame seeds or poppy seeds
Notes
- Use warm water or milk: The liquid should be around 110°F/45°C to activate the yeast properly. Too hot or too cold water can affect the yeast’s ability to rise.
- Check the yeast: Make sure your yeast is fresh and active. If it doesn’t foam after sitting in the water and honey mixture for 5-10 minutes, it may be old and should be replaced.
- Knead the dough properly: Kneading helps develop gluten, which gives the buns structure and texture. Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise properly: The dough should double in size during the first rise. This may take longer if your kitchen is cold. Be patient and let it rise until doubled.
- Shape the buns evenly: Divide the dough into equal parts and shape them into smooth balls. This will help ensure that the buns bake evenly.
- Allow for proper rising time: Let the shaped buns rise again until they have puffed up and are almost doubled in size before baking.
- Bake at the right temperature: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake the buns until they are golden brown. Under-baked buns may be doughy, while over-baked buns can be dry.
- Cool the buns before slicing: Let the buns cool on a wire rack before slicing them. This allows the buns to set and prevents them from becoming soggy.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Hi Veena,
Can I use chapati flour instead of whole wheat flour? Coz we can’t get whole wheat flour for baking in India.
Vaani
Yes, Vaani. Chapati flour will work too
I’ve used instant yeast. But it has not risen in 1 hour. What could be the reason?
I replied to your previous later comment Vaani. Thanks
Thank you Veena.
But my dough has not raised. It is 4 hours since I let it proof. 2 hours back I moved my dough into the oven. I had put hot water at the bottom tray of the oven. For the first 2 hours before putting into oven, I had covered with a dry cotton cloth. In the oven I’ve covered it with a damp Muslin cloth. I don’t have cling wrap. Your help is highly appreciated.
Hey Vaani.
Sounds like your yeast is not working for the dough.
Either the water was hotter than warm (110F) so it killed the yeast or the yeast itself has expired.
Add a little yeast to warm water with a little sugar and oil – let sit for 5 minutes if it foams its good if not throw this yeast and buy a fresh pack.
Yeast is very delicate and unfortunately, it can make or break the recipe.
If it still does not rise – I suggest you make flatbread such as pita with this batch (better than wasting the dough)
And start over for the burger buns.
Sorry, I know its not the answer or the bread you were hoping for but I don’t want to give you false hopes.
Let me know how it goes
Thank you for your prompt response Veena. The yeast is new. It expires only on November 2020. Since I don’t use it often, I’ve stored it in the freezer.
But when I used it, the yeast was at room temperature. I guess the problem was with the milk. I heated it and checked the temperature 105 Fahrenheit ( that is a little hot). Initially,
When I mixed the yeast, sugar, butter, milk and egg, there were bubbles. When I let it stand for a while, it did not turn foamy. Then I added the flour and sugar. What could have gone wrong?
110F should be ok. But not sure why it did not foam up. You followed the process – but it seems like something was not right but it’s had to troubleshoot without seeing it. I hope the next bread works better. I suggest you try a small batch just to test things out so you don’t waste ingredients.
These buns look so soft and delicious! I really should give making my own a go
Thanks, Bintu. yes, they are so soft and delicious, you must try.
I loved all of the tips and tricks to making these burger buns coming out perfectly! So soft and the flavor was so delicious!
Thank you, Suzy. Glad you like my detailed posts.
Oh I totally agree – burger buns will make or break a good burger experience! We make our burger patties all the time so we can tweak the flavour, I’ve never thought to make the buns too – so keen to try this! Thanks. 🙂
Thanks, Laura. yes, burger buns are as important as the burgers themselves.
This recipe was no fail. So easy to follow – thank you!!
Thank you, Tracy. So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback.
I love homemade burger buns – it’s always way better than store bought. These look so delicious and fluffy!
Definitely, better than store bought. Natalie.
They came out good were soft and were delicious too. Thank you
Thank you, Natalie. So happy you enjoyed these buns very much. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
This is my kind of burger bun! I love that it’s whole wheat and looks so soft and delicious. I can’t wait to try them!
Thank you, Ellen. yes, whole wheat, yes to soft.
Love this recipe! I’ll be making these all through grilling season!
Thank you, Kim. Yes, we have started making it here – now that we have starting grilling season
i definitely want to try making these. i bet they are so much better than store bought!
Thank you, Danielle. Definitely, better than store bought