Soft Hamburger Buns - The Best EVER

These soft hamburger buns are the best you will ever make. The next time you plan a hamburger feast or need buns for your BBQ party, give these a try. They are soft, fluffy, and golden but so easy to make too.

Table of Content

• Why make this recipe?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions
• Frequently asked questions
• Troubleshooting
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe

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I love crusty bread - I do! But not with my hamburgers. With my hamburger, the bun has to be soft and almost melt in the mouth. So I can taste my meat in all its glory. And at the same time, have that sweet bread flavor. If you love hamburgers as much as I do you know what I mean. Try my chicken burger patties, beef burgers.

This is why I keep experimenting with almost every bun recipe that claims to be the best. After many tests and trials, this is always the winner. I also make variations on my hamburger buns - Hokkaido buns, whole wheat buns, my Hawaiian rolls /buns.

Why make this recipe?

• The recipe is like any other bread recipe with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
• The secret to making these buns soft, light, and airy is in the kneading and in the consistency of the dough. I highly recommend you watch the video and take note that my dough is soft, smooth, elastic but also quite sticky.
• The soft dough is much easier to knead in the stand mixer than by hand so I highly recommend letting the machine do the kneading if possible.
• The timeline for these hamburger buns is fairly straight forward
  • Knead dough - 10 mins
  • Rise- 45 to 60 mins
  • Shape 10 mins
  • Proof - 30 to 45 mins
  • Bake - 20 to 22 mins

Ingredients and substitutes

• Flour - Bread flour gives a soft, light, and airy bread with a tender crust. But, in the past, I have always used all-purpose flour for this bread and it works great too. So, use either bread or AP flour.
• Warm milk - I like adding milk to this bread recipe. It gives a nice soft tender crumb to the bread. 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.
• Butter – I like adding butter because it gives adds a wonderful flavor. But, you can substitute the butter for 2 tbsp of oil in this recipe.
• Instant dry yeast – I like to use instant dry because I’ve always had great success with it.
  • If you have to use active dry yeast, you will need 2 ¼ tsp or one packet.
  • And if you use fresh yeast, you will need about 21 grams. Also, it’s not necessary to activate the yeast, but I like to take the guesswork out and make sure my dough will rise.
• Egg - Adds a lot of flavor to the bread, gives a tender crumb, and strengthens the texture. You can omit the egg if necessary, but you will need to use less flour than the recipe states as the egg is a liquid ingredient.

Step by step instructions

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• In a mixing bowl or measuring cup combine the warm milk (110 F), yeast, sugar, butter, and eggs. Stir and set aside to foam for 3 mins.
  Pro-tip- instant yeast does not need to be activated but I like to ensure my yeast is good and working for me. You may choose to add all ingredients directly to the flour.
• Measure the flour and salt in a mixing bowl or stand mixer with the dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and combine well.
  Pro-tip - if you do not like kneading I highly recommend using a stand mixer with the hook attachment.
• Knead-
  • By hand - transfer to a well-dusted worktop and knead for 5 to 6 minutes
  • Stand mixer - once all the flour is well incorporated knead on medium for 4 to 5 minutes

• When the dough is soft, shiny, but still slightly sticky shape into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl seam side down. Coat the surface with oil to prevent drying. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
  Pro tip - You want the dough to be really really soft, a little sticky. But it has to be elastic! This is what will give us soft hamburgers.
• Leave in a warm place. Let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until double in volume.
  Pro-tip - in winter you may need 90 minutes or more but in summer the dough may double in 45 minutes. If you can't attend to it at that moment. De-gas, reshape, and let double in volume again.
• When the dough is double in volume transfer to a well-dusted floured surface. De-gas, reshape into a ball. Then roll into a small log.
  Pro-tip - at this point there is no need for additional flour. So use a light dusting of flour
• Divide the dough into 10 to 12 depending on how big you want the burgers.
  Pro tip - for 6oz /150 grams size beef patties make 10 buns for 9 oz/250 grams beef patties make only 8 buns
• Shape each portion into a tight ball. To do this correctly, roll into a ball tucking all the seams under tightly. Then, roll the ball on an unfloured surface. The unfloured surface creates the tension we need in the dough
  Pro tip - do not over roll these for too long or you will rupture the top smooth skin

• Place the buns on a baking tray. Flatten them so they bake like flat buns rather than balls. Cover with a plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth and let proof for 30 to 45 minutes.
  Pro-tip - Spray the plastic wrap with oil to prevent it from sticking to the rolls.
• When almost doubled in size, about 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven at 375°F /190°C / Gas Mark 5
• Brush each bun with an egg wash and sprinkle on some sesame seeds.
  Pro-tip- Egg wash is a full egg with 2 tbsp of water. An egg wash will give a nice golden color. If you can't use egg, milk or cream will work just as well. Do not use oil or butter as it will create a crust.

• Bake small buns for 15 to 20 mins and larger buns for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  Pro tip - when baked the internal temperature of the hamburgers buns should be about 195 F. The bread will have a hollow sound on the bottom when tapped.
• Keeping them soft - as soon as you take the burgers out of the oven cover them with a clean kitchen cloth to keep them soft.
  Pro-tip - do not leave the buns on the tray for too long as the steam will make the bread soggy on the bottom. Covering the buns with a cloth will help them retain moisture and prevent it from drying out.

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Tips

• The amount of flour you add to your recipe is key to the success of these buns. The final quantity of liquid - eggs, milk, the butter will determine if you need 400 or 450 or even 500 grams of flour.
  What's important is to look at the consistency of your dough. It has to be very soft, spongy, and yes still sticky but elastic!! I have tried my best to give you the pictures below to illustrate.
• Temperature - If you have made bread before, then you know that temperature plays a huge role in bread baking. Beginning with the temperature of your liquid ingredients - you want that to be approximately 41 C / 110 F. If it's cooler then it will fail to revive your yeast. And if it's hotter again you will kill the yeast giving you a flatbread.
  NO, you don't really need a thermometer. The best way to test it is - just stick a little clean finger if you can keep your finger in there without discomfort it's good. I always say - it's the same temperature you give milk to a baby - warm.
• Covering the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. This is an important step so don't skip and don't forget. When you cover the hot buns in a clean kitchen cloth you are letting the steam in the buns cool inside the buns - this keeps the buns soft and moist - not dried out.
• Overnight buns - The dough can be prepared a day in advance. Proof it for an hour on the counter then punch down and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. Overnight proofing is a great way to add flavor to the bread. The next day, let the dough come to room temperature before you shape and bake them. 
• Storing buns - These buns do freeze beautifully. Cool the baked buns then place them in a freezer-safe storage bag. These can be frozen for up to a month.
• Kneading the dough - If possible use an electric mixer because the dough is soft and sticky. 
• Bread machine - this dough can be easily made in a bread machine. Pour all ingredients in the pan set to dough or manual. Start and let the dough run its cycle for about 9 to 10 minutes - continue with the recipe as shown above.

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Frequently asked questions

Troubleshooting

Why did my dough not rise?

Most often the simplest explanation for this is that the liquid (milk) used was not warm. You need the liquid to be no more than 110 F/ 41 C. Hotter than that will not activate the yeast. In some cases, it could also be that the yeast was 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? Why are my burger buns flat?

Prove the buns for only 45 minutes or until just almost double in volume. They will continue to rise some more in the oven when baking. If you overproof the buns they tend to rise and deflate when baking.

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Printable Recipe