Burger buns are so worth making from scratch. They’re easy, they require minimal hands-on time to make, and even more exciting, they freeze/thaw well for future use. I really don’t want to eat anything other than homemade hamburger buns, like ever. These buns are heavenly compared to store bought buns.
Knowing every ingredient in the product is the best part of making homemade breads and burger buns. Above all, these buns have zero preservatives and are made with all natural ingredients.
There are 2 versions of hamburger buns that I use. I can’t say which is better, I love them both! I use this recipe less often because the other recipe is a bit quicker to make. The other version of burger buns that I make are My Favorite Burger Buns.
This version creates a crustier exterior than My Favorite Burger Buns, but has a super soft center. This recipe is more like a kaiser roll that many bakeries and delis feature for cold cut sandwiches.
What makes this bread so soft?
The secret to softness of these burger buns is a Japanese style of milk bread technique known as the tangzhong method. This method can be used for a variety of bread recipes. It helps create a soft, pillowy bread compared to not using this technique. Additionally, it also extends the shelf life of the bread. King Arthur Baking Company has an informative article explaining this technique in detail. To reference this article, see How to convert a bread recipe to tangzhong | King Arthur Baking
Baking and Storing
These burger buns take about 3.5 hours to make start to finish, but that’s not all hands-on time. There is a significant amount of rising time, in which you can do other things while you wait for these to be ready. It is well worth the time invested in creating these amazing burger buns. This recipe yields one dozen buns. They can be packaged in bags and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. In addition, these buns can be frozen for up to 3 months.
The time invested in creating these amazing burger buns is well worth it. This recipe yields one dozen buns, which can be packaged in bags and frozen for up to three months.
Burger buns
Equipment
- stand mixer
- sheet pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Tangzhong Roux
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Bread flour
Dough
- 1 tbsp Instant yeast
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Milk (room temperature)
- 5 and 1/2 cups Bread flour
- 5 tbsp Butter, softened
- 2 Eggs (room temperature)
- Sesame seeds for tops of buns
Egg wash
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Begin by heating flour, water, and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continuously whisk until it forms a thick paste. It will be similar texture to buttercream frosting. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In the mixer bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, salt and room temperature milk. Allow the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, butter, eggs, and tangzhong roux to the mixing bowl.
- Using the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer, slowly knead the dough for about 7 minutes.
- Cover bowl with a damp tea towel and place in a warm area to rise for 90 minutes.
- When the dough has risen, punch out the air and remove the dough from bowl. Weigh dough ball and divide by 12. Each portion should be about 100G.
- Roll each portion of dough into a ball.
- Line a sheet with parchment paper and space out buns evenly. Slightly press down on buns so they are flat on top, instead of rounded balls.
- Cover the sheet pan lightly with tea towel and return to the warm place to rise again. The second rise takes another 90 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash. Brush each bun with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake the buns for 25 minutes. The internal temperature should be at least 190 degrees and the tops will be a beatiful golden brown.
- Remove buns from sheet pan and cool on cooling rack for 45 minutes. Once cooled, store in 2 plastic bags, half dozen in each.
Nutrition
