I’ve tried several different recipes for homemade hamburger buns, but we didn’t really like any of them. They weren’t light and fluffy. They were solid and dense – almost like me sometimes. Hahahah! Oh come on. You know that was funny.
I found a recipe that was okay, but I needed to switch the method around and the ingredients….and it was AWESOME! These are the best homemade hamburger buns I’ve ever had, so I want to share them with you. You’ve earned it – you need a burger. And a burger isn’t a burger without a bun. You can quote me on that.
You’ll need warm water, melted butter, honey, yeast, salt, egg, and white wheat flour. I used freshly ground hard white wheat. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the warm water and yeast. Stir it around a bit and then let it sit for five minutes. It will get all foamy and cool looking.
Now, add the melted butter (make sure it’s cooled off), honey, and egg. Turn the mixer to setting 1 and let it all combine. Add 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth (I usually use #2 on my mixer). Now, add the salt and the rest of the flour that you need to get a kneadable dough. Knead on setting #1 for 6 minutes.
As usual, I wait before adding too much flour to avoid a dry bread. I ended up adding almost 3 cups of flour, but not until the very end when I could tell it needed it.
When you start making bread regularly, you’ll just learn what looks right. Your dough should look like this – holding together and springy….not doughy and stringy. Cover your mixer bowl and let the dough sit for about 10 minutes.
This recipe makes 8 hamburger buns. Divide your dough into 8 equal pieces and pat them into circles like shown. You could use a biscuit cutter, but why dirty it up?
Put them on a well greased cookie sheet, or cover a sheet with parchment paper. I used my Kitchen Aid silicone mat….I don’t use it often because I think it smells weird – but I do use it when I want to make sure something won’t stick. Now, flatten those babies out.
Remember, they’re going to raise so you want to make sure they aren’t too fat. It’s really hard to get a tall bun into your mouth. Think about a cookie….think about how tall you want them to be and divide that by half. Or, just be like me and wing it.
Cover the pan with a dish towel and let them raise until doubled. Mine usually take about an hour, but it depends on the temperature of your kitchen.
Once they’re ready to go, you can pop them straight into a 350 degree oven or you can jazz them up a bit. If you want to make them look fancy, you can brush the tops with a beaten egg white and then sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or even Italian seasoning. I like Italian seasoning, but I left this batch plain.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown, like shown. Inhale. I love baking bread….it makes my house smell DIVINE.Use a serrated knife to cut them open and fill with a burger or sloppy joes.
After we have dinner, I freeze the rest of the batch so I have burger buns if I need them….and who knows when you might need a burger? I like to be prepared.
Homemade Hamburger Buns
- ¾ cup warm water
- 3 teaspoons yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ – 3 cups white wheat flour (hard white wheat, ground)
- In the bowl your stand mixer, combine the warm water and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the honey, melted butter, and egg. Beat until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth.
- Add salt and remaining flour until you get a kneadable dough. Knead on setting 1 for 6 minutes.
- Cover dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide dough into 8 pieces and shape into buns. Place buns on a greased/parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Flatten.
- Let buns rise until doubled. If desired, brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Slice with a serrated knife.
Stores wonderfully in the freezer.
I have been making these rolls for over a year. I just want you to know that they are so good we really cannot eat a store bought roll anymore. I use whole grain spelt flour and they are delicious and not dense as they might be with whole wheat flour. I really appreciate you posting this recipe online.
Thank you sooo much for your kind words. Thrilled y’all are loving this recipe.
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
I am SO excited! I just received my shiny RED stand mixer for christmas after asking for it for over 20 years. I was never able to make any kind of bread before. I admit I was a little intimidated by it! I made these sandwich buns as my very first project. WOW! Am I proud of myself LOL They are wonderful! My hubby and I tried one with butter the minute we took it out of the oven. Perfect! Thank you so much for the recipe and encouragement to try.
Merry Christmas to YOU! 🙂 A mixer and buns! You racked up!
Do you store the dough cooked or until cooked?
Lisa, I don’t understand the question. Can you clarify?
Is white wheat flour the same as whole wheat flour? I have whole wheat and whole wheat pastry flour. I try to make things whole grain as possible. Thanks!
No, they aren’t the same. At the store you’ll see them labeled two ways: 100% Whole Wheat flour AND White Wheat Flour. White wheat flour gives a better result. 🙂
Have you ever tried mixing these in the bread machine? If so, do you alter the recipe any?
No, I haven’t…but I wouldn’t alter the recipe. I would just mix it up and then turn it out to form the buns.
What kind of yeast do you use for this? Regular or quick rising? Sorry if that’s a dumb question. I’m a baking newbie 🙂
I use instant yeast. I buy it in the double pack from Sam’s club and I store it in the freezer. 🙂 Not a dumb question at all!
I can’t believe I missed this recipe somewhere! I am a faithful reader too! 😀
Anyway, I am sooooo glad I found this. Like REALLY glad! Do you know how much hamburger buns cost at the store these days?
We’ve got 11 kids plus my beef loving husband. 🙂
I try to get mine from the Bread Outlet where every bread is $1 but even still, the buns are dry and crumbly. Not cool when you have a beautiful burger on there with all the trimmings. You take one or two bites and it falls apart in your hands.
I have already printed this out and will have to wait until this weekend when I go shopping for some BEEF!
I so wish I had a steer in our back field…. sigh…..
Love,
Janet… mamachildress
countrylivingmama.blogspot.com
How would I make these without a bread machine? I don’t have one, but I really want to try this recipe. Thanks!
I’m a little confused by your question – because this recipe doesn’t use a bread machine.
I’m sorry, I said the wrong thing. I meant stand mixer. How long would I knead by hand?
6-8 minutes I’d say. 🙂
I have one recipe that I use for buns. They always turn out pretty dense. My wife asked if I could find a ‘lighter’ bun for hamburgers tonight. I found your recipe from the Google description about other recipes being too dense. Anyway, used about 3 cups regular white flour and made 6 instead of 8. Baked for 18 minutes @350 electric oven. WOW! We have never had such tasty and perfect buns, bought or otherwise. Thank you so much! Unfortunately I’ll probably be asked to make them more often. But it’s so simple as to not be a chore.
🙂 That makes me smile. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I too had trouble with hamburger rolls after a few attmept.. moslty too dense. I just tried these and this recipie is a keeper! Great results, almost like store bought only better 🙂 I am so pleased! Thank you so very much for sharing! I used my breadmaker and put all the ingredients in, wet then dry, and put it on the dough setting, then I seperated the dough in 8 balls and smashed thinly as you said. I let them rise about 10 min and then baked as you said, and they are perfect!
That’s great, Danielle! I’m glad you love it too!
stacy, just have to tell what a great all round recipe this is. i had e mailed you awhile back to ask if this made a good bread recipe. well it does. its a delicious sandwich bread. i made rolls out of it, made biscuits for biscuits and gravy. i haven frozen the dough and it has worked fine. i have frozen the hamburger buns, already baked, just as good as fresh. i really dont need another recipe. whatever i have made with this dough has bee fantastic, fresh or frozen. thanks so muck. kathy
🙂 Great! I freeze my hamburger buns too….then I don’t worry about them going bad.
I use Red Star active dry yeast, I also have the quick rising but don’t use it unless the recipe specifies. I’m not yet comfortable going outside of a bread recipe!
I’ve never had any luck using Red Star. I bought several packs and could never get anything to raise. I threw them out and went back to Fleischmann’s and haven’t had a problem since. 🙂
Hey! I tried making these yesterday and today using different yeast and they are not rising. I read that white wheat flour doesn’t rise the same as white flour so I just wanted to check with you to see if this is normal. They also feel heavy. Any advice will be helpful. Thank you 🙂
Heather, I’m not sure what to tell you – mine always raise nicely…and kinda fast so I have to watch them closely. 🙁 I only use white wheat flour (the equivalent of hard white wheat berries). What kind of yeast did you use?
We are slowly adding wheat back into our lives and I am craving a burger. I tried serving lettuce wrapped burgers a few weeks ago and my husband said he couldn’t eat it without surrendering his “man card”. LOL! Looking forward to trying these out.
LOL Your husband is FUNNY!!!! 🙂 I hope you enjoy them…they’re really good.
can you just make this into a loaf of bread ?
I have never tried….the texture is a bit lighter than regular bread. When I want to make bread, I just make Honey Oat. 🙂
thank you stacy. by the way they were delicious the next day for sandwiches
Yum! I’ve always just used them for burgers and sloppy joes! 🙂
these were fantastic. first time ive made them, not even going to try other recipes. quick, easy delicious
Wow! That’s a great review…thanks a bunch! 🙂
dont have white wheat flour. ive never even heard of it. i have white flour and bread flour. which of these do you think would work better. thanks/
Either one would work. 🙂
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back later tonight when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! 🙂
Hi Stacy. I’m a newbie to your site. I’ve been looking for awhile for a healthy hamburger bun that my family will actually eat. I made yours yesterday and they were awesome! My family loved them! 🙂 They’ll definitely be our ‘go to’ hamburger buns. Thanks!
I’m so glad you like them! 🙂 They’re a big hit here too.
I tried these hamburger rolls,they were the best that i’ve had. they beat out the bakery ones. Yes.
I made the dough in my bread machine and it worked great.
Can’t wait to make ‘Joe’s’ for dinner tonite.
Thanx Stacy.
That just tickles me pink! 🙂
I needed burger buns, and just knew you’d provide one for me. Trying these tonight! 🙂 I’m so glad I found you. Or rather, God found you for me, and then, told me who you were. hehe!
🙂 He knows what he’s doing….you’re a huge blessing to me! Enjoy!
For their birthdays I always make dc whatever they want for dinner. Today was youngest dd’s birthday and she had requested Polish sausage and… specifically these buns to go with them :). I found some nitrate-free Polish sausage, made *4* batches of your recipe (might as well, eh? 2 are in the freezer already baked and 1 batch is waiting for sandwiches or something), and enjoyed your recipe with sausage and “live” sauerkraut. Thanks again for this recipe.
BTW, dh ate 3 throughout the afternoon and was stuffed before we had dinner!
Wow! That’s high praise! Thank you Beth! 🙂
Great recipe. I put it all in the breadmaker on the dough cycle for about 10 minutes (after letting the yeast sit for 5 minutes in the water) and then shaped and baked.
I’m glad you liked it Beth! We love them. 🙂 Thanks for the info on the bread maker.
These are great! I have always wanted to try to make my own buns. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂 Printing out now 🙂
🙂 Good luck!
You rock for making your own! We don’t ever eat burgers, but if we ever do, I know where I’m coming!!
Good grief…..we eat burgers ALL THE TIME!
Going to make these tomorrow, Stacy. I’ll let you know how they turn out. 🙂
Good luck!
Girl…..I’m not into naked burgers. However, I would eat a burger naked as long as I had a bun. Or buns. Wait, I have buns. I would eat a naked burger in my buns. Huh?
This is very close to the recipe I use. I love homemade buns.
Homemade buns are the best kind……buns are just a wonderful part of life. And plus, it’s just funny to say “buns.”
I NEVER have success with any bread recipe requiring yeast 🙁 But I won’t give up becasue I hate store bought bread….so, Looks like I will be trying these 🙂
You can do it! These are super easy….keep me posted. 🙂
You’re flattering me Nikki…..are you buttering me up for something? LOL 🙂
I have to admit I like to print the whole article of your recipe instead of just the recipe because I always chuckle as I make it!
Definitely trying these because all of my other attempts have been flops, aka dense and hard!
Good luck! That was my same experience, so that’s why I created this recipe. I hope it works out better for ya!
Oh! I just tried hamburger buns the other day for the very first time. It’s a trend! I used Julia Child’s recipe in “The Way To Cook” (from the Abingdon Main Branch Library). We really liked them. I liked that they weren’t at all sweet, almost like store-bought. I can’t be bothered with all the processing she does though. I’m a dissolve your yeast then throw the rest into the mixer and let that guy work for you kinda gal! May I also humbly recommend her “Fresh Tomato Sauce” (page 358) as the greatest and easiest pizza sauce ever. (I don’t do any fresh tomatoes, just 2 pints canned). Thanks for all your fun recipes and ideas! Happy Hamburgers! 😀
🙂 I usually make my pizza sauce in the crock pot for ease….but I do LOVE Julia Child. 🙂