Making beautiful homemade burger buns is just about as simple as it gets. Simply mix up your favorite bread dough recipe (or use mine), form buns, and bake!
Once every other week, Mr. B gathers with a bunch of his buddies for three hours to play poker, catch up on life, and talk fish or sports or work or whatever. They’ve been doing this for over a decade now, rotating houses and taking turns hosting. It is their custom that whomever hosts provides at least a substantial snack, and more often, a full-on meal.
I usually vacate the house on Poker Night (too much cheeky crowing in a confined space can make a person woozy) but before I leave, I always try to make a good dinner for the guys. According to Mr. B, I’ve developed a reputation among the group as their favorite Poker Night cook, and while I admit these guys are obviously easily impressed, I’ll take it.
This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.
I’ve made the Poker Guys homemade burger buns for pulled pork sandwiches, and Sloppy Joes [above], and all sorts of other man-wiches over the years. Each time I do, the first thing Mr B says to me at the end of the night is, “Baby, the guys all love your buns!”
Well, alrighty then.
Making beautiful homemade burger buns is just about as simple as it gets. Just pick your favorite bread recipe, let it rise once, form buns, let them rise again and bake. Boom!!
Let me break it down for you.
[Click here to go directly to my recipe for CHEESE & ONION BURGER BUNS!]
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER BUNS
[1] Make your favorite bread dough and let it rise once. You can do this first step in a bread maker or by hand: either way works fine.
- FOR BREAD MACHINE: Layer ingredients in the order shown into bread maker and set on Dough Setting.
- FOR MANUAL PREP: Mix and knead the dough by hand. You can find excellent general directions for making bread without a bread machine here.
[2] After the dough has completed the Dough Cycle (or the first rise if you are kneading by hand) turn it out onto a lightly floured counter.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, and divide the dough into equal square portions. (I often do a combination of sizes so that there is something for every appetite.)
TIP: Use a kitchen scale for uniform buns.
-
- LARGE BUNS: Allow about 3oz / 85gm of dough for each roll.
- SLIDER BUNS: Allow about 1½oz / 42gm of dough for each roll.
Don’t stress if your little dough squares aren’t exactly the same. You can always take a bit from one and add it to another if you want.
[3] Now you will have a counter full little square dough-patties, ready to set out for the second rise.
- FOR SQUARE BUNS: Continue to the next step.
- FOR ROUND BUNS: Gently pull the four corners of each square dough-pattie together and pinch them together, and give the pinched portion a slight twist. Turn the pinched dough side down, and pat gently to form a round pattie shape. Take care to not work the dough too much.
[4] Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Place the dough-patties at least 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel, and set in a warm place to rise again for about an hour.
[5] OPTIONAL: Just before you put the dough-buns in the oven, brush the tops with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water or milk). Be gentle as you do this, taking care to not deflate the rolls in the process. If you want to make poppy or sesame seeds buns, sprinkle the seeds on top right after you brush them with the egg wash.
[6] Put the tray of rolls in the oven and bake at 375º for 15-20 minutes (depending on size) or until slightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and place on wire rack to cool.
You can make homemade hamburger buns with almost any bread recipe. Here’s one of my favorites – Cheese & Onion Buns!
Cheese & Onion Burger Buns
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cups warm water 9oz | 255gm
- 4 ¼ cups bread or all-purpose flour 18oz | 510gm
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ¼ cups grated cheddar cheese about 5oz | 142gm
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Instructions
- You can do this first step in a bread maker or by hand: either way works fine. FOR BREAD MACHINE: Layer ingredients in the order shown into bread maker and set on Dough Setting. FOR MANUAL PREP: Mix and knead the dough and do the prep by hand. You can find excellent general directions for making bread without a bread machine here.
- After the dough has completed the Dough Cycle (or the first rise if you are kneading by hanturn it out onto a lightly floured board.
- Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, and divide the dough into equal square portions. If you are concerned about uniformity, use a kitchen scale. For LARGE BUNS: Allow about 3oz / 85gm of dough for each roll. For SLIDER BUNS: Allow about 1½oz / 42gm of dough for each roll. (I like to make a combination of sizes so that there is something for every appetite.)
- Now you will have a counter full little square dough-patties, ready to set out for the second rise. FOR SQUARE BUNS: Continue to the next step. FOR ROUND BUNS: Gently pull the four corners of each square dough-pattie together and pinch them together, and give the pinched portion a slight twist. Turn the pinched dough side down, and pat gently to form a round pattie shape. Take care to not work the dough too much.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Place the dough-patties at least 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel, and set in a warm place to rise again for about an hour.
- OPTIONAL: Just before you put the dough-buns in the oven in the oven, brush the tops with an egg wash made up of 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water or milk. Be gentle as you do this, taking care to not deflate the rolls in the process. If you want to make poppy or sesame seeds buns, sprinkle the seeds on top right after you brush them with the egg wash.
- Put the rolls in the oven and bake at 375ºF / 190ºC for 15-20 minutes (depending on sizor until slightly browned on top.
- Remove from the oven, place on wire rack to cool.
Nutrition
Now your buns are ready to slice and toast (if you’re into that kind of thing) and serve up with your favorite burger, fillings, and sandwich makings.
As with all fresh, preservative-free bread, it’s best to eat your homemade burger buns within a day or two. Buns can also be frozen for later.
I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great recipes!
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