Make these 40-minute super soft hamburger buns for your next cookout! Tender, topped with sesame seeds and done in less than one hour? We are here for it.
Flour. Yeast. Water. Forty minutes. A hankering for super soft hamburger buns.
That’s all you need to make these bebes!
Confession time: The ratio of how many times we’ve grilled hamburgers this summer to the number of homemade hamburger buns I’ve made this summer is approximately 18:1. And that one time is what you see here in front of you. Yeeeesh.
But! I think these buns will make up for it. Not only are they super soft, super fluffy, super tasty and super easy to make, they take only 40 MINUTES from start to finish. That means no waiting times, no rising times, just good old make, bake and get-in-my-belly-times.
How to Make Homemade Hamburger Buns
To be honest, the real reason I haven’t made enough homemade burger buns this summer is because, well, I just don’t have the patience to wait for them to rise and bake. Usually when we decide to grill burgers it’s because neither of us wants to cook or put any effort into our meal. So we just flip some patties on the grill, put them on storebought buns, add some corn (corn dip?) and/or watermelon and that’s dinner. Easy peasy.
But what inevitably happens when we do this is that something tastes… off. And the bun is always the culprit. Though the texture may be there, the flavor is so not. Have you ever tasted a hamburger bun from the store all on its own? Just… don’t. Nothing good will come of it.
So in an effort to escape another visit to blah-ville in the burger bun department for dinner last weekend, I decided to give this recipe a try to go not with burgers, but with sloppy joes. And this time, the bun flavor rivaled the flavor of the filling. SO. MUCH. YUM.
And did I mention that 40-minute part? YEAH, THAT TOO.
A Few Tips for the Best Hamburger Buns
I added an egg wash and sesame seed situation on top, as well, because I need that little bit of texture, ya know? And really, these quick buns taste similar to ones that take hours to prepare like these soft, buttery brioche buns. I will say that, if you want to make 12 buns as per the recipe, they will turn out a little small (like, slider-style), so divide the buns into fewer pieces and bake them for a little longer if you want bigger buns. Not that there is anything wrong with sloppy joes sliders. I would highly recommend this Hawaiian bread recipe for that endeavor.
Otherwise, the hardest part about this recipe is trying not to scarf down two sloppy joes before your husband eats even one. Not that I know anything about this. Ahem.
40-Minute Super Soft Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water, plus 2 tablespoons, 110 to 115 degrees F
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
- 1 teaspoon salt
Egg wash & topping
- 1 egg yolk , for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk yeast into warm water until dissolved. Add sugar and oil; let stand 5 minutes. Add egg, flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir until just combined.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand 3 to 5 minutes, adding more flour to dough as needed until a smooth, soft, elastic and only slightly sticky dough forms.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces*; shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place buns at least 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (6 buns per sheet). Cover buns with tea towels or lightly greased plastic wrap; let rest 10 minutes.
- Uncover buns and brush tops with egg wash; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until buns are golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- *NOTE: This recipe makes 12 small slider-size buns. For larger buns, simply divide dough into fewer pieces and increase the baking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Mine get real dense after baking! Do not stay soft!
Hi Harry! Sorry to hear that was your experience! A couple things could have happened to make them too dense. It’s possible your yeast might be inactive (make sure it foams after mixing with warm water and sugar), you might have added a bit too much flour while kneading (you want the dough smooth and elastic, and ever so slightly sticky), or the dough might not have rested properly before baking. It’s important to make the gluten structure so the buns can be soft, but then let them relax a bit. Hope that helps! They come out soft for me every time! ~gvd team
I’m going to try this recipe next week! I never imagined I could make my own buns in 40 minutes, and I might try to reduce the recipe since I cook for two. I really hate to pay the current price for burger buns these days, and appreciate this recipe. Than you!
Hi Joyce! Aren’t the prices wild?! Thank you taking the time for coming back to rate and comment. These buns are also super soft, can’t recommend them enough! Enjoy! ~gvd team
I’m making some now…fingers crossed. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Hi Sharril! I hope they were delightful! What did you make with them? ~Lindsey
Do they freeze well? (My friend made them when I came over for dinner and my husband LOVED them, so I asked her for the recipe.)
Two Tablespoons of yeast? Did you mean teaspoons?!?!
Michael, Nope, 2 tablespoons is correct!
These hamburger buns have a great texture, and they’re so yum!! (I may or may not have made a tiny one so I could give the recipe a taste test before supper!)
We live a fair piece out from a grocery store, so I often make my family’s baked goods. Tonight I was looking for a hamburger bun recipe that would be quicker than my usual “quick” 2 hour recipe, and I came across this one. I’ve just finished them and they’re cooling off on a rack while I finish up the burgers. I can already tell my husband will be asking to take the leftovers for his lunch tomorrow, these buns are THAT good!
I LOVE the addition of egg wash and sesame seeds to this simple enriched dough! It came together quickly and easily, and the inside texture and flavor of these buns is as close to a bun with much more rise time as is possible! This has become my new go-to-in-a-time-crunch bun/bread/roll recipe! Thank you for posting this recipe, and I hope everyone will do themselves a favor and try it!
Brooke, Thank you so much for the kind review and rating! I am so glad you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as we do! 🙂
The buns were perfect and didn’t have to spend all day making them, super easy. My kids can’t sit still , am off to enjoy! Love from Zimbabwe