hamburger buns on a cooling rack

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.

hamburger bun dough in a bowl

hamburger bun dough on parchment paper

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.

hamburger bun dough on a baking sheet

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.

super soft hamburger buns on a cooling rack

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.

sloppy joe with super soft hamburger bun

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.

super soft hamburger buns on a cooling rack

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40-Minute Super Soft Hamburger Buns

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 16 reviews
  • Author: Adapted from Taste of Home
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 12 buns 1x
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

No-rise super soft homemade burger buns that are ready in less than 45 minutes. Perfect for cookouts!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tablespoons milk (for egg wash)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. *NOTE: This recipe makes 12 small slider-size buns. For larger buns, simply divide dough into fewer pieces and increase the baking time.