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These Homemade Hamburger Buns are incredibly fast, easy and delicious! In less than an hour, you can have soft and fluffy hamburger buns without going to the store. Make this 40 minute hamburger bun recipe for your next cookout!
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Anyone else baking up a storm lately? I normally buy hamburger buns, but recently I had a craving for burgers and didn’t want to go to the store. Instead, I whipped up this 40 minute hamburger bun recipe and I was astonished by how easy there were, not to mention delicious!
The best hamburger bun recipe
I was suspicious that a recipe with such a short rise time could be good, but I was in a pinch and needed burger buns fast. After making these several times, and some other recipes with longer rise times, my husband swears up and down that this is the best hamburger bun recipe I have ever made.
How do you make hamburger buns from scratch?
This recipe for hamburger buns is surprisingly easy. Simply mix the yeast with some warm water, sugar and oil. Then let it sit for 5 minutes. This step “wakes up” the yeast, and the sugar is food for the yeast to start creating gas. After five minutes, you will see that the mixture has become foamy. This means your yeast is doing what it is supposed to do!
Next, you mix in an egg, the flour, and salt. Continue to add flour until you have a soft dough. You can do this step by kneading with your hands, or you can use your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, which is what I did.
Then you will quickly shape the dough into a ball and divide into 8 pieces. I use a bench scraper to do this. Shape each piece into a ball, then arrange on a greased or lined baking sheet. Cover and allow rise for 10 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
How to make an egg wash
In order to make the most beautiful burger buns, I decided to use an egg wash for a nice shiny and golden top, sprinkled with sesame seeds. To make an egg wash, simply mix one egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the mixture over the tops of the burger buns, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
After the 10 minute rise time, then being brushed with the egg wash and sesame seeds, the burger buns are ready to go into the oven. After 8-12 minutes, you will have soft, fluffy and golden hamburger buns, fresh from the oven.
Next time you want to grill some burgers, be sure to make this 40 minute hamburger bun recipe first. I suggest adding my Best Ever Grilled onions to your burger. And speaking of burgers, have you tried my Shallot White Cheddar Burger?
40 minute hamburger buns
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water about 110 degrees
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For topping
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 TBSP water
- 2 TBSP sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add yeast and warm water to a large bowl. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, mixture should be foamy.
- Whisk in egg. Slowly mix in the salt and flour. Continue to add flour until you have a soft dough.
- Using a dough hook, knead in a mixer for 3-5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. (If you don't want to use a mixer, you can knead by hand on a lightly floured surface.) Do not let rise. Divide into 8 equal pieces; shape each into a ball. Do not let the dough rise.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the dough balls on a greased or lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, brush the buns with an egg was, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, 8-12 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
adapted from Taste of Home
Turned out GREAT!! Tried hard not to add too much flour, so… wow that dough ball was REALLY STICKY… but holy COW… the taste, the texture, the beautiful sheen… We had them tonight—but not as burger buns—we used them with turkey sandwiches. My husband loved ’em. Me too. Cannot thank you enough. These buns turned out terrific. Will definitely add this recipe to my arsenal! I thank you.
So glad you love them!
These buns are bomb. I’m writing this review in a food coma. My boyfriend is passed out beside me, snoring.
Tonight I made smash patties and needed quick buns. This recipe caught my eye. I followed the directions scrupulously and kneaded for 8 minutes by hand, with the final flour total at 3.25 cups. The dough was still rather tacky, but I resisted the temptation to over flour.
They came out gorgeous and golden. They had risen higher than expected, which gave me the idea to cut them into three, instead of in half. A bit of homemade mac sauce, shredded lettuce, onions, pickles and cheese and we were in business.
The sweetness of this bun makes it a perfect fast food dupe without overdoing it. Were I to give any critique, it would be that the bun is dense and rises high. Next time I’m tempted to form into 10 rolls and flatten on the pan before resting.
I will definitely use this recipe often.
PS I didn’t have sesame seeds, but for some reason I had hemp seeds. So I used those. Worked great. Can’t see them affecting the final product much either way though.
SO glad to hear that Aless!
This recipe was fantastic! I made hamburger buns long ago and lost the recipe while moving. I forgot to buy buns for our dinner yesterday and came across this recipe and decided to try it. The results were phenomenal. I was a little skeptical about the lack of rise time but when I took them out of the oven they ere beautiful. The buns were a beautiful golden brown and the interior crumb was perfect. The taste of the bun was delicious! My hus Is very particular about the texture and he raved about how perfect they were. Thank you for sharing. This recipe is a definite keeper!
So glad you love them!
For everyone who said they were falling apart that was from way too much flour. These were absolutely fantastic!!! Your dough should be very light and even sticky. Keep hands floured when balling up each dough ball and it will be perfect! I will never buy buns again!!!! Thank you!
So easy. So good. You’ll thank yourself for making this recipe.
So glad you loved it!
My first time EVER IN LIFE to make bread dough from scratch.(Btw I’m 53) Meghan, thanks for sharing and passing along your recipe wisdom. I read thru this recipe numerous times, and also read on well into the comments. That helps me to hopefully avoid any mishaps. GREAT RESULTS, & looking forward to many more bread adventures. 🙂 .
So happy to hear that Mary!
Mine came out like a biscuit as well. They fell apart while eating the burger. I see in a lot of responses it says i may have used too much flour. I had to use more flour because with 3 1/2 cups the dough was way too sticky. They did raise pretty good so i know the yeast worked. I can see by the feedback from most that these buns are really good.
I’m not a beginner in the kitchen so i wonder what went wrong.
Hi Eric – did you knead by hand or with a stand mixer? I’m wondering if kneading by hand makes it more likely for people to add more flour.
I made these 3 times once I was not paying attention and mixed too long and had problem with buns falling apart . Just mix till forms together makes a wonderful bun. Thank you love this recipe! Sorry I don’t use Instagram.
So glad you loved it.
I just made. They turned out great! Beautiful color and wonderful texture. I am thinking about making it into a loaf next time. Change temp to 350 and bake for approx 25 min. If it works this will be the recipe I will use all the time. Thank you.
Let us know how that turns out!
I tried these today for the first time, love this recipe super easy and tasty 😋
Thank you for sharing with all of us ❤️
Unfortunately this quick fix is just that. The increased sugar content is what expediates the rise but for me is a compromise too far on flavour.
Yeast intimidated me! There, that’s the negative part. Actually, the easiest yeast recipe I’ve ever tried. They are beautiful! The recipe was so easy and well explained.
So glad to hear that, Janet!
1st time making buns. They Tasted very good and came out perfect size.
So happy to hear that!
I make buns on a regular basis so very familiar with technique; however, my husband requested I make these after work last night for supper. I had to add much more flour as the dough was extremely sticky. The yeast flavour was overpowering so next time I think I would use just 2 teaspoons of rapid yeast which isn’t as strong tasting. I baked at 425 for 12 minutes and while the buns did not burn, they were very dark on the bottom yet the bun was still quite doughy in the center. I think if I were to make them again I would bake longer at a lower temperature…so perhaps they would work better as a 60 minute recipe instead of 40.
I had the same problem! Have you tried them again? Did you cut the yeast down?
Everything looked beautiful but when I cut into them all I could smell was yeast and they were doughy.
Meghan, Thank you for this quick way to make buns! Mine came out pretty good. I cut the recipe by 50% as I wanted buns for sliders and the baked size was perfect. In between a standard size bun and a White Castle. I used a stand mixer with dough hooks to knead the bread. I planned on 4 minutes at the slowest setting. At 2 minutes the dough ball looked perfect, but when I went to turn it off the dough was flat in the bowl. It was kind of liquified. By cutting the ingredients by 50% should I have cut the time to knead in half also? I divided the dough into balls, but they quickly flattened out. I was worried, but the buns came out fine.
Hi Bruce – I don’t think you would need to cut the kneading time. It might be that the yeast amount would be different? I haven’t tried to cut this in half, and it is tricky with baking recipes. But if they turned out anyway, I probably wouldn’t change anything.
I said they came out fine, but maybe I should have said they tasted fine. From that first batch we have had cheeseburger sliders 3 times now. The first night the buns kind of fell apart before I was finished, but I was able to clamp it together with my hands. The second time was for lunch a few days later. This time rather than putting the mayo and 1,000 island on the bun I applied it to the patty thinking the wetness weakened the bun, but it still came apart. Then the 2 remaining buns went into the freezer for about a week until tonight’s cheeseburgers. This time I toasted the buns thinking it would maybe make them stronger and I put the spreads on the patty to keep the buns dry. Tonight the buns completely fell apart and I ate the last half with a fork. I don’t think they liked the freezer, but I am very new at baking bread. I’m sure I did something wrong. The flavor is great, but they fall apart like breakfast biscuits.
Very easy to follow. A little doughy but maybe I should have kneaded in mixer longer. The buns end up very large. Next time I will use same recipe but twelve buns. If you like huge burgers it’s perfect. Works well with or without egg coating. Definitely keeping in my arsenal.
So glad you liked them!
I absolutely love this recipe!! I have made it many tes now! Yummy for chicken burgers too!! Freezes really well!!
So happy you love it!
These came out perfectly. Followed directions exactly and I used a stand mixer with dough hook. Be careful not to overmix the dough or it will definitely become too sticky. That’s the nature of this kind of dough! Also flouring the surface you cut the dough on helps a lot, and flour your hands as well. Really nice flavor reminds me of Hawaiian bread.
So glad you loved them!
I can’t figure out how to leave a comment…am I missing something in the steps because I can’t see when the sugar and oil are added?? I’m very new to baking so I’m sure it’s very obvious
Hi there! It is in step one – “Add yeast and warm water to a large bowl. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, mixture should be foamy.” I hope that helps!
I was extremely skeptical that such magic could develop in less than an hour. I was wrong! These buns are delicious!!! I added about 1/4 milk substituted for the water and a little less sugar. I also patted them pretty flat as the yeast was making the beautiful dough rise quickly. For the first time, I also tried Wagyu beef from Sam’s Club. With everything put together, my husband claimed it was the best hamburger he’s ever tasted!!! And he is picky about such things! No more store bought buns at this this house!!! Great recipe! Thank you! 🙂
So glad to hear that!
Easy, light, and fluffy. Did half whole wheat flour and half AP. A little sweet so I would use less sugar next time.
So glad you love them!
Hi! I wanted to know if you had any tips to create a design in the buns. Can these be rolled into the shape of a kaiser roll? Wondering mostly if the dough can be rolled out into a rope then reshaped. And if so, how long would you suggest letting the buns rest before baking?
Hi Kiran – the dough is pretty sticky so I think it would be hard to roll into a rope or really shape into a design.
Very easy and delicious buns made in less than 1 hour. I’m not good at baking and even I succeeded with making these buns on short notice.
So glad to hear that!
I made those buns for a 40 year old birthday party (home made hamburgers and fries). I had bought store made buns « just in case » mine would turn out bad.
Well, the store bought buns stayed on the counter because your recipe turned out GREAT !
I put about 1/2 cup more flour than the maximum amount of the recipe. It was a real mess to make the buns, but when they came out of the oven… hummmm they smelled good and the texture of the bread was just perfect.
My guests and I loved these home made buns.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
So glad to hear that!
These were hands-down awesome. I used “everything but the bagel” seasoning on the tops. Delicious and soft. I was not expecting them to be so wonderful with such a short raise time but I will make these again and again. Thanks for sharing.
Susie D
So glad you loved them!
Oh, these are delightful. Mine stuck the pan a little, but that’s because I opted for a heavy flour coating on the bottom, and when they fluffed out, the egg at the edges stuck. Rest was fine. I think you might add to your post that if the buns are too sweet, the yeast wasn’t allowed to sit long enough. It should eat a lot of the sugar. I always let mine go until the top is completely full of froth and I don’t see a lot of granules left.
But these are really great. Instant sub to your blog + a pin. Thank you!
So glad you loved them!
These buns are great, except the bottoms burn, trying different ways to avoid this with no luck!!! Please advise i love them?
Hi Sandy – Hmm, that is odd. I would first check your oven temp, do you have an oven thermometer? Sometimes ovens run hotter or cooler than they say they are. The second thing I would check is where the oven rack is. Be sure it is in the middle of the oven and not at the bottom. Also, is your baking sheet a dark color? That will cause it to get a bit hotter, and therefore brown the bottoms more.
These buns were soooooo good! My family isn’t allowing me to buy hamburger buns ever again! lol
I’m so glad to hear that!
Is it possible to use instant yeast in this recipe? I live in 🇰🇷 and we seemingly have only that. 🤣. Please help me 🙏🏽
Hi, I haven’t tried it but I think some other readers did! If you scroll through the comments you can see what other people did to adapt the recipe.
I used instant dry yeast, and it turned out great!