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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
For homemade buns in under an hour, these are amazing! I usually make brioche buns which take almost all day, but today I was craving a burger unplanned so I tried these instead. They are super easy, and super delicious! I was a bit skeptical about the amount of sugar so I reduced it slightly, but I think even with the full amount they won’t be sweet (crazy, I know!). Thanks for sharing your recipe Meghan! I have photos but need to figure out how to post them.
So happy you loved them!
I made these tonight to go with veggie burgers and they were delicious! I subbed in some honey for the sugar, olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and did about half whole wheat, and they were still really pillowy. They were so fast and no fuss! Thank you for my new go-to recipe! I also recommend topping them with everything bagel seasoning 🙂
So glad to hear you loved them!
Yesterday, I was reminded of the horrors of store-bought hamburger buns when visiting a friend for lunch. Today being the Fourth of July, I decided I’d make buns for the veggie burgers I plan on serving. Simple and quick recipe with a tasty result! I did reduce the sugar and used half whole wheat flour, but kept everything else the same. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved them!
I made these last night. Great and easy recipe, and I was very excited to try, but with the exact amounts in the recipe I ended up with a super watery dough. So I had to add about 10 more tablespoons of flour. Sure, it changes from flour to flour but I guess that’s two much difference, what might be the problem? I guess I’ll try it with 1/2 cup water next time. It’s not mentioned in the recipe but should they be baked in fan-forced setting? Because it also took longer to bake, about 17 minutes. And they didn’t end up fluffy but firm and dense, more like bagel or biscuit. Might be the extra flour but without the extra flour it was watery. I really don’t know what went wrong.
Hi, I’m sorry you had trouble! I’m not sure what went wrong for you. The dough is pretty sticky at first but comes together after you knead it a bit. Did you mix by hand or in a stand mixer? If by hand, it can take a bit longer. When kneading you can gradually add a little flour at a time to keep it from sticking, but if you add too much that could be what caused them to be dense. They can be baked in a regular oven, it doesn’t need to be convection.
I mixed it by hand. But rather than sticky, it was watery. So next time I’ll start with 1/2 cup water and add more slowly if necessary. I’ll let you know know how it turns out. Thanks!
Your yeast could be bad.
Omg that was so easy and they taste so great! Take you for the recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Wonderful recipe, I have shared it with family members. It is easier than running to the store for buns and much more delicious.
So glad you love them!
I do a lot of bread baking and most of the time I do things that require long rising and proof times. This is going to be my most used recipe for regular meal time bread! The one ingredient not required is something I never have in great supply: planning! To get taste, texture, and appearance like this in less time than it takes to make the rest of the meal is crazy good! That panicky feeling of “Oh ****, I didn’t think about the bread!” is a thing of the past! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you like the recipe!
Would totally recommend and make these again. Turned out really nice. Turned out like the picture. I didn’t have the option to attach a pic.
So glad you loved them!
I tried this burger bun today; halved the recipe and substituted bread flour for the all purpose flour. I got exactly 4 big buns and those were delicious. It was quick and does not require pre-planning for an evening burger dinner. I am keeping this recipe…
I am so happy to hear that!
Mine tasted a lot like yeast. They came out perfect though. Perfect for mama but not a big hit with the kids… help!
Hi Grace, I’m not sure why that happened! I haven’t had that problem before.
Probably because there’s 2 times the amount of yeast in this recipe compared to regular recipes. Which is also why they can rise so quickly; it’s a trade off : )
I made these tonight and they turned out exactly as promised!! Used them as buns for pulled pork sandwiches. The only downside is that they had a very strange, off-putting smell. So bad, that everyone ended up taking the meat off the buns. So unfortunate. Could have been the extra yeast….
Hi Detrick, that is odd, I haven’t heard that before.
These were so delicious! They were incredibly light and fluffy and went really well with the turkey burgers I made.
I’m so happy you loved them!
Love, love this recipe! I admit I was skeptical but I’ve made it many times and it really is no fail! Hamburger buns, hotdogs buns (but big, so either make 10-12 or go for the brats!!!) and I made 16 balls for breakfast rolls at Easter. Absolutely delish! Thank you!
So happy to hear that!
Whaaaaaat!!!?? I literally had these cooling on a rack within 40 minutes of starting this recipe. My usual burger bun recipe takes 4-6 hours. I didn’t have the time today so I thought I’d give this a try. It has more sugar and oil than I’d like, but for a quickie recipe, this ROCKS!! Super light and fluffy, very pillowy, gorgeous results and not overly yeasty in flavor. I did not use quick yeast as it did not indicate it was required. Thank you for a great recipe that I’ll be using every time I need buns in a hurry!
I’m so glad you loved them!
I made mine vegan! I just used an egg replacer in the recipe. I also proofed mine for 30 minutes instead of 10 and kneaded the dough longer to ensure fluffy buns… at least I read 10 minutes to really get the dough elastic enough to trap more air. Anyways, I’m not a baker so I’m learning.
Absolutely love the recipe. I’m a Baker and just moved to a different country and started my own home business. The burger buns are honestly a hit!
They’re so easy to make and so quick even if its double the recipe. I prove it for a little longer due to the climate in India but it tastes better than store bought. I have been making a batch of these for nearly a month every day now!
So glad you love them!
It gives me a thrill to think that we are baking the same breads together while so far apart. Be well, I am right next to you. lyn
Can this recipe be used to make hot dog buns as well?
Hi Ryan – I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure. Let us know if you give it a try!
Yes! It works well!
Excellent recipe! Easy and tasty. Thanks for sharing it.
So glad you loved them!
Good recipe. Easy to do and directions clear.
So glad you loved them!
We loved these so much, and have used them for both pulled chicken and sloppy joe’s. One thing that we can’t figure out, though, is why they don’t end up darker. We preheat, paint with egg (just like our challah, which always turns out dark and lovely), and yet they end up very pale! We broiled but figure that shouldn’t be necessary. Any thoughts?
Hi Jess – I’m not sure, the egg wash should help make them more golden like they are in the photos. You could try increasing the oven temp by 25 degrees but if they are baking properly now I don’t if that would cause them to be overbaked.
Oh my goodness!!! Is all I have to say! These are beyond amazing!
Yay, so happy to hear that!
Very easy recipe. The buns came out perfect and beautiful!
I use 4 cups of flour, 1.5 tablespoon of yeast, 2.5 tablespoon of sugar and cut the dough into 12 pieces. They came out nice and soft just like your picture. I also marinated the ground beef and made 12 hamburger patties that fit the buns perfectly. My family and I loved those buns so much. I will definitely make it again and again. Thank you.
I am so happy to hear that!
did you still use the oil and egg too? you said 4 cups flour, yeast, sugar…did you modify in any other way?
Super easy to make and turned out perfectly!
My first hamburger buns and it turns out perfectly thank you for the easy recipe!!