This soft burger buns recipe will elevate your burger game. These fluffy and pillowy buns sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds are easy to make and taste a million times better than storebought buns.
This is hands down the best soft burger buns recipe —a soft pillowy bun with a tender crumb topped with sesame and poppy seeds. These homemade burger buns will upgrade any burger. It will be your favourite soft hot dog roll, your favourite dinner roll or slider bun, your favourite soft everything bread! You will find yourself making this easy recipe over and over again.
Making bread at home is something many people won’t attempt, but just allow me to stop you right there and ask: Have you tried to make this fabulous soft burger buns recipe before? I’m sure not. Well, allow me to tell you this: it will change your mind.
Why this soft burger buns recipe will elevate your burger game:
This soft burger bun recipe is one of those staples that I make, flavour and shape in endless ways. Make the dough and shape it as you wish, like into dinner rolls, or garlic knots, or sweet or savory monkey bread. You can even bake it as a large soft loaf, or turn it into cheese stuffed tiny dinner rolls, slider buns, basic burger buns, hot dog rolls or sandwich bread.
And think of the endless flavor options!
You’ll be more surprised to know that unlike many store-bought soft buns, these hardly have any butter or oil or eggs, no milk or cream at all, and don’t require any fancy or advanced baking technique! It’s almost too good to be true.
How to make this soft burger buns recipe at home:
Pour the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and begin kneading the dough in a mixer or by hand, for just a few minutes until smooth but just a little sticky when you press your finger deep into the dough. Add a little extra flour if you feel the need to, but hesitate to add too much. It might feel challenging but it needs to be worked fast (if by hand) until it doesn’t stick to the surface anymore.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, dry place. It may take 1-2 hours depending on how warm your home is that day. You will see it double in size and that’s how it’s ready.
This is how burger buns should be! Golden brown with a light and fluffy inside! I could eat those straight from the oven, but they taste best with a nice burger patty and some veggies!
Tips for success:
- The key to these fabulous soft burger buns is to use a minimal amount of butter that’s cold and rubbed into the flour (and salt). Then the water, yeast and sugar mixture (with 1 egg) is added into this flour mixture.
- The dough is kneaded in a machine or by hand for just a few minutes. Another key here is to keep the dough a little sticky. It should not stick to the surface or your hands, but when you dig your finger inside, it should stick.
Best Soft Burger Buns
This soft burger bun recipe will completely change your burger game. These fluffy and pillowy buns sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds are easy to make and taste a million times better than storebought buns.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water ( not too cold or hot, more like your body temperature)
- 2 teaspoons dry yeast instant
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons cold butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( 1/4 cup more or less depending on the type of flour and the level of humidity/dryness in your area)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the topping
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
For the egg wash
- 1 eggs beaten well
- 1 teaspoon water or milk or cream
Instructions
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Put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Rub the cold butter into the flour until the butter starts to incorporate into the flour totally. Set aside.
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In a measuring cup, measure the water and add the sugar and yeast to it. Mix them up and wait for 2-3 minutes until the yeast starts to activate: the mixture will turn cloudy and may foam on the top. After that, add in the egg and mix it well.
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Pour the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and begin kneading the dough in a mixer or by hand, for just a few minutes ( 4-6 minutes) until smooth but just a little sticky when you press your finger deep into the dough. Add a little extra flour if you feel the need to, but hesitate to add too much. It might feel challenging but it needs to be worked fast (if by hand) until it doesn’t stick to the surface anymore.
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Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, dry place ( like inside your oven while it is shut off). It may take 1-2 hours depending on how warm your home is that day. You will see it double in size and that’s how it’s ready.
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Remove the dough from the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees.
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In the meantime shape your dough to your desired size and thickness, and cover it back with plastic wrap for another 30 minutes while the oven is preheating.
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Brush the tops of each bun with the egg wash and sprinkle the toppings.
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Bake in the oven on a middle rack for 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of your buns) until nice and golden.
Recipe Notes
- The key to these fabulous soft burger buns is to use a minimal amount of butter that’s cold and rubbed into the flour (and salt). Then the water, yeast and sugar mixture (with 1 egg) is added into this flour mixture.
- The dough is kneaded in a machine or by hand for just a few minutes. Another key here is to keep the dough a little sticky. It should not stick to the surface or your hands, but when you dig your finger inside, it should stick.
Can you use a substitute flour like almond flour?
Hi Rita,
I haven’t tried it, but I do know baking gluten free breads needs more structure building ingredients to keep it chewy. I would suggest adding xanthum gum (2 teaspoons), an extra egg and some baking powder (1 teaspoon) to help.
Let me know if you make it! 🙂
I love all those delicious sesame and poppy seeds on the tops of those buns! I have not tried to make homemade buns before, and these sound delicious!
Fabulous buns that look absolutely amazing. There is so much you can do with it including that classic burger that makes everyone hungry. OK, I am hungry now, too! 🙂
What beautiful burger buns! I’m loving hard on this recipe. They’re perfect for summer backyard BBQs.
I wish to make this buns I am terrible at bun making but I have a question what do you mean buy rub the butter into flour? Can I use a food processor or a pastry cutter? Please explian I will not attempt these till I hear from you.
HI Davey, Yes this is similar to pie dough making where you rub the butter into the flour, only it’s much much much more forgiving! So no need to worry about the butter size, the temperature of the butter, or over working the dough. Just rub the flour into the butter until it blends and then go ahead with the remaining of the recipe!
Every time I bake these buns I feel like am the best baker ever! They are super tender and the kids have so much fun making the dough!
Love them!
So glad you liked this:) It’s a forgiving recipe too–so let the kids have all the fun they want with the dough 😉
Mahy you just read my mind! I was planning to make burgers tonight but was not sure if I really wanted to have ready made buns that taste horrible!
Gonna start making the dough in a bit! It looks yummy and btw loving the little helper hands 😉
I am sure they will be delicious like everything else you make
Thank you Shahi! I know you will love these, they are well worth the effort! Enjoy!
Mahy you just read my mind! I was planning to make burgers tonight but was not sure if I really wanted to have ready made buns that taste horrible!
Gonna start making the dough in a bit! It looks yummy and btw loving the little helper hands 😉
I am sure they will be delicious like everything else you make