easy hamburger buns

by Michelle

sesame seed hamburger buns on napkin



If your hamburger bun is lame, no matter how awesome the burger is your doomed! There’s nothing worse than grilling up some fabulous burgers, topping them with gorgeous piles of cheese and pickles to find out that the bun is too sweet or too doughy or just not worthy of your grilled masterpiece. I’m a bread girl. My kids are bread girls. So much so, we could probably skip the burger and just have all our favorite barbecue condiments on a really good bun. Today, I baked my first pan of oh my goodness/they are fantastic hamburger buns. I’m always uberexcited whenever I discover that a mass produced grocery store item is a snap to make at home. If you’ve never made bread before, this is the perfect recipe to start with. Everything gets dumped in your stand mixer bowl that’s assuming you own a stand mixer and boom a few hours later you’ll have outrageously easy sesame seed hamburger buns. They can absolutely be done by hand. It’ll just take a little longer…

easy sesame seed hamburger bun

Easy Sesame Seed Hamburger Buns
Makes 8

3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
¾ cup warm water
1 egg white + ¼ cup cold water

dough hook

Place all ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Using the dough hook attachment, mix for 2 minutes on low
Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth
Place dough in a lightly olive oiled bowl and cover
Allow to raise until doubled in bulk – impossible to give an exact time

raw buns

Punch dough down and divide into 8 equal pieces
Shape pieces into balls then flatten to look like hamburger buns
Allow to raise for 1 hour

egg white wash

Gently brush buns with egg white wash and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds
Preheat oven 400*F
Bake for 18 minutes
Place buns on cooling rack and cool completely

easy sesame seed hamburger buns

THE LOVE: The secret to working with yeast is giving your bread the time it needs to raise properly. Don’t be in a hurry! I didn’t include the quantity for the sesame seeds. Sprinkle til your heart’s content.

printable copy

one year ago: peach and raspberry shortcake with lemon thyme

two years ago: strawberry minted shortcake

bite by michelle

Thanks for reading.

14 comments

Michelle July 6, 2013 - 7:55 am

Hamburger buns have never looked finer. What lovely pics.

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bitebymichelle July 6, 2013 - 8:34 am

Why thank you!

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Penny Wolfe July 6, 2013 - 8:26 am

I going to make these (sans sesame seeds as the youngest is allergic – and the reason I make all my own bread products at home). I’ve been using my sandwich buns for hamburger buns but the bun to burger ratio just wasn’t right! Feel free to try hot dog buns next. 🙂 I have a recipe and a hotdog bun (New England style) pan but the recipe is a little too dense.

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bitebymichelle July 6, 2013 - 8:35 am

We had them for dinner last night. Total home run!

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Penny Wolfe July 6, 2013 - 8:38 am

P.S. your instructions say “put all ingredients in…” But I’m assuming the egg white and cold water is for the egg wash?

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bitebymichelle July 6, 2013 - 10:10 am

Oops! You’re right – that’s why it’s important to read the whole recipe before you start cooking…

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Candras August 7, 2013 - 5:39 pm

Please don’t forget about us beginners! How much of the “1 egg + 1 egg yolk and the ¾ cup warm water” goes into the bread recipe and what parts are for the egg wash?! This looks like something I can actually make with my stand mixer, but I want to get it right. Thanks!

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bitebymichelle August 7, 2013 - 7:25 pm

You can definitely make these…so it’s 1 whole egg plus 1 yolk then for the egg wash 1 egg white with 1/4 cup water

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bitebymichelle August 7, 2013 - 7:26 pm

it’s 3/4 cup of water for the buns…hope this is clearer!

Candras August 12, 2013 - 1:10 pm

Thanks so much for your quick reply!

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LFFL July 6, 2013 - 9:11 am

I like your pics. They look good.

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bitebymichelle July 6, 2013 - 10:11 am

Thank you!

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andmorefood July 7, 2013 - 9:02 pm

these turned out so gorgeous! (and I’m a bread girl too – these hips show it :D)

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bitebymichelle July 8, 2013 - 6:36 am

I love it!

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