Hamburger Buns Recipe
Total Time
2 hrs 35 mins
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Rating
4.96 out of 5 stars
(25)
Ingredients
8 servings
- 3/4 cup warm water, about 110 ̊F
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 Tbsp instant yeast, rapid rise
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/4 cups Unbleached all-purpose flour (400g)*, plus more as needed
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds, or Everything Bagel Seasoning
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Preparation
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm water, egg, sugar, salt, and yeast. Whisk for 1 minute to hydrate the yeast.
Step 2
Add softened butter then add most of your flour (leave out about 1-2 Tbsp of flour). Use a firm spatula or dough hook attachment to mix the dough just until it comes together. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes or until it is smooth, soft, and elastic. The dough should feel sticky to the touch but should not stick to clean/dry fingertips. If it’s too sticky to knead, add more flour or until you reach the desired consistency.
Step 3
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place (I like to put it in my oven with the light on so it’s not hotter than 100 ̊F) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or at room temperature for about 2 hours. The dough must double in volume.
Step 4
Scrape the dough out onto a clean work surface and use a food scraper or knife to cut it into 8 equal pieces, about 100 grams each piece. Cup your hand around a piece of dough and gently roll each piece of dough into a ball over your clean work surface or over the palm of your hand. Roll the dough balls until the surface is smooth and the dimple underneath shrinks.
Step 5
Set dough balls onto a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping them evenly spaced. Flatten each dough ball into a 3” to 3 1/2” wide diameter, patting it down evenly. Cover the baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature until visibly puffed (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400 ̊F.
Step 6
Make the egg wash by beating together egg and water with a fork then brush it generously over the tops and sides of the buns. Sprinkle on sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning if desired and bake at 400 ̊F for 15 to 16 minutes, or until the tops are deeply golden. Transfer to a rack to cool completely then cover and store until ready to use. Before serving, slice the buns in half lengthwise with a serrated knife.
Step 7
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Chef's notes
Be sure to measure flour correctly. Also, the amount of flour can vary depending on how dry or humid your environment is. Add flour until your dough feels sticky to the touch but isn’t sticking to your fingertips. Err on the side of adding less flour. You can always sprinkle in a little more flour later but you can’t take it out if you add too much.
To keep the buns from drying out, store them once they are cooled to room temperature. Also, wait to slice the buns in half until ready to serve to keep the center crumb from drying out.
To keep the buns from getting too soft or soggy from the burger sauces, spread the cut sides of the bun lightly with butter and toast on a skillet or griddle until golden brown. This creates a barrier for the sauces and also adds great flavor and texture to the burger bun.
