Description
These beautiful burger buns are soft, buttery, and slightly sweet, perfect for homemade burgers or sandwiches. Made with all-purpose flour, butter, and yeast, they feature a delicate golden crust with an optional seeded topping for added texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/2 cups (420g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (198g) water, lukewarm
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
- 1 tablespoon (9g) instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons (43g) butter, melted; divided
Topping
- 1 large egg white, whisked with 2 tablespoons cold water
- Sesame seeds, or seeds of your choice
Instructions
- Measure the flour: Weigh your flour or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup and sweeping off any excess to ensure accurate measurement.
- Make the dough: Mix and knead all the dough ingredients—flour, lukewarm water, room temperature butter, egg, granulated sugar, salt, and instant yeast—by hand, mixer, or bread machine until you form a soft, smooth dough.
- First rise: Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours.
- Shape the buns: Gently deflate the dough and divide it into eight equal pieces, about 100g each. Shape each piece into a smooth ball for even baking and uniform size.
- Flatten the buns: Using the palm of your hand, flatten each dough ball until it’s about 3 inches in diameter to help create the classic burger bun shape.
- Second rise: Place the shaped buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let them rise until noticeably puffy, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) towards the end of this rising time.
- Apply butter glaze and seeds: Brush the buns with half of the melted butter. For seeded buns, brush the egg white and water mixture over the melted butter to help seeds stick. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds or your preferred seeds.
- Bake the buns: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until the buns are a lovely golden color. Remove them from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter to create a satiny, flavorful crust. Be gentle when applying butter on seeded buns to avoid dislodging the seeds.
- Cool and serve: Transfer the buns to a rack to cool before slicing horizontally. Use them as a base for your favorite burgers or sandwich fillings.
- Storage: Store leftover buns well-wrapped at room temperature for several days or freeze them for longer storage to maintain freshness.
Notes
- For smaller or larger buns, adjust the size and weight of each dough piece accordingly.
- Using instant yeast speeds up the rising process compared to active dry yeast.
- The butter glaze added before and after baking ensures a soft crust and rich flavor.
- You can substitute seeds like poppy, sunflower, or flax seeds for sesame seeds to vary flavor and texture.
- Make sure water is lukewarm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast.
