40 Minute Fresh Milled Soft and Fluffy Hamburger Buns

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This recipe for hamburger buns is surprisingly easy, in only 40 minutes you will have picture perfect homemade hamburger buns topped with quintessential sesame seeds. 

Armed with the right hamburger bun recipe, you can prep and bake soft, and fluffy hamburger buns in less than an hour. The secret to this 40 minute hamburger bun recipe is in using more instant yeast than found in normal yeast breads. The extra yeast gives the bread a faster boost and significantly reduces the prep time needed for fluffy soft dough. So instead of preparing the dough hours ahead of time, you can simply knead it and then shape it into the perfect hamburger buns. This recipe skips the second rise and will only need its first and only dough rise on the parchment paper lined sheet pan while the oven preheats.

What You’ll Love About This Hamburger Bun Recipe:

• simple ingredients
• quick and easy
• nutritious
• homemade flavor
• versatile
• freeze well
  

Ingredient Breakdown For Hamburger Buns

Let’s do a quick breakdown of the ingredient list to understand the important and key roles they play for the best hamburger buns.

Flour. You can use all purpose flour, or hard white wheat flour. Hard white wheat is a whole grain just like traditional whole wheat, but it has a lighter color and much more mild flavor. The key flavor differences are that all purpose flour will have a very mild flavor, and freshly milled white wheat flour will have a denser flavor.

Water. I use plain filtered water, but you can use any water you feel comfortable using. Water helps us in the making of these hamburger buns by gelatinizing the starches in the flour and trapping the water in the dough.

Eggs. Eggs are a great source of protein that supplements gluten and binds our dough together. The binding will help the bread rise and make it soft and fluffy in texture. In pastries and bread, eggs play a key role in the browning of the bread, and topping your hamburger buns with an egg wash will give it a glossy finish. They add a characteristic, rich flavour and actually extend the shelf of your bread.

 Instant Yeast. For this recipe, I opted for instant yeast because there is no need to proof it, and the rise time is very short due to the amount of instant yeast. This drastically reduces your time in the kitchen, making the first rise the only rise. Using instant yeast also makes the temperature of your dough not so finnicky.

Olive Oil. Including olive oil in your bread dough will enhance the texture, flavor and the moisture of your buns. Vegetable based oils contain many fatty acids and lecithin, making the dough easier to handle and less sticky. Fats make bread softer and like eggs, extend the shelf life of bread by helping it stay softer for a longer period.

Honey. Honey plays a distinctive role in breads, providing a sweet flavor to bread that complements a wide range of flavors, including whole wheat and white flours. The humectant properties of honey help retain moisture in bread, and that helps our bread retain its soft crumb. Honey also contains antioxidants and antibacterial compounds that may offer some health benefits.

Salt. Any salt will do. The salt itself is critical in bringing out the flavors and textural properties of the hamburger buns, so don’t skip this step. It also helps strengthen the gluten bonding, increasing the roll-ability and robustness of the dough.

Lemon Juice. Adding freshly squeezed lemon juice give your hamburger buns superior lightness and noticeable volume. Omit this if using purpose flour.

Sesame Seeds. Sesame seeds are not absolutely necessary to this recipe, but I find they add a very unique flavor, aroma, and texture that goes perfectly with these fresh hamburger buns. Not only that, but they also make a great visual contrast to the hamburger bun tops.

What Is the Point ofAdding Sesame Seeds?

Topping your hamburger buns with sesame seeds adds a unique flavor, aroma, and texture. Sesame seeds also add some visual contrast to the bread, and a nice crunch. In addition to their flavor, texture, and scent, they also provide protein, vitamins, minerals, and important antioxidants. Sesame seeds have a mild, sweet, and nutty taste. When baked or toasted, they take on an almond-like flavor.

Knead or Mix? 3 Easy Ways to Work with Dough:

By Hand. 

Kneading and mixing by hand is the old-fashioned way, and one that many people love. I love getting hands on with my baking. No special tools are needed, but your arms will certainly get a workout. One thing to watch out for is adding too much flour. The dough needs to stay sticky, and that can be tricky when you are kneading by hand. 

Stand Mixer

This is the way a lot of people choose to mix their dough, and it’s a perfectly suitable option for this recipe. The dough hook attachment for your stand mixer works beautifully to knead the dough, and it keeps you from adding too much flour. Plus, it is hands-off so you can multi-task while the dough kneads.

 Bread Machine

Years ago, we bought a bread machine and haven’t looked back. I love using my bread machine to bake and will occasionally use it on the setting that kneads the bread for me. Using a high-quality bread machine will give you dough that is not only perfectly kneaded but also perfectly risen. This is by far the easiest method. 

Tips for Keeping Your Homemade Burger Buns Fresh

None wants to ruin the perfect burger with a dry, stale bun. A fresh hamburger bun is the foundation to creating a delicious burger. I try my best to avoid additives and preservatives in my bread recipes, but this also means their shelf life is reduced if not stored properly. Following these steps is imperative to keep your bread tasting high quality and fresh.

1. Room Temperature

To keep homemade burger buns tasting fresh, storing them at room temperature in an airtight container, plastic wrap, or alternatively wrapped in foil. They can be kept at room temperature for up to five days. Avoid refrigeration, as this will dry them out and ruin the fluffy perfect texture.

2. Prevent Moisture   

To avoid a soggy texture, keep them away from any moisture sources like the sink, ontop of the fridge, or near any damp countertops. Bread loves moisture, and it will seep into the bread and cause it to mold. Funnily enough, buns can also dry out in too dry of an environment. A great tip I read recently is to wrap your bread in a sealable plastic bag with a small piece of wax paper. The wax paper will help to absorb any excess moisture and keep the buns fresh.

3. Avoid Stacking Your Hamburger Buns

When storing your hamburger buns, there are 2 reasons to avoid stacking them on top of each other. Stacking them puts them at risk of being smooshed and not keeping their fluffy shape. The second reason is it could lead to excess moisture as well. Space them adequately when storing to prevent trapping moisture between them and to keep their shape. Stacking them also makes them difficult to slice. 

4. Avoid Refrigeration

It may seem like a good idea to extend the life of your hamburger buns and slow the growth of mold and bacteria, but this is not an ideal solution. I don’t recommend refrigeration for most breads as it can cause them to dry out and lose their original texture. The cold temperature of the fridge can make them dense and chewy.

5. Freeze Your Hamburger Buns

For longer storage or if you plan to make these ahead of time for a large group, you can freeze them and thaw them without fear of messing up the quality. First, securely wrap them in cling form plastic wrap, and then place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag. To defrost them, let them sit at room temperature for a few hours. A microwave can be used in a pinch, but I highly recommend it because it’s a difficult line balance to flash defrost without drying them out.

Toppings and Fillings for Hamburger Buns

Don’t let the recipe title stop you from thinking outside the box for these buns. Homemade hamburger buns aren’t just for burgers. Use these burger buns with any of your favorite sandwich fillings, like sloppy joes, chicken salad, or pulled pork. For toppings, there are so many delicious and versatile options. Here are some ideas to get creative with the flavor and texture:

Sesame Seeds: Of course, sesame seeds are a classic for a reason in my original recipe. Personally, I think they add so much to hamburger buns. They provide a wonderful crunch, almond-like nutty flavor, and smell amazing when they’re toasting! 

Everything Bagel Seasoning: Everything bagel seasoning is becoming a pantry staple for many, and rightfully so. The versatility is unmatched! It’s a savory, garlicky, and oniony, with a nice nutty crunch from the sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Here is a simple everything bagel seasoning recipe.

 Melted Butter: Brush the tops of the buns with melted butter after baking for a glossy finish. Salted butter especially gives the tops a little boost of flavor.

Honey Glaze: For a sweet take on this recipe, mix equal parts honey and butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt. Brush on rolls before baking. 

 Cheese: You can sprinkle fresh grated cheese like cheddar, mozzarella, or Parmesan on top of the buns before baking for a cheesy crust.

Are Homemade Buns Healthier Than Store-Bought Buns?

The next time you are at the grocery store, do yourself a favor and turn over your favorite bread to read the back ingredients. You will be shocked at the number of emulsifiers, preservatives, and additives that you will not find in homemade whole wheat bread.

Homemade whole wheat bread traditionally contains no foreign chemicals, artificial additives, preservatives, or enzymes, which makes it the much healthier option.

What Is the Purpose of an Egg Wash?

 In baking, a lot of recipes call for an egg wash to be brushed on baked goods before it goes in the oven. The purpose in brushing the dough balls in an egg wash is to give the final product a golden-brown color that has a slightly glossy finish. Omitting this step makes a very noticeable difference! Egg washes also can make the bread look more professional, a bit crispier, and act as a binder.

Why Use Hard White Wheat Berries?

Hard white wheat has some key features that make it quite different from its soft white wheat counterparts. Hard refers to wheat with high gluten content. The gluten in fresh milled flour from hard white wheat berries will give our whole wheat flour dough more elasticity, which will allow our hamburger buns to hold their shapes when baked.