Can you believe I’ve been writing here for three years? It’s been an amazingly full time—moving to an Amish farmhouse, watching a little boy grow into a teenager, saying goodbye to diapers, publishing hundreds of recipes, learning photography, and making wonderful friends along the way.
Yes, the teenager thing still makes my head spin—not because I fear the teenage years (my kid is awesome), but because I’m old enough to have a teenager. Excuse me while I hyperventilate for a moment.
Three years ago I shared my favorite homemade burger rolls. Even though the blog’s format has changed over time, these buns have remained our family favorite for hamburgers and sandwiches. They’re the kind of recipe your kids will likely keep making when they move out—soft, sturdy, and golden-brown, they elevate whatever you put inside.
With Memorial Day and the official start of grilling season just around the corner, these buns are perfect for burgers, grilled chicken, ham sandwiches, or a ripe tomato with mayo and a whisper of Vidalia onion.
I’ve updated the recipe here into a cleaner, printable format while keeping the old post available for the wonderful comments and memories it holds. If you compare recipes, you’ll notice this is very similar to my homemade hot dog bun recipe—the shaping and finish vary slightly. One small change I made: I now use an egg-only wash for a richer color instead of the former water-and-egg-yolk wash. It’s a personal preference and also a convenient way to avoid leftover egg whites. And yes, I still enjoy a really bad joke now and then.
Homemade Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
Ingredients for the dough:
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature and cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cups bread flour (all-purpose can be substituted if necessary)
- 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional, improves texture)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
To glaze the rolls:
- 1 large egg, beaten well
Optional toppings:
- Poppy seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Dehydrated garlic flakes or minced garlic
- Dehydrated onion flakes or minced onion
- Rosemary
- Coarse salt
- Caraway seeds
- Coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
To mix dough in a bread machine:
- Put all dough ingredients in the pan. Program your bread machine for the dough cycle and start.
To mix dough in a stand mixer:
- Place all dough ingredients in the bowl fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed for 10 minutes, until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Remove the bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1–2 hours.
To mix dough by hand:
- Add all dough ingredients to a large bowl. Stir with a sturdy spoon or by hand until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 15 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1–2 hours.
To form and bake rolls:
- Lightly grease an 11″ x 13″ baking sheet or line it with Silpat or parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and form each into a log. Cut each log into 4 equal pieces (12 rolls total).
- Cup your hand over a piece and roll it clockwise until smooth and tight. Transfer to the prepared sheet, leaving about 3 inches between rolls.
- Flatten each roll gently with your palm and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Brush the puffy rolls generously with beaten egg and sprinkle on desired toppings.
- Bake 18–22 minutes, until deep golden brown.
- Cool on a rack at least 10 minutes before slicing.
To store leftovers:
- Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to two days, or freeze tightly wrapped up to one month.
Notes
Choose toppings to complement your filling. For hamburgers, go wild—anything works. For grilled chicken, try rosemary, coarse salt, and black pepper. For ham sandwiches, use minced onion. Pulled pork or beef pairs well with minced onion, garlic, and black pepper. For beef-on-weck, use coarse salt and caraway seeds.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and use #foodiewithfamily so I can see your photos!
This post also includes a giveaway: I’m giving jars of my candied jalapeños (my semi-demi-hemi-famous Cowboy Candy) to a couple of readers and one to a social follower. They’re an excellent condiment to improve burgers and sandwiches—sweet, spicy, and addictive.
