This quick and easy hamburger bun recipe makes the best hamburger buns in under 40 minutes! You’ll have soft and fluffy buns that taste much better and are fresher than the store-bought variety. See our video and tips below on how to freeze them to enjoy later, too!
You can have the best hamburger buns in just 30 minutes. This recipe makes perfectly soft bread that is way better than store-bought.
They’re exactly what you want for sloppy joes, shredded beef rolls, pulled pork sandwiches, grilled turkey burgers, and more.
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Hamburger Bun Recipe Video Tutorial
Why We Love This Hamburger Buns Recipe
- The dough is very soft and elastic, which makes it ideal for kneading in a mixer with a dough hook.
- They’re ready in as little as 30 minutes! Although we call them 40-minute hamburger buns, our recipe shares how to shorten that to just 30 minutes—which makes them perfect for cookouts, lunch with friends, or as an addition to our delicious dinner recipes for March!
- You can serve them freshly baked or freeze them for later!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Bread Flour – Or you can substitute it with all-purpose flour.
- Active Dry Yeast – This is a necessity! This is what gives the buns their quick rise.
To make them without yeast, see our sourdough hamburger buns recipe if you have a sourdough starter. - Cooking Oil – Use your preferred cooking oil or use melted and cooled butter for a more buttery roll.
- Egg – Use room temperature eggs. It tends to help keep the dough warmer for a good rise.
- Sugar – This is a must for this recipe (see TFN Pro Tip below for why!).
We recommend using bread flour (I prefer King Arthur flour), but you can easily substitute all-purpose flour. I find that bread flour yields a smoother bun that looks just like store-bought ones.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Don’t skip the sugar! Since this recipe has a very short rise time, the sugar is essential to help the yeast rise.
Recipe Variations
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of dried minced onion or onion powder to the dough for an onion flavor.
- Swap the bread flour for half whole wheat flour for a healthier option.
- Skip the sesame seeds and instead brush with garlic butter.
4 Easy Steps to The Best Hamburger Buns
Step 1: Make the Dough: Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the oil and sugar and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Add the egg, salt, and 3 cups of flour to the bowl and make a soft dough. If the dough is too runny, add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it comes together.
Step 2: Knead the Dough. Knead the dough (by hand or using a dough hook in a stand mixer) until it is smooth and elastic, which should take about 3-5 minutes.
Step 3: Shape the homemade hamburger buns. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
Gently flatten them in your hand. Place the rolls 3 inches apart on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Bake at 425°F for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.
After removing the burger buns from the oven, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle on sesame seeds (optional) for a delicious flavor.
After baking, let them cool on wire racks, then cut them in half.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
How to store: Store in a sealed zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the burger buns on a baking sheet and warm them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes until they’re soft and warmed through.
If you plan on storing the rolls from this quick hamburger buns recipe for more than a day or two, it’s best to freeze them.
Freezing Instructions: Place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat from frozen, thaw overnight on the counter, then place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. You’ll need to knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it becomes soft and pliable. If it’s been kneaded enough, you should be able to stretch the dough for 4-5″ without it tearing. The dough is soft and pliable, so flour your countertop and hands well before kneading.
The signs that the dough has been kneaded long enough are that it should feel smooth, like the inside of your cheek, be tacky but not sticky, and be able to stretch it for several inches without tearing.
Yes, you can. Skip adding the yeast to the warm water, and add it to the flour. Go ahead and mix the dough as in step 2 of the recipe.
You can do a few things to keep them soft:
First, brush them with melted butter before they cool. This will help keep them moist.
Second, don’t over-bake them. They should be just golden brown, not dark brown.
Finally, store them in a zip-top bag or airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
More Bread Roll Recipes to Consider…
If you tried this easy hamburger bun recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Quick and Easy Hamburger Bun Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- large bowl
- parchment paper
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast see notes for instant yeast
- 1 cup warm water 95° to 105°F
- ⅓ cup cooking oil
- ¼ cup sugar *see notes
- 1 large egg, room temperature beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups bread flour or all purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add beaten egg, salt, and 3 cups of flour and make a soft dough. If the dough is too runny, add the rest of the flour, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead (by hand or using a dough hook in a stand mixer) until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes.
- Immediately divide into 8 pieces and shape each into a ball. Place 3 in. apart on baking sheet (non-stick, greased, or cover with parchment paper).
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Cover and let rest for 20 minutes*. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Cut in half to serve.
Video
Notes
- Don’t skip the sugar! Since this recipe has a very short rise time, the sugar is essential to help the yeast rise.
- You can let the dough rise for 10 minutes, but I have found that 20 minutes is optimal.
- Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast? Yes, skip adding the yeast to the warm water, and add it to the flour. Go ahead and mix the dough as in step 2 of the recipe.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of dried minced onion or onion powder to the dough for an onion flavor.
- Swap the bread flour for half whole wheat flour for a healthier option.
- Skip the sesame seeds and instead brush them with garlic butter.
- Store in a sealed zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Warm them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to reheat until soft and warmed.
- If you plan on storing the bread rolls for over a day or two, it’s best to freeze them.
- Freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw overnight on the counter, then warm them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
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Mara E says
this bread is delicious. I used it for a hamburger and it is soft and flavorful. I also tried a piece with honey and it is really good.
Justin says
I’m curious about flour volume as hydration is super important variable in baking. I don’t do anything by volume, but rather weight and ml of ingredients. I rewrote the recipe in metric, but can’t get past the last part without a solid number for conversion. I know i can play with it, but something more definite would be appreciated. Here’s where I’m at currently with metric conversion and a swap of ady for idy which is more practical. I’m assuming the volume difference is due to measurement of volume rather than weight. I did all the conversion, but rounded off the small details for ease of measurement.
9g idy
230ml water (35-40c)
80ml oil
60ml sugar
1 large egg (second egg for pre bake brush)
5g salt
Flour ?? (360-420g)
Bake 220c for 8-12 minutes. (10 for practicality and thermometer variation between ovens)
These are directly from my bakers notes on this recipe. If you want that typical burger bun shine and better adherence of sesame seeds try the egg brush before bake.
Thank you though. Seems solid except for the flour variation
Gianne - TFN Team Member says
You’re absolutely right that hydration makes a huge difference—especially in enriched dough like this. The original recipe’s 3 to 3½ cups of flour (360g to 420g) reflects the typical variability in flour absorption and environmental factors like humidity. But for a more precise baker’s percentage approach, here’s a refined weight-based version you can work from:
Weighted Version (for 8 buns):
9g instant dry yeast (IDY)
230ml warm water (35–40°C)
80ml neutral oil
60g sugar
1 large egg (~50g)
5g salt
390–400g bread flour (start with 390g, add a bit more if the dough is too sticky)
Bake at 220°C for 10–12 minutes, until golden brown.
With 230ml of water and ~50g from the egg, you’re looking at ~280g liquid to ~390g flour = about 72% hydration, which is spot-on for a soft enriched dough that’s easy to handle after a brief rest or knead.
If you want to push it to a slightly firmer dough, you could go as high as 400g flour for ~70% hydration. This range should give you that perfect pillowy crumb without being too sticky.
And yes, your egg wash tip for shine and seed adhesion is spot on. Thank you for the detailed baker’s notes. They are very helpful and thoughtful!
Jill says
Can you use bread machine to mix?
Gianne - TFN Team Member says
We haven’t tried it that way, but you can try. Just add the ingredients to the bread machine in the order recommended by your machine’s manufacturer, usually liquids first, then dry ingredients, and yeast last. Select the “dough” cycle, and once it’s done, proceed with dividing, shaping, and baking as directed in the recipe.
Justin says
Ayyyy. This is what I’m talking about. I’ve done dozens of hamburger bun recipes and this is the one for me. Cuts the right ingredients to make this perfect for what I’m trying to do. I have zero interest in using butter or milk because i live in asia and those ingredients are too expensive here to be practical. Thanks!
Amanda says
I just made these and OMG!!! hands down the best! I used instant yeast and they turned out perfect. Im never buying store bought buns again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.