Yes, you can make homemade hamburger buns in just 30 minutes and they are so much better than anything from the store! Our quick hamburger bun recipe uses active dry yeast, a short rest, and a hot oven to get perfect hamburger buns every time. I’ve been making these for years for backyard BBQs or last minute burger nights at home with the family. Watch the video below and keep scrolling for tops on shaping, baking and freezing for later.
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 30-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 knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface for just about 5 minutes. You’ll know when it’s ready when the dough feels smooth and elastic (like the inside of your cheek). It takes a little more effort than a stand mixer but it works just as well.
Yes you can swap for instant yeast. You’ll skip dissolving it in the water and add it directly to your flour instead. The rise time might actually be slightly shorter!
Yes, the recipe really does call for 2 tablespoons of yeast. This is a short rise recipe, so it needs more yeast to get enough rise in such a short period of time. The sugar is also essential by giving the yeast something to feed on quickly.
Once the buns come out of the oven, brush them with melted butter when they are still hot. This makes a big difference! Also, be careful not to over-bake. Pull them out when they are golden, not dark brown.
Yes, these freeze well. Let them cool completely then place then in a freezer safe bag. They can remain in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight on the counter and warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
The most common reason for hamburger buns not rising is the water temperature. Too hot water can kill the yeast and too cold keeps it from activating. Also, check the age of your yeast, if it doesn’t foam within 5 minutes of adding it to water you might need new yeast.
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 Buns
Equipment
- stand mixer - optional. but recommended
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). Cover and let rest for 10-20 minutes (see notes).
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- 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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Cindy Sharkey says
These are awesome just made them
Marion Severson says
Nice and easy recipe, they turned out great.
Barb says
Tried this for the first time and they turned out so delicious! So soft and quick to make. I will be using this recipe for my go to hamburger buns.
Danielle - TFN Team Member says
Thank you for trying our recipe!
Suzanne says
Are these supposed to taste yeasty? My first batch did. Just did another batch today, let them rise 5 minutes longer. They were a bit bigger but still quite yeasty. So just wondering if that’s normal when doubling the amount of yeast. Otherwise they are Great! Thanks:-)
Alexandra says
Hi there! If I make these the night before and let them rise in fridge overnight, baking the next day, will they be okay? Thanks so much : )
Danielle - TFN Team Member says
Hi! We have never recipe tested with refrigerator rising for this recipe so because of that we don’t recommend it