At the risk of repeating myself (I say this about ALL home baked bread), once you eat these buns, you will never buy store-bought burger buns again! Another easy, no-knead recipe that results in the perfect texture and structure with rich flavor. Did you get that?? FLAVOR! When is the last time you tasted anything like flavor in a burger bun? The texture is sturdy enough so they won’t get soggy and the crust is just right – you can bite into them without pulling the whole darn burger or sandwich apart. Enough said. Ready, set, BAKE!
The Most Delicious Burger Buns
Makes 8-9 Buns
Ingredients
- 3½ cups All Purpose Flour (measure accurately, too much flour will result in heavy buns)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup lukewarm water plus 2-3 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons melted butter for topping
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together melted and cooled butter, egg and 1 cup water. Add to dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix together to make a soft, rather smooth dough. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to gather flour in the bottom of the bowl. Don’t be afraid to use your hands if necessary, to fully mix the dough. The dough might be a little sticky, but do not add additional flour.
- Cover and let rise 1½ to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk. You definitely want the dough to double on this first rise.
- Deflate the dough by folding it over on itself with a spatula while turning the bowl quarter turns. It helps to oil the spatula or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Divide into 8 portions, about 3+ ounces each. Shape each piece into a ball using no flour or as little flour as possible to prevent sticking. This step is accomplished easily if you use a Silpat mat. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten to about 3 inches across. Cover and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy. If you gently poke a floured finger about ½ inch into the risen buns, the indentation should fill partially back up if the buns are ready to bake.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° convection.
- When buns are ready to bake, brush with half the melted butter. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and brush with remaining melted butter.
Notes
How To Measure Flour Accurately: Use a spoon to fluff up the flour within the container. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Use a knife or other straight edged utensil to level the flour across the measuring cup.
If you like seeded buns, brush the unbaked buns with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds or everything bagel seasoning. Omit brushing with butter if you use egg wash. You might even prefer the shiny look of the buns if you use only egg wash, no seeds or butter.
For hot dog style buns, use 2½ ounces of dough and shape into 7-inch long buns. Flatten slightly before raising.
