Soft Burger Buns
A good burger bun needs to be soft without being cotton wool — sturdy enough to hold the patty, sauce and juices without collapsing. Milk, egg and a little butter give a fine, tender crumb, while a thorough knead gives it spring. We flatten the balls before the final rise so they bake up wide rather than round like tennis balls.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Rest
- 2 h 25 min
- Total
- 3 h 13 min
- Servings
- 8
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 300 kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
For the topping
Makes: 8 buns, 10 cm across
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
Oven
200 °C · top and bottom heat, no fan
With a fan: 180 °C
-
Step 1: Mix the liquids
In a large bowl, stir together the warm milk, water, sugar, yeast and egg.
-
Step 2: Knead
Add the flour and salt and knead for 5 minutes. Work in the butter a piece at a time, then knead for 7–8 minutes more until the dough is smooth and glossy and a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet.
-
Step 3: First rise
Cover the bowl and leave the dough somewhere warm for 60–75 minutes until doubled.
-
Step 4: Shape
Divide the dough into 8 pieces of about 115 g. Shape each into a tight ball by tucking the edges underneath, set seam side down on a lined tray and flatten with your palm to 9 cm across. Leave 5 cm between them.
-
Step 5: Second rise
Cover and leave for 40–45 minutes until puffy and noticeably wider. Heat the oven to 200 °C.
-
Step 6: Glaze and bake
Beat the egg with the milk, brush gently over the buns and scatter with sesame. Bake for 15–18 minutes until deep golden, with browned bases and 90 °C in the centre.
-
Step 7: Cool under a towel
Move the buns to a rack and cover with a clean tea towel for 30 minutes to keep the crust thin and soft.
Tips & variations
-
Tip
Weigh the dough and divide by 8 for evenly sized buns — a few grams’ difference shows once they’re baked.
-
Variation
Top with poppy seeds or mixed seeds instead of sesame; for a brioche-style bun, add another 40 g butter and an extra yolk.
-
Tip
Before serving, split the buns and toast the cut sides in a dry pan so they don’t go soggy under the sauce.
-
Storage
Keep in a bag for 2 days. Split and frozen, they keep for 2 months and toast straight from frozen.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 8 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 300 kcal | 2,400 kcal |
| Protein | 9 g | 72 g |
| Fat | 7 g | 56 g |
| Carbohydrates | 51 g | 408 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
Cooked it? Rate the recipe
No ratings yet — yours will be the first.
