Make your burger or bacon sandwich standout with a rich and soft burger bun recipe that will compliment your finest burger. An easier version of a brioche style burger bun.
This post was originally written many years ago, but has been updated with new pictures and an updated recipe
When I originally came up with this recipe, it was in an attempt to find a good homemade burger
Burgers are my oldest sons favourite food, he loves them. He is, however, quite particular about his burger. Not so much in the toppings (like me, he love to experiment with burger toppings. No, he insists that he will only eat beef burgers. We’ve been trying recently to eat fewer beef burgers, including some vegetarian or vegan burgers. Even the most beef-like burger he sees through it every time, to the point he is quite suspicious about anything we put before him! At least he will eat chicken burgers!
Now, I might have lived in the UK for awhile, but I have to say that North Americans make better burgers. European restaurants tend to under season, overpack, or overcook burgers. There are changes, as ‘gourmet’ burger chains grow. They produce good burgers, but they’ve turned the classic handheld food into a sit-down meal.
That’s not to say North American’s produce faultless burgers. My recent visit back to Nova Scotia reminded me that for every good burger, there are abominations. The Burger King Quad Stacker or the Wendy’s Baconator are prime examples of the later.
What makes a good classic burger?
- Fresh Beef – lightly seasoned
- Fresh Veggies
- A good sauce (Mayo, mustard, Peanut Butter, Onion chutney, Ketchup, my Aztec Sauce etc)
- Bacon, because why not.
- A good bun
Lets focus on the last one in the list, the bun. Burger buns in the shops, on either side of the Atlantic, tend to be the same. They overly airy (bakers are masters of making water stand up!), and cannot stand up to the burger. Or they are ciabattas (or similar) with a crust that is too chewy making the burger difficult to eat. In my case, these buns always result in my burger spitting out the back of the burger on to my plate. In either case, the joy of the burger is somewhat diminished!
Enter what I call Butter Buns. Now they can also be used for sandwich fillers, little side rolls, or bacon sandwiches (which my household can verify). They were, however, designed firstly for burgers!
These buns have a rich and semi-soft centre, with good browning on the outside. It matches the burger, and the butter adds a brioche-like richness, which adds to the beef flavour without overpowering it. I use a mix of white and wholewheat/wholemeal flour as I like the flavour, but for an even softer bun you could just use white flour.
Ingredients
- Bread flour
- Wholemeal flour
- Sea salt
- Sugar
- Instant yeast
- Butter
- Water
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Use a stand mixer – combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast and water. Mix until just combined, let rest and hydrate about 15min (less if using fresh yeast). Turn on mixer again and slowly add the butter. Mix on low until the butter is combined, then on high for 3min. Leave for another 20min but cover the bowl with cling film.
- Divide into rolls and place onto a parchment-lined pan, evenly spaced. Let rise at least 1 hour, up to 1 1/4 hours. Near the end of this time heat your oven to 390f.
- Break the egg and whisk. Brush your buns liberally, taking time to coat the sides as well. Please this directly into the oven, bake for 10-12min until golden brown. When you take them out the base should be lightly brown too. Let cool, then enjoy.
These burger buns need good quality flour, and also good quality butter. The good flour helps them stand up to the burger and toppings, while the butter adds a rich flavour.
Equipment
Tips and Varriations
How long will homemade burger buns last
Ok, so in theory a few days. In reality, you will want to eat these the same day. This is when they will be most tender and fluffy!
What else can you use these burger buns for?
While my family will eat burgers all year round, these buns are also brilliant for sandwiches. However, the are brilliant for bacon sandwiches. They work really well with the slightly more greasy food.
Are these burger buns suitable for vegans
Due to the inclusion of butter, which helps add the richness and texture, no they are not suitable for vegans. You could, however, replace the butter with a splash more water and 3tbsp of olive oil (as it will add some flavour).
What flavours could I add to burger buns?
I love a good bun, but once you have mastered this burger bun recipe it is also fun to experiment. Think carefully about what will go into the bun as a filling. For example, adding a 1/2 tablespoon of hot smoke paprika will give you a spicy bun that will go well with beef or chicken. However, putting ingredients like rosemary, lemon zest and some garlic will probably be better suited for chicken or possible some deli meats like roast chicken or turkey.
For a great taste, add 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary, the zest of 1/2 a lemon and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Then fill the cooked bun inside with cooked chicken and fresh mozzarella, and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Bake it, or put it in a panini press for an awesome sandwich.
You might like these other recipes
- Healthy crispy chicken sandwich
- Herby garlic fries
- Quick and Easy black bean burgers – Neil’s Healthy Meals
- Garbage plate burgers – Spiced Blog
Pairings
Drinks
These burger buns need a good beer or cider
Music
I always feel upbeat when I have a good burger or bacon sandwich, so check out the upbeat playlist.
Perfect Burger Bun recipe – Butter Buns
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Bread flour
- 1 1/2 Cup Wholemeal/whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 Cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 Cups water
- 1/2 Cup lightly salted butter
- 1 egg to wash
Instructions
- Use a stand mixer – combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast and water. Mix until just combined, let rest and hydrate about 15min (less if using fresh yeast). Turn on mixer again and slowly add the butter. Mix on low until the butter is combined, then on high for 3min. Leave for another 20min (half the time if using fresh yeast) but cover the bowl with cling film.
- Divide into rolls and place onto a parchment lined pan, evenly spaced. Let rise at least 1 hour, up to 1 1/4 hours. Near the end of this time heat your oven to 390F.
- Break the egg and whisk. Brush your buns liberally, taking time to coat the sides as well. Please this directly into the oven, bake for 10-12min until golden brown. When you take them out the base should be lightly brown too. Let cool, then enjoy.
Danielle says
Is there a way to get measurements in cups, etc? I can not measure with grams…
matt says
It probably isn’t perfect, but I used http://www.deliaonline.com/home/conversion-tables.html to convert:
2 2/3C plain flour
1 1/3C wholemeal flour
2tsp sea salt
1/3C sugar
1 1/4C water
1 packet of instant yeast or roughly 1 1/2tsp
1 stick of butter
1 egg
Hope that helps (and works!)
-M
Irene says
Yummy!
Ben|Havocinthekitchen says
Certainty, you can find decent end even quite delicious (And quite pricy, too!) store-bought burger buns, but generally I agree with you. So many options are mediocre, pale, too soft, and not enough “springy”. That’s not the case here, though! You’ve made perfect buns; look at their color! Honestly, I feel like I can easily eat a couple of these bad guys without any filling – just, perhaps, a little of butter. Great job!
David @ Spiced says
Ah, you’ve hit on a topic near and dear to me: the burger! You’re totally right in that the bun plays a key role in the burger. It has to be the right texture and flavor to complement the burger, and all too often it just falls short. Also, I applaud your oldest for his love of beef burgers! All of these “meatless” burgers are a joke! I mean if you’re vegetarian, then that’s cool. I have no issues there. But if you eat meat and you’re looking to replace beef burgers with one of these ‘impossible’ versions…then you’re going to fail every time. Anyways, enough of my soapbox rant. Haha! These buns look amazing, and now you’ve got me craving a good burger like there’s no tomorrow!
Also, one last note about the seasoning. I used to do the whole egg + breadcrumb thing in my burgers, but I’ve switched back to just salt, pepper and a tiny bit of dried rosemary. No need to mess with a good thing, right?? 🙂
Neil says
These look like really easy buns to make Matt, thanks! I have to admit I don’t usually make my own burger buns I go for store bought. I’m up for giving these a try though!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
My husband would have burgers every single night for dinner if I allowed him! But, he’s super picky about them, especially the bun! I know he would absolutely LOVE these!! These buns look super buttery, rich and perfectly soft!! I have a feeling I’m going to need to make a double batch, because I’ll want to eat half of these plain on their own!!
Matt says
I may have done that before……… 🙂
Jeff the Chef says
I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud, but you’ve got some really nice looking buns, Matt. Happy Holidays!
Matt says
😉
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
A good bun is definitely important to any burger and these look delicious! Love the seeds on top for extra oomph! Can’t wait to give these a go 🙂
Ron says
We just finished a burger lunch here in Southern Sweden a lunch meal we enjoy a couple of times a month. Like with you guys in the UK it’s difficult to find what I feel is an authentic burger here. As for the buns, I make homemade buns a dozen at a time and freeze them. Then we need them I take a couple out the night before. I really like the sounds of your recipe, it’s very similar to mine, except I use milk instead of water and less butter. Everything is better with butter (and bacon) so the next batch I make will be to your recipe. Take care over your way…