Summer is here! Summer means grilling, of course. We love to grill using charcoal–it gives amazing flavor that cannot be matched with gas. Another thing that cannot be matched is these homemade hamburger buns! They are as easy as making a loaf of bread, but far superior to any store-bought bun.
It starts with a warm milk and yeast mixture:
Then mix in the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook. Also mix in salt, sugar, a couple tablespoons of butter and one egg.
Keep mixing…
Let the dough rise for about an hour:
Shape the dough into 6 or 7 buns, depending on how much your dough rises. Then you slightly flatten them and let them rise one more time:
After that, they are puffy and large and ready to bake! Brush with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 375 F for only 20-25 minutes.
They come out so nice and golden!
Slice into them only after they’ve cooled about 10 minutes. You can bake these a couple days ahead too, or bake months ahead and freeze in a gallon plastic bag, with most of the air gently squeezed out.
If you want another hamburger bun idea, try shaping our sweet potato bread recipe into buns, and bake the same way as these homemade buns. Top with sesame seeds or poppyseeds, and serve with veggie or chicken burgers. The grill is calling… can you hear it?
Happy Summer!
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter,softened, plus extra for coating the bowl
- 3 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Put the milk in a small saucepan and warm it over very low heat until lukewarm. Remove the pan from the heal Sprinkle the yeast over the milk, stir, and set it aside for 5 minutes to activate.
- Meanwhile, butter a large bowl and set it aside.
- In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the yeast and milk mixture with about 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour on low. Slowly add the remaining flour along with the sugar, salt, egg, and butter. These additions should take about 1 minute.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix 2 more minutes. The dough should look like it’s starting to come together, but there are still pieces in the bottom of the bowl. Then turn the speed to high and mix for 2 minutes. At the end of this mixing time, the dough should be elastic and completely mixed, clearing the bottom of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl,turning once to coat it with some of the butter, and cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Set it aside in a warm area for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide it into 6 or 7 equal pieces, and arrange them in a row on the surface. Quickly roll each piece into a ball. Leave them, covered, on the surface for another 10 minutes to relax the gluten. Then, using a rolling pin, or your hands, flatten the balls into rounds that are 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter.
- Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, put the baking sheet inside a large plastic bag, and tie the open end closed. If you don’t have a plastic bag, plastic wrap works too. Place the pan in a warm area of the kitchen and let the buns rise until they have doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the sheet pan from the bag, brush each bun with water, and then sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Slice in half and serve.
- I like to make a double batch and freeze them, in a gallon sized plastic bag with most of the air pushed out. To thaw, put in the fridge or on the counter overnight. If desired, you can gently warm them in the oven or split in half and toast on the grill before serving.
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