Soft & Fluffy Sandwich/Hamburger Buns

Is there anything more incredible or satisfying than homemade buns or bread? If there is, I don’t want to know about it! I love baking bread – the magic of mixing flour, water, and yeast to produce a nutritious and delicious staple food is incredible and I always feel tied to the ages when I bake bread. Although these buns don’t make use of traditional wild yeast and fermentation, you’ll still find these buns to be so much more hearty and flavourful than their storebought counterparts. The fact that they take less an two hours to make, including resting and rising, is pretty amazing!

This recipe produces giant, pillowy soft, delicious buns. These quick, easy, and yummy buns are perfect for a delicious sandwich, sturdy enough to hold a hearty veggie burger, and satisfying enough to snack on with a simple schmear of peanut butter.

I developed this recipe to use quick rise instant yeast, eliminating the need for a double rise. If you are a bread/bun baking novice, this recipe is totally accessible and easy to follow – if you’re an expert you’ll appreciate the simplicity of this recipe.

So, how do we make these buns?

First you combine 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you would rather knead by hand)

Next, pour in the water and oil. Stir together using a spatula or paddle attachment.

Once combined, switch to the dough hook and keep stirring on low. Slowly add in 1-2 cups more flour (I typically only need 1 more cup). It will come together and become less sticky once enough flour has been added. 

Once the flour is stirred in, mix on low for about 7 minutes with the dough hook (or knead for about 10-12 minutes on a lightly floured countertop) until it forms a cohesive smooth ball that is slightly sticky. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

TIP: If you poke it with your finger it should spring back, this shows that the gluten is well developed. Another test is to break off a golf ball size of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers trying to get it to stretch thin (so you can see light through it) without breaking.

Divide the dough into 16 equal parts. I use a kitchen scale and calculator to ensure evenness (it helps to ensure even baking if all the buns are the same size). 

Roll the dough pieces into smooth balls and arrange on two lightly greased baking sheets.

Cover and let rise in a warm place (like an oven with a light on and pan of warm water in the bottom) for 1 hour.

After they have risen, remove from the oven and preheat the oven to 400’F.

Meanwhile, mix 1 tsp sugar with 1/4 cup warm water and brush on the tops of the buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, if desired.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and the buns sound hollow when tapped.

Enjoy 🙂 

The hamburger bun recipe:

Soft & Fluffy Sandwich/Hamburger Buns

Kindness Kitchen

An easy and satisfying way to have fresh buns for dinner tonight! The actual hands-on time for these buns is about 25 minutes. The remainder is resting, rising, and baking.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Rising time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Servings 16

Calories 190 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4.5 tsp quick rise instant yeast
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 4-6 cups flour, divided (I use 1 cup whole wheat and 3-5 cups all purpose)
• 2 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

 

• First you combine 4 cups of flour (I use 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour), the sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you would rather knead by hand)
• Next, pour in the water and oil. Stir together using a spatula or paddle attachment.
• Once combined, switch to the dough hook and keep mixing on low. Slowly add in 1-2 cups more flour (I typically only need 1 more cup). It will come together and become less sticky once enough flour has been added.
• Once the flour is stirred in, mix on low for about 7 minutes with the dough hook (or knead for about 10-12 minutes on a lightly floured countertop) until it forms a cohesive smooth ball that is slightly sticky. (See TIP in the notes)
• Let rest for 10 minutes
• Divide the dough into 16 equal parts. I use a kitchen scale to ensure evenness (it helps to ensure even baking if all the buns are the same size).
• Roll the dough pieces into smooth balls and arrange on two lightly greased baking sheets.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place (like an oven with a light on and pan of warm water in the bottom) for 1 hour.
• After they have risen, remove from the oven and preheat the oven to 400'F.
• Meanwhile, mix 1 tsp sugar with 1/4 cup warm water and brush on the tops of the buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, if desired.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and the buns sound hollow when tapped.

Notes

TIP: If you poke the dough with your finger it should spring back slowly, this shows that the gluten is well developed. Another test is to break off a golf ball size of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers trying to get it to stretch thin (so you can see light through it) without breaking - this is called the "window pane" test

If you decide to make this recipe, please RATE/COMMENT below!  Thanks 🙂 

Just look at that fluffy, pillowy, goodness. YUM!