Burger Buns
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g flour rounded
- 7 g instant yeast rounded
- 40 g sugar rounded
- 8 g fine salt rounded
- 250 ml milk, lukewarm rounded
- 1 egg rounded
- 50 g butter, softened rounded
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash rounded
- 20 g sesame seeds (optional) rounded
Method
Method
- Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Add the lukewarm milk and egg and mix to a rough dough.
- Knead in the softened butter for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for 60 minutes, until doubled.
- Divide into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth, tight ball. Arrange on a baking sheet, spaced apart, and flatten slightly.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 45 minutes, until visibly puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan). Brush the buns with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until deeply golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Let cool on a rack before slicing.
Notes
- Proof under a damp cloth, not a dry one. A dry cloth or plastic wrap that touches the dough can pull at the surface as it’s removed and dries out the top, which cracks as the dough expands; a damp cloth keeps the surface soft and pliable.
- Egg wash right before baking, not right after shaping. Applied too early, it dries out and doesn’t give the same even, glossy finish once baked.
- Space the buns apart on the sheet. They spread as they bake; buns placed too close fuse together at the sides instead of baking into distinct rounds.
- They freeze well once fully cooled; slice before freezing for easy toasting straight from frozen.
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk can be a plant milk for a dairy-reduced version, though the crumb will be slightly less rich.
- Sesame seeds can be poppy seeds or omitted entirely.
- A little honey in place of some of the sugar gives a slightly different, rounder sweetness.