Hamburger Rolls

I love to make burgers – especially this time of year. I have tried making my own hamburger rolls a few times in the past, but I haven’t been too happy with the results. Usually, the rolls just aren’t quite soft enough and I’m not happy with the texture.

A few weeks ago, when I made Parmesan herb rolls, I remember thinking that the texture of the rolls would be perfect for hamburger buns.  So, when I made some burgers over the weekend, I decided to modify the recipe a bit to make homemade rolls for my burgers. The rolls turned out pretty well, and stayed nice and soft.  When I kneaded the dough, I was careful not to add too much flour to the dough, which I think helped with the texture. These may not yet be the “perfect” hamburger rolls, but they are definitely the best I’ve ever made!

Hamburger Rolls

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • About 3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • Melted butter (1-2 tablespoons)
  • Sesame seeds (about 1 tablespoon)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the warm water, orange juice, honey, and yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Add the yogurt and whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Add the bread flour and salt, and use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour.  Gradually, add the remaining flour, stirring with the spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. At this point, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Shape the dough into a ball, transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 1/2 hours – until the dough has just about doubled in volume.  Once the dough has risen, punch down. Divide the dough into 12 portions.  Shape each portion into a roll, using clean kitchen scissors to snip the tops of the roll to make a star-shape, if desired. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet (or baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat).  Cover with a damp towel, and let rise for an additional hour or so.

In the last few minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.  When ready to bake the rolls, brush each roll lightly with the melted butter, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  Cool for at least 30 minutes prior to slicing.

17 comments

  1. I must try making my own rolls for burgers! We have been on a big burger kick. We had them Sunday and again last night. I love them this time of year, too – maybe because they remind me so much of summer?

  2. barb says:

    Yours look great! The changes from my recipe to yours are add another 1/2 tsp of yeast & I use milk instead of the water. Warm in microwave 30 seconds so it will react with the yeast better. Also if you can use just 1 cup of your flour not be whole wheat it will make a much lighter roll. HTH

  3. I’ve never made hamburger rolls either… yours looked like they turned out great if you ask me! I’m sure my boys will love “100% homemade” burgers. :)

  4. Sara says:

    I have never made Hamburger buns..but your recipe looks great! Thanks :)

  5. i’m so glad you posted this! i’ve been wanting to make homemade burger buns/rolls for a while now but haven’t seen one i like yet. YUM!

  6. roxan says:

    This reminds me of a joke I heard as a kid…

    Q: How do you spot Ronald McDonald at a nudist beach?
    A: He’s the one with the sesame buns!

    So juvenile, but it still makes me giggle a little. Anyways, I bet that homemade burger buns are a really fun project. I’ll make them for the next bbq!

  7. julia says:

    They look delicious, and a homemade bun will still always be better then a storebought, hands down! hamburger buns and english muffins are on my ‘to-bake’ list.

  8. Flavia says:

    Hi! I have been following you on Twitter and am a “liker” of your page on Facebook. I’ve been enjoying your blog and updates for a while now, but realized that I have never commented on your blog! Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your recipes and photos. I made a New Year’s resolution to teach myself to bake bread this year, and have not done it yet. Now that I’ve seen these, I think they will be my first recipe to try!

  9. I firmly believe that homemade hamburger buns make every burger better! Your hamburger rolls look so pretty. Who could resist??

  10. jenn says:

    The bun totally makes the burger. I like mine slightly soft, but still firm enough to hold the whole thing together. Now I want a burger.

  11. Mags says:

    Love the addition of the yogurt and of course, the white whole wheat flour. They look perfect!

  12. Fuji Mama says:

    It’s amazing what a homemade hamburger bun does for a hamburger! Your rolls look/sound nice and moist, just the way I like them!

  13. looks delicious .

  14. Now I feel like a hypocrit. I just commented on your chicken tortilla soup post that I like making things from scratch, but I have to say I’ve never made my own hamburger buns! I’ll have to fix that next time.

    1. Marc – No worries… I’m a big fan of “from scratch” cooking, but there are times when we all have to cut corners! Hope you enjoy the hamburger rolls when you have a chance to make them from scratch. It’s worth it!

  15. You never cease to amaze me Jen! Hopefully we can grill burgers when I come to visit next month!!!!

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