Fog and Feast

  • About Fog and Feast
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast and brunch recipes
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Desserts and sweets
    • Snacks
    • Sides
    • Drinks, Smoothies and Cocktails
  • Spring recipes
  • Menus
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Fog and Feast
  • Recipes
  • Spring recipes
  • Menus
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Fog and Feast
  • Recipes
  • Spring recipes
  • Menus
×
Home » Recipes » Food

The perfect burger bun recipe: butter buns

Published: Nov 21, 2019 · Modified: Apr 12, 2020 by Matt · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

Sharing is caring!

82 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
overhead shot of six burger buns on a baking tray

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.

overhead shot of six burger buns on a baking tray

This post was originally written many years ago, but has been updated with new pictures and an updated recipe.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Equipment
  • Tips and Varriations
  • You might like these other recipes
  • Pairings
  • Perfect Burger Bun recipe – Butter Buns

When I originally came up with this recipe, it was in an attempt to find a good homemade burger bun recipe. I was frustrated by the fact that so many store-bought buns either turned to mush or frankly didn’t add anything to the 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!

side shot of six burger buns on a baking tray

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  • A stand mixer
  • A good quality sheet pan and a slip mat or parchment paper.

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.

overhead shot of six burger buns on a baking tray

Perfect Burger Bun recipe – Butter Buns

Matt
Perfect Burger Buns – butter buns, perfect for burgers or the classic bacon sandwich. The richness of these allows it to compliment whatever they hold.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins

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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Food

  • Prosciutto Parmesan and Apple Ale appetizer pizza
  • Quick Caramelized Onion Bacon Jam
    A quick and easy caramelized onion bacon jam
  • top down picture of oatmeal molasses bread spread with butter
    Nova Scotia Oatmeal molasses bread {Nova Scotia Brown Bread}
  • apple and cheddar open-faced sandwiches
    Apple and cheddar open-faced sandwiches {smorrebrod idea}

Filed Under: Baked recipes, Breakfast and brunch recipes, featured, Food, Lunch, Potluck recipes, Sandwiches and wraps, Sides, Spring recipes, Summer recipes Tagged With: baking, BBQ, brioche, buns, burger, burger buns, butter

Comments

  1. Danielle says

    August 16, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    Is there a way to get measurements in cups, etc? I can not measure with grams…

    Reply
    • matt says

      August 16, 2015 at 7:44 pm

      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

      Reply
  2. Irene says

    January 18, 2019 at 3:26 pm

    Yummy!

    Reply
  3. Ben|Havocinthekitchen says

    November 22, 2019 at 2:33 am

    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!

    Reply
  4. David @ Spiced says

    November 22, 2019 at 1:38 pm

    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?? 🙂

    Reply
  5. Neil says

    November 24, 2019 at 7:56 pm

    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!

    Reply
  6. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    November 24, 2019 at 9:17 pm

    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!!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      December 16, 2019 at 10:33 pm

      I may have done that before……… 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jeff the Chef says

    December 24, 2019 at 2:39 pm

    I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud, but you’ve got some really nice looking buns, Matt. Happy Holidays!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      February 01, 2020 at 11:31 pm

      😉

      Reply
  8. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    April 12, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
  9. Ron says

    May 23, 2020 at 1:46 pm

    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…

    Reply
5 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome!

I’m a husband, dad, bluenosers and an avid cook and picture taker. I think food is meant to be shared, and good food brings people together. 

More about me

Popular

  • Scandinavian slaw top down cover shot
    Scandinavian Slaw: Easy and healthy no mayo coleslaw recipe

  • Bombay Frankie Recipe
    Bombay Frankie {Indian Burrito}

  • Indian Pistachio Lassi in cup
    Pistachio Lassi

  • kachumber salad in serving bowl
    Kachumber Salad

Seasonal

  • southern cornmeal waffles sandwich with poached egg and sausage patty
    Southern Cornmeal Waffles

  • baked mars bar with icing sugar dust
    The totally awesome Baked Mars Bar {baked Milky Way bar}

  • side shot of stack of brown butter chocolate chip cookies with glass on milk
    Easy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Chewy, Gooey Perfection

  • Chip Butty with harissa mayo
    The just for adults chip butty

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Land Acknowledgement

Contact

  • Contact
  • Media Kit

Fog and Feast is located in, and celebrates the area of, Wabanaki

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Fog and Feast

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.