🍔 Sesame Burger Buns
Soft, fluffy, golden homemade burger buns with a lightly sweet crumb, buttery flavor, and a classic sesame-seed topping.
These homemade sesame burger buns are sturdy enough to hold juicy burgers and all your favorite toppings while remaining wonderfully soft and tender. They’re easy to make from scratch and taste far better than packaged buns.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Rise Time: 1½–2 hours
Bake Time: 15–18 minutes
Total Time: About 2½ hours
Yield: 6 burger buns
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Oven-Baked
🛒 Ingredients
🍞 For the Dough
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2¼ teaspoons (7g) instant yeast
- ¾ cup (180ml) warm milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
🌟 For the Topping
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) milk
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast.
Whisk briefly to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Make a well in the center.
🥛 2. Add the Wet Ingredients
Pour the warm milk into the center of the flour mixture.
Add the egg and softened butter.
Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until a shaggy dough forms.
The dough may look slightly sticky at first.
3. Knead the Dough
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.
Knead for approximately 8–10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, soft, and elastic.
You can also knead using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for approximately 5–7 minutes on medium-low speed.
The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but should not be excessively sticky.
Avoid adding too much flour, as this can make the finished buns dense.
🌡️ 4. First Rise
Shape the dough into a smooth ball.
Place it in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Place it somewhere warm and allow it to rise for approximately 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
The exact rising time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
🍞 5. Divide the Dough
Once the dough has doubled, gently press it down to release excess air.
Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.
Divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
For especially even buns, weigh the dough and divide it equally.
6. Shape the Buns
Take one portion of dough and pull the edges toward the center to create a smooth surface.
Turn it over so the seam is underneath.
Gently roll it under your palm to form a smooth ball.
Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them.
🌡️ 7. Second Rise
Cover the buns loosely with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
Allow them to rise for approximately 30–45 minutes, or until noticeably puffy.
Don’t let them overproof, as they can lose their structure during baking.
🥚 8. Prepare the Egg Wash
In a small bowl, whisk together:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
Whisk until smooth.
✨ 9. Brush and Add Sesame Seeds
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Gently brush the tops of the risen buns with the egg wash.
Be careful not to press down on the dough.
Immediately sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly over the tops.
🔥 10. Bake
Place the buns in the preheated oven.
Bake for approximately 15–18 minutes, or until the tops are beautifully golden brown and the buns are fully baked.
The bottoms should sound hollow when lightly tapped.
🧈 11. Cool
Remove the buns from the oven.
Transfer them to a wire rack.
Allow them to cool for at least 20–30 minutes before slicing.
This allows the interior crumb to finish setting while keeping the buns soft.
🍔 12. Slice and Serve
Once cooled, slice the buns horizontally using a serrated knife.
Toast the cut sides lightly before filling if desired.
Use them for:
- Classic hamburgers
- Cheeseburgers
- Chicken burgers
- Crispy chicken sandwiches
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- BBQ beef sandwiches
- Breakfast sandwiches
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Use warm, not hot, milk: The milk should feel comfortably warm. Very hot liquid can damage the yeast.
Don’t add too much flour: A slightly soft dough produces softer buns.
Knead thoroughly: Proper kneading develops the gluten needed for buns that are fluffy yet sturdy.
Give the dough enough time to rise: The first rise should roughly double the dough in volume.
Shape tightly: A smooth, well-shaped dough ball produces a nicely rounded burger bun.
Don’t overproof: The buns should be puffy and spring back slowly when gently pressed.
Use an egg wash: It gives the buns their beautiful shiny golden surface and helps the sesame seeds stick.
Cool before slicing: Cutting the buns while they’re piping hot can compress the soft interior.
🍔 Easy Variations
🧀 Cheddar Burger Buns
Add a small handful of shredded cheddar cheese to the dough and sprinkle extra cheese over the buns before baking.
🌿 Garlic Herb Buns
Add 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley to the dough.
🧅 Onion Burger Buns
Top the egg-washed buns with dried minced onion along with the sesame seeds.
🌾 Whole Wheat Burger Buns
Replace up to 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour. Add a little extra milk if the dough feels dry.
🌱 Everything Burger Buns
Replace the sesame seeds with everything bagel seasoning.
🥯 Poppy Seed Buns
Replace or combine the sesame seeds with poppy seeds for a slightly different topping.
🧊 Storage
Store completely cooled buns in an airtight container or sealed bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For the softest texture, keep them tightly sealed.
❄️ Freezing
These buns freeze beautifully.
Allow them to cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw at room temperature for approximately 1–2 hours.
For freshly baked texture, warm thawed buns in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 5 minutes.
🍔✨ Final Result
These Sesame Burger Buns are soft, fluffy, buttery, lightly sweet, and beautifully golden, with a classic sesame-seed topping.
They’re sturdy enough to hold a juicy burger and all your favorite toppings without falling apart, yet tender enough to give you that perfect homemade bakery-style bite.
Soft homemade buns + juicy burger + melted cheese = burger night perfection! 🍔🧀✨