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The weather is warming up, and it’s time to let the neighborhood cookouts and family picnics begin. Burgers are the spotlight of the season, and it’s always best to impress. While you’re showing off your homemade burgers on the grill, why not also give our favorite homemade burger buns a try?
As Dennis likes to say, “the buns make the burger,” and it’s true. I’m sure we can all remember eating a burger fresh off the grill and the bun just couldn’t handle the heat and fell apart right in your hands or the taste just wasn’t up to par.
Use one of our bun mixes or your favorite bread mix to cook up some homemade burger buns, and you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood and maybe even score some bonus points with the mother in-law.
If you want to add some extra flavor, you can try any of our flavorful bread mixes. Our favorites are the Sour Cream and Onion Roll or Salted Water Roll mixes. They taste absolutely delicious. For extra bonus points, you could even make these homemade burger buns on the grill before grilling up your juicy burgers.
Just be warned, once you make homemade burger buns instead of simply buying them from the store, you’ll never want to go back. And you shouldn’t have to. They just taste that good and are so easy to make.
How To Make Homemade Burger Buns
Whether you’re making your burger buns with your favorite recipe (you can see our favorite here) or with your favorite bread or bun mix, the process is roughly the same. Simply follow the instructions on the package or in the recipe, and make the dough using a bread machine, a stand-type mixer, or by hand.
Let the dough rise, chop it up, set the buns, and put them in the oven or on the grill to bake. Super simple, right?
Baking the Buns in the Oven
Following the instructions on the back of your favorite bread mix or recipe, mix the bread. If you are using a bread machine, put the machine on the “dough” setting and allow it to work its magic until it gives you the signal that it’s time to bake. You will need to remove the dough from the machine and complete the following steps by hand and in the oven.
If you’re making the bread by hand or using a stand-type mixer, follow the instructions on the packaging or in the recipe and let the dough rise in an oiled bowl, like you would for any other bread mixes or recipes.
After allowing the dough to rise:
- Using a sharp knife, divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal pieces. If you want uniformity, the pieces should measure out to be about 3 to 4 ounces each.
- Form each piece into a round ball by pulling the dough around the center and pinching the seams together on the bottom of the roll. Place them on a greased baking sheet, leaving room to expand.
- Use the heel of your hand to flatten each roll to about ½ to ¾ inch thick. The dough will spring back, so you will have to do it a second time after a few minutes.
- Place the pan of rolls inside a proofing bag to create a greenhouse effect and let rise until the rolls are doubled in size– about an hour or so, depending on the mix and the room temperature.
- Using a screen or strainer, lightly dust the tops of the buns in flour.
- To top with seeds and salt instead of flour, make an egg wash by whisking together one egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush the tops and sides with the egg wash and sprinkle with seeds and/or salt. The egg wash will keep the seeds in place.
- Bake the rolls at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. The internal temperature should reach about 190 degrees. Immediately remove the burger buns to a wire rack to cool.
Cooking Burger Buns on the Grill
If you want to really impress your neighbors at your next neighborhood cookout, make your homemade burger buns on the grill. You can make the dough and preparations in the kitchen beforehand, so you won’t have to worry about any issues with letting the dough rise outdoors and then show off all the baking action on the grill.
To make your homemade burger buns on the grill, simply bake them just how you would in the oven, for 15 to 20 minutes, occasionally peeking to see how your bread is doing. If your buns seem to be cooking unevenly on the grill, turn the pan 180 degrees halfway through.
We recommend baking your buns before the burgers, as burning grease in the bottom of the grill will make the temperature harder to control and charcoal marks are not a pretty look. This will also allow your burger buns to cool while you cook the rest of the food.
The key to baking the burger buns on the grill is controlling the temperature and time. We’ve found that gas grills are the easiest to control, and some even come equipped with a thermometer to keep track of the temperature. You will need to keep the temperature between 350 and 375 degrees.
Grills tend to not circulate the heat as well as ovens, and the heat is always hottest near the flames. If your grill has two shelves, we recommend placing the burger buns on the upper shelf to elevate the bread away from direct contact with the hot flames and prevent burning. You can also improvise by setting an old pot and using it as a platform.
