← BrowseAmerican

Beautiful Burger Buns

AmericanSide DishMedium
Prep
25 min
Cook
18 min
Total
160 min
Serves
8

buns

  • 3/4 to 1 cup (170–227g)lukewarm water
  • 2 tbsp (28g)butter, at room temperature
  • 1 largeegg
  • 3 1/2 cups (418g)King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup (50g)sugar
  • 1.25 tspsalt
  • 1 tbspinstant yeast

topping

  • 3 tbsp (43g)melted butter
  1. 1Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough.
  2. 2Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk.
  3. 3Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3 inches across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy.
  4. 4Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter.
  5. 5Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter — this gives the buns a satiny, buttery crust.
  6. 6Cool the buns on a rack.

Notes

For best results use the smaller amount of water in summer (humid environments) and the greater amount in winter (dry climates). Printed 5/9/20.