The Ultimate 1-Hour Recipe for Amazingly Soft & Tender Homemade Hamburger Buns, Hot Dog Buns, and Breadsticks
Welcome to a ridiculously easy recipe that promises truly soft and tender homemade hamburger buns, delightful hot dog buns, or versatile breadsticks – all ready in about an hour! This recipe, alongside many other top bread favorites, can be found on our comprehensive Best Bread Recipes page.
For years, my culinary quest revolved around finding the perfect homemade hamburger bun. My primary criterion was simple yet elusive: they had to be exceptionally soft, mirroring the texture of store-bought buns, but without that overly squishy, insubstantial quality. It felt like an impossible ask, akin to wishing for the moon!
Many recipes I tried yielded buns that were far too dense or hard. Attempting to adapt our popular soft sandwich bread recipe into bun shapes didn’t quite hit the mark for our family’s preference, and while my soft whole wheat dinner rolls are wonderfully fluffy, they proved a little too delicate for holding a hearty burger. The search continued, often ending in frustration.
Then, a breakthrough! Years ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for “quick and tender breadsticks” on a website that is now, sadly, defunct. When I made them for the first time, I was genuinely amazed by how incredibly soft and incredibly easy they were to prepare. A lightbulb moment flashed: if this dough made such fantastic breadsticks, could it also be the foundation for the soft, tender hamburger buns we had been dreaming of?
So, I experimented. I adapted the original breadstick recipe, tweaking proportions and ingredients, and used it to create both hamburger and hot dog buns. The results were immediate and resounding – a resounding family favorite! These buns quickly earned their place as a staple in our home because they are genuinely quick to make, possess a wonderful soft texture, and hold up beautifully to any filling. The most surprising part? This recipe requires absolutely no traditional kneading, making it truly approachable for bakers of all skill levels.
The initial breadstick recipe produced a very wet dough, which, while soft, I found quite challenging and messy to work with. My adaptations aimed to improve the dough’s manageability without sacrificing its signature tenderness. These changes included using slightly less water and yeast, incorporating more whole grains for added flavor and nutrition, and substituting honey for sugar to introduce a subtle sweetness and a richer hue. With these thoughtful adjustments, the buns produced are, in my honest opinion, the best homemade hamburger buns I’ve ever tasted – and believe me, I’ve tried a lot! I sincerely hope you’ll agree once you bake your own batch.
How to Make These Quick & Tender Homemade Buns
Let’s dive into the simple steps for crafting these incredible buns. The process is incredibly forgiving and designed for efficiency. The key to their soft texture lies in the dough’s initial consistency. When you first mix the ingredients, don’t be alarmed if the dough appears quite wet – it should still cling slightly to the bottom of your mixing bowl. This higher hydration is what contributes to the buns’ ultimate tenderness and chewiness. If you’re using a stand mixer, mix the dough on a low speed for about 1-2 minutes. This brief mix, sometimes called a “quick knead,” helps to develop the gluten just enough. During this time, you’ll gradually add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour as needed. The goal here is to make the dough slightly less sticky and easier to handle, but remember, it should still retain a soft, somewhat tacky feel. Once mixed, let the dough rest comfortably in the bowl for 10 minutes. This short rest allows the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten to relax, making it even easier to work with.
After the initial rest, it’s time for shaping. To ensure you get semi-even buns, transfer the dough onto a well-floured surface. A helpful tip for easy cleanup is to use a clean tea towel lightly dusted with flour underneath your dough. This not only prevents sticking but also makes gathering any stray flour a breeze. Gently pat the dough into a squarish shape, aiming for a consistent thickness. Next, use a sharp knife or a dough scraper to divide the dough into 12 relatively equal pieces. You might find that the center pieces are slightly larger than the corner ones; simply trim a small amount from the larger pieces and add it to the smaller ones until you achieve a more uniform size. This attention to detail will help your buns bake evenly.
Now for the shaping technique that gives these buns their beautiful, smooth tops. To shape each bun, take one piece of dough and gently stretch the top edges towards the bottom on all sides, folding them underneath. Then, turn the dough ball over so the smooth side is facing up. Using the palms of your well-floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull the ends together, rolling it lightly on the surface to create a nice, smooth, taut ball. This technique is similar to how we shape our soft dinner rolls, and it’s key to achieving a professional-looking bun with a delightful texture. As you can see in the picture, maintaining well-floured hands is crucial! Even with a floured surface, the dough will remain somewhat sticky, so keep a small bowl of flour nearby to dust your fingers as needed.
Once shaped, place the dough balls onto a greased baking sheet or one lined with a silicone baking mat (affiliate link). Gently flatten each dough ball slightly around the edges to encourage a bun-like shape rather than a perfectly round roll. It’s perfectly fine if the edges of the buns touch slightly; this can actually help them rise upwards and create those wonderfully soft, tender sides that are so characteristic of homemade buns. For optimal baking, you’ll want to use a full half-sheet baking pan to accommodate all 12 buns, similar to this versatile OXO brand half sheet available on Amazon.
After shaping, these tender buns will undergo a second short rest, allowing them to rise slightly. However, don’t expect them to double in size during this stage. Most of the impressive rising, known as “oven spring,” will occur once they hit the heat of your preheated oven. This minimal proofing time is one of the secrets to getting these buns on your table so quickly! While they rest, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring it’s nice and hot to give them a good initial lift.
The baking process is just as swift. Place your shaped buns into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 to 17 minutes, or until they achieve a beautiful golden-brown color on top and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. The aroma filling your kitchen will be absolutely divine! Once baked to perfection, transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool slightly before attempting to slice them. Cooling is essential as it allows the internal structure to set, preventing them from becoming gummy or collapsing when cut. It’s truly amazing, isn’t it? From start to finish, including mixing, two brief 10-minute rises, about 15 minutes of hands-on shaping, and 15 minutes of baking, you can have a batch of these easy, soft, and utterly beautiful hamburger buns in just about an hour! It’s a game-changer for homemade meals.
And when you pull them from the oven, you’ll likely notice that no two buns are exactly alike in size. This is entirely normal and part of the charm of homemade baking! No matter how diligently I try to make them uniform, there’s always a delightful variation. It’s perfectly fine, though – in our house, Brian always gravitates towards the bigger buns, while I prefer them a bit smaller and, of course, delightfully imperfect. These unique sizes just add to their rustic, homemade appeal.
Beyond hamburger buns, the versatility of this dough is truly impressive. This fantastic recipe still yields incredible breadsticks – simply shape them differently and adjust baking time (details in the notes below). Furthermore, the dough is effortlessly shaped into longer buns perfect for hot dogs and sausages, transforming your cookouts. And for a truly delightful appetizer or meal, you can use this very same dough to create terrific homemade pigs in a blanket in no time. See? This is a keeper recipe for sure, one you’ll come back to again and again for its ease, speed, and delicious results!
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Quick and Tender Hamburger Buns (or Breadsticks!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 1½ tablespoons yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4½ to 5 cups unbleached flour I use half whole wheat
Instructions
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Mix water, yeast, and honey until yeast and honey are dissolved. Add the salt, oil, and 4½ cups of flour to make a soft dough.
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Beat with a stand mixer for a minute or two (or stir by hand about a minute), adding the other 1/2 cup flour as needed to help dough be less sticky (you may not need all of it – it should still be somewhat sticky). Let it rest 10 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove to a floured surface and knead by hand a few times. Press dough flat on floured surface then cut for hamburger (or hotdog) buns: cut into 12 even pieces and using floured hands, shape each into a ball. Slightly flatten the balls (or elongate for hot dogs) and place on a greased cookie sheet, flattening down the edges to create bun shapes.
Notes
- Cut into 18-24 pieces, lengthwise (depending on the size you want).
- Lay them out with 1/2-inch between them on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Brush with melted butter and garlic.
To Freeze: These versatile buns freeze beautifully after baking, making them perfect for meal prep. Once your fresh buns have completely cooled to room temperature, package them securely in freezer-safe ziplock bags or airtight containers. Be sure to press out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. When properly stored, these delicious homemade buns will maintain their quality for up to 6 months. To reheat, simply thaw them at room temperature or gently warm them in a low oven or microwave until soft and fresh again.
Nutrition
Note: This fantastic recipe was originally published in 2009 and has been lovingly updated with all-new photos, clearer formatting, and a convenient printable recipe card to enhance your baking experience.
Craving more easy and delicious homemade bread recipes like this one? Be sure to explore our collection of other great bread recipes that are sure to become family favorites!
Soft & Easy 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Soft, 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
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