# Soft Burger Buns

By Willy Bear · 2026-09-30 · https://ricottabear.com/burger-buns


King Arthur’s most popular yeast recipe: soft, buttery buns that hold a burger, or twelve dinner rolls from the same dough.

## The story

Year after year this is one of King Arthur Baking’s most popular recipes. An enriched dough with egg, butter and a little sugar, so the buns stay soft and squashy, and a brush of melted butter at the end for a satiny top.

It is an American recipe, so the cups come first, with King Arthur’s own gram weights beside them. Weigh the dough pieces and every bun comes out the same size.

King Arthur Baking’s Beautiful Burger Buns, written out here in my own words.

## Recipe: Soft Burger Buns

Soft, buttery burger buns from an enriched dough, brushed with melted butter for a satiny crust. Makes 8 large buns or 12 dinner rolls.

> Status: UNTESTED. The author has not made this yet; quantities and timings may change.

- Makes: 8 buns
- Prep: 25 min
- Bake: 15 min
- Total: 2 hr 40 min

### Ingredients

**For the dough**

- 420 g (3½ cups) all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 198 g (⅞ cup) water, lukewarm
- 28 g (2 tbsp) butter, at room temperature
- 1 large eggs
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1¼ tsp table salt
- 9 g (1 tbsp) instant yeast

**For the glaze**

- 43 g (3 tbsp) butter, melted, divided

**For seeded buns (optional)**

- 1 large eggs, white only, whisked with 2 tablespoons cold water
-  sesame seeds, or the seeds of your choice

### Method

1. **Weigh the flour.** Weigh the flour if you can. If not, spoon it gently into the cup and sweep off the excess rather than scooping.
2. **Make the dough.** Mix and knead all the dough ingredients, by hand, in a mixer or in a bread machine, until the dough is soft and smooth.
3. **First rise.** Cover and leave until nearly doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
4. **Shape.** Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces, about 100 g each. Roll each into a ball, then flatten it with your palm to about 3 inches (8 cm) across.
5. **Second rise.** Set the buns on the baking sheet, cover and leave until noticeably puffy, about an hour. Heat the oven toward the end. Oven: 375°F / 190°C (170°C fan).
6. **Glaze.** Brush the buns with about half the melted butter. For seeded buns, brush the egg white mixture over the butter so the seeds stick, then sprinkle them on.
7. **Bake.** Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Brush with the rest of the butter as they come out, gently if they are seeded. Cool on a rack before slicing in half.

Notes: Smaller buns: divide into 12 pieces (about 66 g each) and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Slider buns: 24 pieces (about 33 g each), 12 to 15 minutes. In a hamburger bun pan: 6 pieces of about 128 g, pressed into the greased wells.