Grilling season is here! Warm weather welcomes the season’s favorite foods, hamburgers and hot dogs. I’m really excited to share these absolute favorite homemade hamburger, hot dog, and hoagie buns.
Should you make homemade buns?
Yes! Definitely! Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a store-bought package of hamburger or hot dog buns? Check this out!
There are at least 12 ingredients with many others in parentheses of which I can’t pronounce, can you? Rule of thumb in healthy eating is to avoid foods with words in the ingredient list that are… questionable as food. Basically, if you don’t know what it is, then you might avoid the whole item all together. Of course, you’ll be interested in doing this if you are trying to eat a little healthier. Whole food, whole ingredients… that’s what we should be aiming for in food buying and eating.
This is all you need for your own version!
Look at this ingredient list of some amazingly good homemade hamburger and hot dog buns.
milk, water, butter, all-purpose flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and egg
Hmm… I can pronounce all of these words AND I always have them readily available in my cupboard and fridge. In addition, I can add my favorite nuts and seeds to the tops to enhance their look and flavor.
But time is of the essence!
Ok, I understand, we buy for convenience. I know, buying them is so much easier. But why not make these yourself whenever you have a little baking time, freeze them, and then thaw and toast them on the grill when you’re ready to eat? There’s no need to ever buy store-bought buns again. You can make a couple of batches at once; one batch for hamburgers, one batch for hot dogs, and one batch for hoagie rolls and you’re set for various types of sandwiches for a while.
Homemade buns are totally worth the effort…
I started making these homemade buns 8 years ago. The first time I made them, I was absolutely shocked! I had no idea that buns could taste so good. They were soft, flavorful, and held up well as a shell for the meat, veggies, and condiments I added inside. In fact, this recipe was more of an enriched, yeast roll than the typical bland buns that I was used to buying from the store. After that first bake of these buns, I decided… never again will I buy them.
Homemade buns… so yummy and not that time consuming!!
These buns are so good, before my gluten issues, I was known to eat them by themselves heated with butter like a yeast roll. Oh, my mouth is watering as I speak. Miam (French for yum)!!
They really aren’t that difficult to make or time consuming. There is a typical 10 minute knead and one “short” rise after you shape them. We’re talking 2 hours max from start to finish. Now that’s incredibly short for homemade yeast bread!
Differences between store-bought and homemade buns
In comparing with the store-bought versions, I would say the homemade buns are healthier because there are no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or flavorings. They are tastier because we use whole ingredients full of flavor like a homemade yeast roll. They are cheaper because there’s one less thing to buy at the store, since you likely already have the ingredients in your pantry just sitting there waiting to be used.
Holiday time, why not!
With Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day on the horizon, go ahead and make these, store them in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer until the holidays arrive. They will freeze well for several months, through the summer. You can scratch the store-bought ones off your grocery list and surprise your family and guests with these amazing homemade flavorful buns.
If you are interested in the step-by-step visuals of this recipe, particularly the rolling and shaping of the different rolls, see my video, “The BEST Hamburger, Hot Dog, and Hoagie Buns: Taste like Yeast Rolls and Sturdy for Condiments!”.
The BEST Homemade Hamburger, Hot Dog, and Hoagie Buns
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup butter 4 tbsp or ½ stick
- 4- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour determine quantity based on humidity
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast .25 oz package
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- Sesame seeds or black cumin seeds optional for topping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave (20 seconds) and set aside. In a glass measuring cup, heat milk and water in the microwave until the temperature reaches 110˚F / 43˚C. Then, stir the butter into the milk and water mixture and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk mixture. Crack the egg in a separate bowl and lightly beat it with a fork. Pour the egg in with the wet ingredients and stir everything together until the ingredients are well combined.
- Add in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together and still sticky, but can be manipulated by hand, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic for 8-10 minutes.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.
- For hamburger buns, shape each piece into smooth balls and flatten out to the width appropriate for hamburgers. Place each on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If desired, top with sesame or black cumin seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 to 60 minutes until puffed.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F / 204˚C during the last 15 minutes of rising. Bake buns for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
- For Hot Dog Buns, shape each piece into a 6×4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown.
- For larger hoagie or submarine rolls, combine 1½- 2 hot dog rounds (before forming them into hog dog buns). Knead just slightly to blend the dough together. Shape each piece into a 6×4 inch rectangle (or slightly larger) and roll up like the hot dog bun. Use a knife and score a long slit about ¼ inch deep down the center of each roll. As the dough rises and bakes, the slit will leave a scar which is the typical look of a traditional hoagie roll.
Video
Notes
Interested in some other rolls? Check out these recipes.
The Berry Rolls (my Grandma’s recipe)
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.