BHA & BHT Free Classic Hamburger Buns

Total time2 hr 13 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time18 min

5.0

(25)

Store-bought hamburger buns are one of those sneaky sources of synthetic preservatives — BHA and BHT show up in the ingredient lists of many popular brands, often without much fanfare. Making your own from scratch is the cleanest workaround, and it turns out the homemade version is genuinely better in every way. These buns are soft and pillowy with a beautifully golden, egg-washed crust, and every ingredient in them is exactly what you'd expect: flour, butter, egg, yeast, salt, sugar, and water. Nothing hidden, nothing synthetic. The dough comes together with a straightforward knead-and-rise method, and the result is a bun with real structure — sturdy enough to hold a loaded burger without going soggy, but tender enough to pull apart with your hands. A sprinkle of sesame seeds on top gives them that classic diner look that makes even a simple weeknight burger feel like a proper occasion. Once you've pulled a tray of these out of the oven and caught that fresh-bread smell, reaching for a plastic bag at the grocery store is going to feel like a very hard sell.

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough

1 cup warm water (105–110°f / 40–43°c)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ tsp fine salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg

For the egg wash

1 large egg, beaten
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl). Stir briefly and let stand for 5–8 minutes, until the surface is foamy and the mixture smells yeasty.
2
Add the flour, salt, softened butter, and egg to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook (or stir with a wooden spoon) until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes.

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