![Easy Banana Bread](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/28/multimedia/LH-banana-bread-hkbj/LH-banana-bread-hkbj-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Hamburger Buns
![Hamburger Buns](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/05/26/dining/21yeastedrex2-burger/merlin_187924629_8686b67c-aed5-4b60-9310-6dba846a5987-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes, plus 6 to 26 hours’ resting and proofing
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- Neutral oil, such as vegetable, or nonstick cooking spray, for the baking sheets
- 1recipe All-Purpose Enriched Bread dough, chilled
- All-purpose flour, for dusting (optional)
- 1large egg
- 3tablespoons hulled sesame seeds
Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the baking sheets: Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly brush or spray the parchment with oil, then set aside.
- Step 2
Portion the dough: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and uncover. Scrape the dough from the bowl and place on the work surface. Use the heel of your hand to knock out the gas and deflate the risen dough, which will be quite firm. Using a kitchen scale and a bench scraper or a knife, portion the dough into 10 equal pieces. (Each piece will weigh about 113 grams.) If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can eyeball it.
- Step 3
Form the buns: Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold it onto itself a few times to create a smooth surface, then gather the edges and pinch them together to form a smooth bundle of dough that looks like a garlic bulb. Place it seam-side down on the work surface and position your hand over the dough, palm barely touching the top and fingers lightly cupping it and resting on the work surface. Drag your hand — and the dough with it — slowly across the surface, moving it in small rapid circles. The friction between the dough and the surface will help tighten the dome so your buns will have a uniform, round shape. You shouldn’t need to add flour, since the cold dough is easier to handle and less sticky, but if your dough is slightly warm or otherwise sticky, add just a bit of flour to make it easier to handle. Continue with all the pieces of dough, then arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheets, 5 per sheet, spacing evenly.
- Step 4
Proof the buns: The buns proof best in a humid environment, so use a spray bottle, if you have one, to lightly spritz the baking sheets with water, or just sprinkle some water around the buns with your fingertips. Loosely cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap, then cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let sit at room temperature, undisturbed, until the buns have doubled in size and appear puffed and balloonlike, 1½ to 2 hours.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, arrange one oven rack in the upper third and one in the lower third of the oven, then heat it to 350 degrees. Beat the egg in a small bowl until no streaks remain, then set aside.
- Step 6
Test the buns: To see if the buns are fully proofed, uncover one, lightly oil your finger, and poke the surface gently. It should feel filled with air, spring back and hold a slight indentation from your finger. If it doesn’t, cover again and continue to let them rise, repeating the test every 10 or 15 minutes.
- Step 7
Apply egg wash and bake the buns: Brush the surfaces of the proofed buns generously with the beaten egg and sprinkle the sesame seeds over top. Transfer the pans to the oven, one on each rack. Bake, rotating each pan 180 degrees and top to bottom after 13 minutes, until the buns are puffed and deeply browned, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets. Split horizontally with a serrated knife.
- The buns, stored airtight, will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, or can be frozen up to 1 month. Toast lightly to revive.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
These turned out perfectly; good flavour, tender crumb but sturdy enough for a juicy burger and plenty of toppings. I used instant yeast but otherwise followed the dough recipe as written.
The absolute best burger buns I’ve had in bombay and I can’t believe they came from my own home! Love, love, love this recipe.
These taste fantastic, but I find that the buns that start on the bottom rack already have a cracked crust before the switch (top ones look perfect). Anyone else run into this? Should I switch sooner or try a thicker egg wash?
So wonderful! Thank you for the recipe!
Marvelous! Followed recipe except used bread flour and added 90 g more during kneading to attain reasonable dough consistency. Although very good, I prefer less sweetness, more substance, and a crust that didn’t shatter into a shower of crumbs on taking a bite. A 2d attempt without added sugar, one less egg, half the butter, and no additional flour achieved that but only baked to a golden brown rather than Claire’s spectacular mahogany. Maybe a little malt next time for color.
Most excellent buns for barbecued pulled pork
If youre making on the day you want to eat it: Let it double in size first (1-2 hours) before you put it in the fridge to cool, I only let it have 30mnts as the recipe said before putting it in the fridge, after 6 hours it hasnt rised at all. Other than that, great recipe! <3
I thought the flavor of the buns exceptional and the instructions generally precise (I just had a difficulty following how to shape the buns). Like most buns, however, it doesn’t hold up all that well against a juicy MR burger—in my experience.
Good for any kind of sandwich, but they don’t hold up well against hamburgers. Wonderful taste.
Didn’t bake until deeply browned, which is on me, but they still look fantastic.
Excellent and easy recipe. The buns are buttery and sturdy. I don’t buy store bought anymore.
These are DELICIOUS and not difficult at all to make. My buns were the talk of the July 4th weekend festivities! :) I’ll definitely be making these again!
Yes, one could just walk across the street to the bodega to get $1.50 hamburger buns - but this baking project was so much fun! As long as you thoroughly read the instructions and follow them correctly you will have perfect fluffy but sturdy buttery buns.
The steps go 1. Grease the pan 2. Portion dough. Can I get a step 1.5 where they tell us how to make the dough?
They snuck step 1.5 into the ingredients list -- the second item is the link to the All-Purpose Enriched Bread dough.
Superb. My mixer is a little older and needs babysitting when kneading bread, so we bonded for ~half an hour yesterday while mixing this dough. I made 10 x 90g buns (baked on one half sheet pan); with the 230g of dough left over, I made into an apricot brioche “tart” based on the one in “Dessert Person,” baked in a loaf pan. These buns were, in a word, sensational.
Claire, For a baker and pastry chef - YOU ROCK! This bread was 'da bomb'. I made hamburger buns and put dried onions as a topping (an attempt to simulate Arby's onion buns) but they were of course 1000 times better. My kids marveled as Dad became the new Roast Beef sandwich champion. :) Your instructions were perfect. My wife - who came from the Sichuan province sealed her stamp of approval as well! Bravo.. -Matt
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