Homemade Hamburger Buns – 50% Whole Wheat

Delicious soft homemade hamburger buns made with 50% whole wheat flour. Don’t have whole wheat flour? No problem, you can also make them using just all purpose flour. For added fibre, you could also add ground flax if using all purpose flour. Why not get a little bit of extra goodness with your burger?!

homemade hamburger buns
These homemade burger buns are beautiful inside and out! They soften as they cool, perfect for burgers and sandwiches.

Also Read: Tender Homemade Hamburger Patties, Homemade 50/50 Sandwich Bread, Beet Salad, Carrot Salad

Easier to make than you think, they’re great for burgers and bunwiches (you know, sandwiches made with buns). Or, you could make them smaller to and use them for dinner rolls to go along side soup, salads and stews.

Don’t you just love a great homemade burger?!

This recipe is for 12 hamburger buns, perfect for when company is coming.  Because they contain no preservatives, they’re best eaten within three days if left on the counter in a sealed bag. If you can’t use the entire dozen, freeze the extras for another day. They freeze nicely.

ham and radish on a bun
Not just for burgers! These buns are great for bunwiches.

The ingredient list is the same as the 50/50 homemade sandwich bread, just the technique is a little different.

hamburger bun open
Perfect texture inside.

Recipe for Homemade Hamburger Buns

homemade hamburger buns
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Hamburger Buns – 50% Whole Wheat

Soft homemade hamburger buns made with 50% whole wheat. Easier than you think to make and oh, so good. See notes for swapping whole wheat flour.
Prep : 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook : 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour divided
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 3 tsp instant yeast granules
  • 1 egg
  • 3 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water

Egg Wash & Seed Topping

  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

  • In large bowl, 2 cups all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, sugar and yeast and form a well in the center.
  • In small bowl, whisk egg with oil and warm water (110-115º F or 43-46°C).
  • Pour liquid into flour and stir together as much as possible. Not all flour will be incorporated.
  • Transfer dough and bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes to form a smooth, elastic dough. Add as much of the remainder of the all purpose flour as needed to prevent sticking (no need to use it all). Dough is ready when it holds it shape, springs back when poked and feels smooth. It is difficult to over-knead dough by hand, so knead away!
  • Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn dough to coat evenly with oil. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 1-2 hours until dough has doubled.
  • Punch down dough to release air.
  • Split dough into 12 equal pieces, about 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 ounces (92 to 99 grams) each. The more uniform the better – a kitchen scale is very helpful.
  • Shape each piece into a hamburger bun shape – a slightly flattened ball. Shape top by holding dough in hand then stretching dough by pulling and pinching extra dough towards the bottom. Place dough on counter, cup the ball with your palm and gently squeeze and rotate with cupped hand to smooth bottom and shape dough. (See video in post).
  • Place on a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with cornmeal if desired. Gently press top of balls to flatten if too round.
  • For a soft, shiny crust with seeds (sesame, chia, poppy, hemp, etc.), mix egg and water. Gently and lightly brush onto buns. Sprinkle with seeds.
  • Cover dough with cloth and let rise until double, 45-60 minutes.
  • Bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes until dark golden brown.
  • Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Notes

White Buns – For extra soft, fluffy buns, omit the whole wheat flour and use just all purpose flour.
Flax Buns – For extra fiber and Omega3, add 3 Tbsp ground flax when using just all purpose flour. If using whole wheat flour, you may need to add more liquid (I have not tested this recipe with whole wheat flour and ground flax).
Cool completely before storing in sealed bag for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Freeze baked buns for longer storage.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 210mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Iron: 2mg
Course: breads
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buns, hamburger buns, soft buns, whole wheat buns

How to Make Homemade Hamburger Buns

Don’t be intimidated to make these buns. You can do it! Here are a few pointers to see you through the process.

Shaping the Buns

Trying to explain how to shape the buns with words is tricky. This 40 second video goes through the two part process.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/OUE64PuQHBE[/youtube]

Dividing Dough

I’m usually not too fussy about the size and shape of my buns (hee, hee!). However, when company’s coming and you want your hamburger buns to be relatively even, it pays to take the extra step of making sure your dough bits are equal. A kitchen scale is really helpful for this. With this recipe, my buns are approximately 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 ounces (92 to 99 grams) each.

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, shape your entire dough into an even log shape. Cut in half. Cut each half in again. Then cut each half into 3 equal pieces. That should give you 12 fairly even pieces.

dividing hamburger buns dough

Kneading

Knead the dough well. It’s really hard to over-knead dough by hand. To knead, fold dough in half, rotate half way around then press with the heel of your palm, fold in half, rotate and press. Repeat for 8 – 10 minutes or until you think your arms are going to fall off!

If you’re using a kitchen mixer, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for bread dough – I’ve never used one, so I can’t give any tips.

kneading dough

Temperature

Yeast requires warm temperature and liquid to be activated. That’s why the water added to the dough needs to be (110-115º F or 43-46°C). If you’re not sure what this feels like, use a thermometer the first few times. If you don’t have a thermometer, it’s well below boiling temp and a cup of coffee. It’s warm to the touch, about five degrees hotter than a fever.

When proofing the dough, letting it rise, room temperature is just fine.

Sometimes, on the second proofing, I place a warm, wet towel over the formed buns to keep them from drying out and to keep them warm.

second proof hamburger buns

Using All-Purpose Flour Only for Hamburger Buns

inside white hamburger bun
Super soft and fluffy.

If you want even softer, fluffier hamburger buns, you can make this recipe with 100% all purpose flour. When I started making these, I started with all purpose flour, I’ve been adding more whole wheat every batch since. It seems like 50% whole wheat is the max before the dough gets too stiff and dense. 

There you have it, my take on homemade hamburger buns.

Please let me know if you make these buns and how they turned out for you. And, if your on Instagram, take a pic and share it with me by tagging @getgettys on Instagram.

Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.