Easy Homemade Hamburger Buns

Prepare the Dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add milk, butter, one egg, yeast, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Mix well with a spatula to combine, about one minute. The butter might still be a little crumby in the mixture at this point.
2. Add flour and stir well to combine until there are no dry flour particles visible in the bowl. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and let the mixture rest covered for 10 minutes. Resting the dough helps build gluten strength naturally, which makes easier to knead in the next step.

Knead the Dough:

1. Transfer the dough onto a clean and lightly greased surface. The oil will help keep the dough from sticking to your hands initially. You can even lightly oil your hands too.
2. Push the dough down and outward using the palms of your hands. Fold the dough in half toward you and press down. Repeat this motion by pushing the dough down and outward, and then folding over towards you. This helps build up gluten strength in dough that is responsible for making the bread fluffy.
3. Continue kneading and folding the dough until the dough is smooth and not sticky at all. Because of the high fat content (butter and milk) in this recipe, it should take less than 5 minutes of kneading by hand to achieve a non-sticky and smooth dough ball. A well-kneaded dough is smooth and can hold its shape. You can test the dough by giving it a firm poke with your finger. The indentation should bounce right back. If it doesn’t bounce back and stays like a dimple, keep kneading for a few more minutes.
4. Transfer the smooth dough ball back in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let rest for 1 to 1.5 hours until the dough doubles in size. This step is known as first rise.

Shape the Buns:

1. Roll the ball of dough into a log and divide it into 5 equal pieces with a knife or bench scraper. Each hamburger bun should weigh approximately 100 grams. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or cling wrap to prevent it from drying. When the dough loses moisture, it tends to form hard skin around its surface, which creates a crust when baking.
2. Take one piece at a time and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Flatten each dough, fold and press all edges into the centre. Turn it over and cup the dough in your palm, making circular motions. It should take less than 30 seconds to roll each piece into a smooth ball.
3. Gently flatten each dough ball into a 3-inch wide disc. If the dough ball shrinks a bit when you flatten it, let it rest for 5 minutes and stretch it out a bit more with your fingers.

Proof the Buns (second rise):

1. Place the buns spaced apart on a parchment-lined baking pan. Cover with a piece of lightly greased cling wrap or a tea towel and let rise for about an hour until the buns are almost double in size. You can let the dough rise in a warmer area, which helps the rolls rise faster. I leave my baking sheet in the oven (turned off) and leave another pan filled with boiling water at the bottom of the oven to help the buns rise (proof) faster.

Bake the Buns:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Apply egg wash on each bun and sprinkle black sesame seeds or white sesame seeds on top. You can apply egg wash twice (two layers) to create extra shine on the crust. This will help create a nice golden brown crust when baking.
3. Bake on the top rack for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown in colour. Let the buns cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.