Just one straightforward recipe is all you need to make homemade sandwich rolls, burger buns or slider buns. These brioche-style buns are soft, tender and far better than store-bought options.
If you want to elevate your summer potluck or backyard barbecue, start with homemade buns. Store-bought buns can be convenient, but they’re often bland. These rolls are light, flavorful and tender—perfect to hold your favorite fillings, from classic burgers to pulled pork sliders or deli sandwiches.
Whether you’re serving hamburgers, sliders, pulled pork or cold cuts, a homemade bun makes a noticeable difference.
More homemade recipes to try: Check out my whole wheat brioche burger buns, cheesy herb burger buns, and homemade hot dog buns.
Table of Contents
- One bun recipe, lots of ways to bake it!
- Ingredients you’ll need
- How to make homemade brioche buns
- Prepare the brioche dough
- How to bake larger burger buns
- How to bake smaller sandwich rolls
- Make-ahead instructions
- Recipe FAQs
- More homemade buns recipes
- Get the recipe
One bun recipe, lots of ways to bake it!
This single versatile dough can be shaped and baked to make larger burger buns or smaller rolls for sliders and sandwiches. The method is the same; only the portion size and bake time change. Below are clear steps for each option so you can choose the size you need.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Milk, butter, sugar and eggs add richness, flavor and create a very tender crumb.
- Bread flour gives more gluten strength for better rise and texture; it’s preferred for this recipe.
- Active-dry or instant yeast both work. Use what you have and check freshness.
- Salt for balance and flavor.
- Sesame or poppy seeds are optional for topping the buns.
How to make homemade brioche buns
Prepare the brioche dough
Make the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or combine and knead by hand in a large bowl. The steps below outline the process.
- Heat butter, milk and water. Warm together over medium-low heat until the butter melts and the mixture reaches about 120–130°F. Use an instant-read thermometer to avoid overheating and killing the yeast.
- Combine dry ingredients. In the mixer bowl, stir together most of the bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
- Add liquids and eggs. Pour in the warmed milk mixture and beaten eggs; mix on low until a very wet dough forms.
- Add remaining flour while kneading. With the mixer running on medium-low (or while kneading by hand), add the remaining flour a bit at a time until the dough mostly clears the bowl and feels slightly sticky to the touch. You may need slightly less or more flour than listed.
- Let rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
Once the dough has risen, it’s ready to be divided and shaped into buns or rolls.
How to bake larger burger buns
Follow these steps to make larger burger-style buns:
- Divide the dough. Portion into 8 equal pieces. A kitchen scale helps ensure even sizes.
- Shape into balls. Tuck and roll each piece to form a smooth top.
- Second rise. Place the shaped rounds on a parchment-lined sheet pan. As they rise, gently pat the tops a few times to encourage them to spread wider rather than taller.
- Bake. Brush with egg wash for a shiny finish and add sesame seeds if desired. Bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.
How to bake smaller sandwich rolls
To make smaller dinner-roll-sized buns suitable for sliders or small sandwiches:
- Divide the dough. Portion into 12 equal pieces. Use a scale if you want consistent sizes.
- Shape into balls. Form each portion into a smooth ball.
- Second rise. Arrange the rolls in a parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan, cover and let rise until doubled.
- Bake. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle seeds if desired. Bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes until golden brown; smaller rolls require a bit more time since they bake close together.
Tip: If you want mini burger-style rounds, space the 12 portions on a sheet pan so they spread outward as they rise. Gently pat tops during the rise to encourage width rather than height.
Make-ahead instructions
- Rise the dough in the fridge overnight. Place kneaded dough in a greased bowl, cover and refrigerate. In the morning, portion, shape, let rise and bake.
- Chill shaped rolls overnight. Shape the buns and place them in the pan, cover and refrigerate. Remove the next morning, let come to room temperature and rise for 1–1½ hours, then bake.
- Freeze shaped rolls up to 2 months. Freeze shaped rolls on a parchment-lined pan until firm, then transfer to a heavy-duty bag. Thaw on a baking pan, let rise and bake.
- Freeze baked rolls up to 1 month. Cool completely, wrap in foil and place in a zip-top bag. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 20–25 minutes when ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Active-dry or instant (rapid-rise) yeast both work. Instant yeast can shorten rise times slightly. This recipe was not tested with fresh yeast.
Soaking yeast can speed activation, but if your yeast is fresh you can mix it directly with the dry ingredients and warm liquids. Heating the milk mixture to 120–130°F effectively activates the yeast.
Bread flour gives better rise and texture due to its higher protein. You can use all-purpose flour in a pinch, but bread flour is recommended for best results.
Flour absorption varies by humidity, flour brand and how you measure. Add flour until the dough is soft and slightly tacky but manageable. Adding too much can make rolls dense.
You can knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes. A stand mixer with a dough hook makes the process easier but is not required.
More homemade buns recipes
Get the recipe
Homemade Sandwich, Slider and Burger Buns
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup (57 g) milk
- ¾ cup (170 g) water
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
- 3–3½ cups (360–420 g) bread flour
- 2¼ teaspoons (7 g) yeast
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)
- Sesame or poppy seeds, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine milk, water and butter. Warm over medium-low until butter melts. Cool about 5 minutes, until 120–130°F.
- In the stand mixer bowl (or a large bowl for hand mixing), combine 2½ cups bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm milk mixture and the beaten eggs; mix on low until combined.
- Add remaining flour 2 tablespoons at a time while mixing until the dough almost clears the bowl and is slightly sticky. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5–7 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and let rest a few minutes. Divide into 8 portions for larger buns or 12 for smaller rolls and shape into balls.
- Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan (for buns) or in a 9×13 pan (for rolls). Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise an additional 30 minutes until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle seeds if desired.
- Bake until golden brown: about 10 minutes for larger buns and 15 minutes for smaller rolls. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Yields 8 larger burger buns or 12 smaller rolls. Nutritional info shown is per larger bun.
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This recipe was originally published June 2021.