Burger night is a fun weeknight dinner, a great time to practice those grill skills and make some yummy sauces. One of the most essential parts of your burger is the bun, as this affects the whole burger experience. A buttery and light burger bun is irreplaceable, and baking them from scratch makes them even better. These tasty little slider buns are the perfect base for the ultimate dinner.
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Homemade Slider Buns
Burgers are a staple of American food, because the combo of a juicy burger and a light, fluffy bun is satisfying and delicious beyond reason. Having a burger night at home ensures that you can enjoy your burger just the way you like it, with whichever toppings you prefer. Baking your own hamburger buns not only fills the house with the warm aroma of baked bread, it means that your slider buns will be wonderfully golden brown and delicious.
This bun recipe makes mini buns that are ideal for an appetizer, or you can enjoy two or three mini burgers for a main meal! For whole wheat buns, replace each cup of all purpose flour with 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour, since it is more dense than white flour. If you like your buns with sesame seeds on top, brush them with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds before putting them in the oven!
How to Make Slider Buns
Activate your active dry yeast by dissolving it in warm water. If it doesn't get foamy and form bubbles, you should use fresh new yeast instead.
To make the dough, add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer (except for the 2 tablespoons of butter used for brushing). Use the dough hook attachment of medium-low, mixing ingredients for 3 to 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, not sticking to the side of the bowl. The dough should feel a little sticky. If it's hard and dry, add in some water; if it's very sticky, add in some flour.
Cover the bowl with a clean damp towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Now it's time to shape the buns! Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it's about 1/3 inch in thickness. Use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut it into equal pieces. This should result in about 25 sliders. Use the leftover piece of dough by kneading it a few times and re-rolling it to the same thickness. Continue to knead and re-roll any pieces left over, making them into sliders. Place the cutout sliders onto the prepared baking sheet, allowing for a little space between each.
Now they will rise a second time. Cover the buns with a damp kitchen towel and let them rise until they've doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Brush the slider buns with melted butter and bake on a sheet pan for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy burger night with these perfectly baked slider buns!
Watch: The 10 Best Burger Joints in Texas
Homemade Slider Buns
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons margarine or melted butter
- 2 tablespoons butter for brushing
Instructions
- Activate your active dry yeast by dissolving it in warm water. If it doesn't get foamy and form bubbles, you should use fresh new yeast instead.
- To make the dough, add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer (except for the 2 tablespoons of butter used for brushing). Use the dough hook attachment of medium low, mixing ingredients for 3 to 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, not sticking to the side of the bowl. The dough should feel a little sticky. If it's hard and dry, add in some water; if it's very sticky, add in some flour.
- Cover the bowl with a clean damp towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Now it's time to shape the buns! Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it's about 1/3 inch in thickness. Use a 2 inch cookie cutter to cut it into equal pieces. This should result in about 25 sliders. Use the leftover piece of dough by kneading it a few times and re-rolling it to the same thickness. Continue to knead and re-roll any pieces left over, making them into sliders. Place the cutout sliders onto the prepared baking sheet, allowing for a little space between each.
- Now they will rise a second time. Cover the buns with a damp kitchen towel and let them rise until they've doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Brush the slider buns with melted butter and bake on a sheet pan for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
