Soft Hamburger Potato Buns |Freezer Friendly|
Homemade soft Hamburger Potato Buns are a staple in my kitchen. I make these fluffy and moist Hamburger Buns every other month. They freeze well and are great for burgers and sandwiches alike.
updated post from 2013
WHY WE LOVE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER POTATO BUNS
- Perfect structure
- These buns are pillowy-soft yet sturdy enough to hold juicy burgers without falling apart.
- Sandwiches
- When in a pinch, I slice these up, toast them, and serve them with soup, salads, or top them with a spread.
- Make ahead
- I love that I can freeze them for later. They keep well for 2-3 months.
- Moist
- Potatoes and buttermilk contribute to a super-moist bread.
- Unmatched flavor
- Potatoes add such a unique flavor, not overwhelming, just perfectly balanced with no artificial stuff.
- Customizable
- Perfect for standard-size buns or minis to make sliders.
INGREDIENTS
- All Purpose Flour or a combination of Bread and All Purpose Flour
- Yellow or Sweet Potatoes, peeled, cooked in water till very soft (or mashed potatoes will work, too)
- Eggs
- Buttermilk (don’t have buttermilk?) Use one of these 6 Homemade Buttermilk Substitutes
- Butter, soft or use olive oil instead
- Ground Black Pepper
- Dry Yeast
- Salt
- Water
THINGS YOU NEED
- Get all the tools you need in my Amazon Shop
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry Brush
- Round Cookie Cutters
- Immersion Blender
- Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Pretzel Salt (I love this stuff on soft pretzels!)
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YEAST SPONGE
Start by adding warm cooked potatoes to a bowl along with about ¼ cup of the reserved potato cooking water (step 1). Mash them with a fork, or blend quickly in a blender until smooth (step 2). You can also use leftover homemade mashed potatoes.
Measure a generous ½ cup of the potato mixture and whisk it into room-temperature buttermilk (steps 3-4). Add the honey and dry yeast, whisk to combine, and let the mixture sit for 5–8 minutes, until it becomes bubbly and foamy on top (steps 5–8).
I find it so satisfying to watch the yeast sponge getting all happy and bubbly.
POTATO BREAD DOUGH
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the flour, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Create a well in the center of the flour, then add the room-temperature eggs, softened butter, and the buttermilk-yeast mixture.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir everything together just until the flour is moistened and a rough dough begins to form.
Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook, then knead the dough until it is smooth, about 8–10 minutes. This is a soft dough, and it may not completely pull away from the sides of the bowl; that’s perfectly normal. However, if it feels overly wet and excessively sticky, add a little extra flour, one tablespoon at a time. Up to 3 additional tablespoons should be enough.
FIRST PROOF
Turn the soft potato yeast dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it briefly by hand, just enough to shape it into a smooth ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl, place the dough back inside, and cover with a plastic wrap or a damp paper towel. Let it rise for about 1 hour in a warm, draft-free place, or until noticeably puffy and doubled in volume.
HOW TO CREATE A WARM, DRAFT-FREE SPOT?
I use a few different methods to create a warm, draft-free spot for proofing dough. My go-to method works incredibly well, though I can’t always rely on it if the oven is already in use.
- Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil and carefully place the pot on the bottom rack of your oven.
- Set the bowl of dough on the rack above or beside it, then close the oven door.
- Let the dough rise according to the recipe instructions in this warm, steamy environment.
HOW TO SHAPE HAMBURGER BUNS
Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper or a silicone mat (steps 1–4). Weigh the dough, then divide the total weight by 8 or 9 to make standard-size buns, or by 18-19 to make slider buns (5-8).
Shape each piece of the dough into a ball. Place each bun onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
SECOND RISE
Cover shaped hamburger buns with a damp kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
EGG WASH
After the second rise, brush each bun with egg wash. You can prepare the egg wash by whisking a room-temperature egg and 1 tablespoon of water.
Brush each bun lightly with egg wash, making sure there are no puddles pooling underneath them. Excess egg wash can collect around the base of the buns, and as they bake, it will cook into little bits of scrambled egg around the bottom.
HAMBURGER BUNS TOPPINGS
Before baking, add your topping of choice to the egg-washed buns, such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, or coarse salt, or leave them plain if you prefer.
BAKE
Bake the buns in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C). Large buns take about 18-20 minutes, and smaller, slider buns are done in about 15 minutes.
As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, cover them with a dry kitchen towel for about 15 minutes. Then remove the towel and allow the buns to cool completely. This helps soften the crust while keeping the interior moist.
SUCCESS TIPS
Dip the pastry brush into the egg wash and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Gently wipe the brush against the rim before brushing the buns to avoid overapplying and prevent egg wash from pooling around their bases.
Absolutely! I have done so many times.
-This can be caused by weak gluten and not enough kneading. Knead the dough until it’s smooth and soft; it partly pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but it doesn’t form a ball around the kneading hook.
-This dough is soft and slightly sticky. Don’t be tempted to add too much flour.
-Allow shaped buns to rise until doubled in volume.
Dust your finger or knuckle, and gently make a dent/depression in the dough.
If it springs back right away, you need to let it proof a little longer.
If it springs back about halfway, leaving a slight depression in the dough, it’s ready for the oven.
And if it doesn’t spring back, it is overproofed.
Hot liquid will kill the yeast, and ice-cold water will not activate it. Make sure you are adding yeast to a warm-to-lukewarm liquid.
Let the dough rise in a draft-free spot.
These buns freeze for up to 2 months. Let them defrost before use. They can be reheated in the oven, sliced and toasted, and made into sandwiches.
Yield for standard-size buns is 8-9, and 18-20 minis (slider buns).
Here are my delicious Chicken Bacon Meatball Sliders made with homemade potato buttermilk hamburger slider buns.
MORE BREAD RECIPES
- Delicious Rum Raisin Challah
- Fast Bread Recipe via Sugar Geek Show
- Sweet Bread Dough
- Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Bean Glaze
Potato Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
Yeast Mixture
- 1/2 cup mashed potato or use leftover mashed potatoes (120ml) (you'll need 1 large potato, peeled and cubed, cooked till very soft in 1 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 tsp of salt)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk (180 ml) (make your own buttermilk – add 1 tablespoon vinegar to 3/4 cup milk, let sit 5 minutes)
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp flour
Dough
- 3 cup all-purpose flour (430 grams) ( I use King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour, bread flour or combination of both
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tbsp butter, softened (70 grams)
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
Toppings
- poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt
Instructions
Mashed Potato
- Cook one large peeled and cubed potato in 1 1/2 cup water seasoned with 1/2 tsp salt, cook until fork soft. Mash the potato with 3 tablespoons potato water using a fork. Spoon mashed potato mixture into a 1/2 cup measure.TIP: alternatively, use 1/2 cup leftover mashed potatoes
Yeast Mixture
- Pour mashed potato (1/2 cup, 120 ml) into buttermilk ( 3/4 cup, 180 ml) and stir well. Let cool until the mixture is warm, not hot.
- Into the warm to lukewarm potato buttermilk mixture whisk one tablespoon honey, one packet of active dry yeast (about 2 tsp 1/2 tsp), and one tablespoon flour. Whisk well and let sit for 5-8 minutes until foamy on the top.
Yeast Potato Dough
- Meanwhile, measure flour (3 cups, 430 grams) into a bowl of your stand mixer, stir in salt (1/4 teaspoon) and ground black pepper (1/8 teaspoon), and set aside.
- Make a well in the flour, add eggs (2 large, room temperature eggs), soften butter (5 tablespoons, 70 grams), and pour in all of the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon till combined (30 seconds).
- Using a mixer with a hook attachment, knead yeast dough for 8 minutes until a soft dough is formed. If the dough appears too wet add up to 1/4 cup flour, adding flour by tablespoons. This dough is smooth; it will not form a ball in the stand mixer.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for 30 seconds to a minute until it comes to a ball.
1st Proof
- Return the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. See the notes on how to let it rise in the oven.
- Once the dough has risen, invert the bowl onto a lightly floured parchment sheet or silicone mat.
Shape Hamburger Buns
- Weigh the dough and divide it into equal portions. Divide the dough into 8-9 pieces or more if you want smaller buns. I weigh 125 grams of dough per large bun.TIP: This recipe makes about 8-9 regular-size hamburger buns or smaller 16-18 slider buns.
- Shape each piece of a dough into a ball. Transfer onto a baking sheet lined with a parchment or silicone mat. Cover buns with kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F.
Egg Wash
- Whisk egg (1 egg) and water (1 tablespoon). Then brush risen buns with an egg wash. Avoid egg wash pooling around the buns.
Toppings
- If using toppings, sprinkle buns brushed with egg wash with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sea salt, or leave plain.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 375°F (195°C)
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown.Large buns for 18-20 minutes.Small buns for 15-16 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and cover freshly baked hot buns with a dry kitchen towel for 15 minutes. Remove the towel and let cool completely.
Notes
- How to create a draft-free spot to proof the dough? – Bring 3 cups of water to aboil. Place the pot of hot water on the bottom rack in your oven, and place the bowl with the yeast dough above or on the same rack. Close the oven and let the dough rise as directed in the recipe.
- How long can these buns be frozen for? Buns freeze well for up to 2 -3 months. Let them defrost, reheat in the oven, or slice and toast.
- Can I use sweet potatoes instead of yellow? Yes, you can.
- How many standard hamburger buns does this recipe make? This recipe yields about 8-9 medium-to-large hamburger buns.
PIN IT for later
This recipe was originally published in 2013. On May 25th, 2019, I updated this post with new step-by-step photos, written text, and a video.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
Thank you my love, U R sweet. But, at my age I only want to make things that don’t require heavy labor. 😂
Thank you, Charlie. ♥
These turned out amazing! I’m still new to bread making and I followed the recipe exactly. The only difference I noted was that my dough did come together in a ball when kneading with a stand mixer. Leftover buns froze really well. Keeping this recipe to make again and again 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Hi Julien,
that’s fantastic. I’m glad you enjoy these as much as we do.
Hani
These rolls turned out amazing! They were nice and fluffy but hold up great to a burger! I only needed about one and a half tablespoons of extra flour.. Thank you so much for this!
Hi Michele,
I’m so happy you like these buns. They are our favorite!
Thank you for your feedback.
I hope you have a nice day.
I made bread for the first time and it was this Potato Hamburger Bun Recipe, it came out SOOOO DELICIOUS, my kids ate every bite of dinner, I am now hooked on bread making! THANK YOU for making this such an easy recipe to follow, even for a first timer❤️🤗❤️
Hello Claudia,
that’s wonderful news! I’m happy you like the buns and that your kids enjoy them also. xo Hani
Any recommendations for subbing instant yeast in for the dry yeast? Should I adjust the amount?
Hello Lily
I’ve been using the same amount. When using instant yeast I don’t make the sponge I just add instant yeast directly into the flour with the rest of the ingredients and knead.
I just started using instant yeast couple of months ago and I LOVE IT. It produces such a light dough and rises really nicely and faster than dry yeast.
Thank you!
Best,
Hani
Can I add sugar instead of honey and increase it to sweeten the dough and make cinnamon rolls?? why do you use instead of regular milk?does it make doughs fluffier??
I mean why do you use buttermilk instead of milk?
Buttermilk because it’s acidic it helps to tenderize gluten and make bread buns a bit softer and acidic ingredient also gives bread nice body, rise, hope it helps.
Hello Nada,
Absolutely, you can add sugar, sorry I just read your question again. Not sure if this dough would work for cinnamon buns though. For cinnamon buns I’d recommend using my Sweet Bread Dough Instead.
Not sure what you mean by the second question? Why do I add milk? I used buttermilk in this recipe. Milk makes bread a bit richer and velvety. Hope that makes sense.
If you can’t use milk I’d use water with little bit of vinegar in it (1tsp or so). Or use 1:1 water and white yogurt.
Let me know if you have any other questions. Or just use water instead.
Let me know how it turns out.
THanks.
Stay Safe,
I was recently working in New York and I tried quite a few burgers and the best ones had one thing in common: potato rolls, unfortunately they’re not a thing here in the UK, you can’t buy them anywhere, brioche buns seem to be the closest thing we have but I don’t like the sweetness they bring, so my question is: is honey/sugar necessary? Or is it only there for taste?
Hi Joe,
you can scale down the honey and use 1/4 tsp of honey. Its main role is to provide food for the yeast. I totally get where you are coming from, we don’t care for the sweet hamburger bun either:-)
Hani
Oh my goodness! I think this would need a taste test with some butter straight out of the oven …. just say’n 🤣🤣🤣I can smell them already !👃🏻👃🏻😋😋😋
Thank you June. I really need to show the cut bun. These are so good. Rado loves them.