🥖 The Best Quick & Easy Burger Buns You’ll Ever Make (and They Stay Soft!)
Learn how to make soft, fluffy burger buns in under an hour — and turn the same dough into old-fashioned cinnamon rolls just like Grandma used to make. Perfectly tender, buttery, and ready in one hour!
🧠 Why This Recipe Works
We’ve all been there: golden buns straight from the oven that look perfect — but by the time they cool, they’re drier than a July hayfield.
Bread dryness usually comes down to three culprits: too little fat, too much heat, and cooling uncovered.
This recipe fixes all three. By adding a touch more butter, a spoonful of honey (nature’s moisture magnet), and a quick Japanese tangzhong paste, you get buns that stay soft, fluffy, and downright irresistible — even the next day.
And just like my grandmother, we’ll show you how the same dough can double as a base for the most comforting cinnamon rolls you’ve ever made.
🧂 Ingredients
(Makes 8 buns — total time: about 1 hour)
Tangzhong (Moisture Booster)
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2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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½ cup milk (or water)
Main Dough
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½ cup warm water (about 105°F)
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1 tablespoon honey (or 3 tablespoons sugar, if preferred)
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2 tablespoons active dry yeast
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⅓ cup melted butter
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1 large egg
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1¾ cups all-purpose flour
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1¾ cups bread flour (or use 3½ cups all-purpose for softer buns)
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1½ teaspoons salt
For Finishing
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1 tablespoon melted butter (for brushing)
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Optional: sesame seeds or everything bagel topping
👨🍳 Directions
1️⃣ Make the Tangzhong
Whisk flour and milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it thickens like pudding (about 2–3 minutes). Let it cool slightly.
🧠 Science Note: This step pre-gelatinizes the starch, trapping water inside. It’s how you keep homemade bread soft like bakery loaves.
2️⃣ Activate the Yeast
In a large bowl or mixer, combine warm water, honey, and yeast. Let it sit 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
If it doesn’t foam, the yeast is sleeping on the job — start fresh.
3️⃣ Mix the Dough
Add melted butter, egg, cooled tangzhong, and salt. Stir to combine. Gradually add flour until a soft dough forms. Knead for 4–5 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky, not sticky.
🧠 Tip: The bread flour adds strength for structure; the all-purpose flour adds tenderness. Together, they make the perfect bun.
4️⃣ Shape & Rise
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces (about 100g each). Roll into smooth balls, flatten slightly, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise 15–20 minutes, or until puffed.
Need a warm spot? Place them in your oven with just the light on.
5️⃣ Bake
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake 14–16 minutes, until golden and internal temperature hits 190–195°F.
🧠 Why 375°F? Lower temperature = gentler bake = moister crumb.
6️⃣ Butter & Cool
Immediately brush tops with melted butter and cover with a clean towel while cooling.
That trapped steam keeps the crust soft and shiny — think diner-style perfection.
7️⃣ Store
Once cool, store in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 days at room temp or 3 months in the freezer.
To revive day-old buns: microwave for 10 seconds with a damp paper towel.
🧺 Variations & Substitutions
| Want to… | Try this tweak |
|---|---|
| Make it dairy-free | Use water instead of milk and plant-based butter. |
| Add tenderness | Swap 1 tbsp butter for 1 tbsp mayo (yes, mayo!). |
| Sweeten it up | Add 2 more tbsp honey or sugar. |
| Go whole wheat | Replace 1 cup flour with whole wheat + 1 tbsp extra water. |
🍥 Grandma’s Cinnamon Roll Variation
This same quick, soft dough doubles beautifully as old-fashioned cinnamon rolls — the kind that make your kitchen smell like Sunday mornings at Grandma’s house.
The enriched dough (with butter, milk, and egg) is already perfect for sweet rolls, so you don’t have to change much — just shape it differently and add a buttery cinnamon-sugar swirl.
Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
Filling:
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4 tablespoons softened butter
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½ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
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1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
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Optional: pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for depth
Glaze:
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1 cup powdered sugar
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2 tablespoons milk or cream
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½ teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls Using This Dough
1️⃣ Prepare the Dough
Follow the bun recipe up to the kneading step.
2️⃣ Roll It Out
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 12x18 inches.
3️⃣ Add the Filling
Spread the softened butter evenly, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture across the surface.
4️⃣ Roll & Slice
Roll the dough tightly from the long edge into a log. Slice into 12 equal pieces (use unflavored dental floss for clean cuts).
5️⃣ Rise
Arrange rolls in a buttered 9x13” pan. Cover and let rise 20–25 minutes, until puffed and nearly touching.
6️⃣ Bake
Bake at 375°F for 18–20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.
7️⃣ Glaze
Whisk glaze ingredients together and drizzle over warm rolls.
🧠 Pro Tip: For extra-soft rolls, brush with melted butter right after baking and cover with a towel while cooling — just like the burger buns.
💡 Flavor Variations
| Type | Add This Twist |
|---|---|
| Pecan Sticky Rolls | Add ½ cup chopped pecans and a drizzle of caramel syrup before baking. |
| Orange Rolls | Add 1 tablespoon orange zest to the filling and replace milk in the glaze with orange juice. |
| Maple Cinnamon Rolls | Swap half the brown sugar for maple syrup and use maple extract in the glaze. |
🧡 A Family Story
“My grandmother had a knack for stretching one recipe into many. Her bun dough wasn’t just for burgers — it turned into butter rolls, caramel pecan rolls, and these cinnamon rolls that perfumed the whole house. If the smell of baking bread feels like home, this one’s for you.”
🪄 Author Note
At Cheap Peoples Club, we believe great food doesn’t have to be expensive — it just needs a little know-how. This recipe is proof: one dough, two delicious traditions — and a whole lot of family memories.
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