Name: Vegan Burger Buns
Ingredients: 3/4 cup soy milk (lukewarm (about 110°F)); 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 packet active dry yeast; 2 tablespoons vegan butter (softened at room temperature); 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal; 3 tablespoons water; 3 1/4 cups (390g) all-purpose flour (plus more as needed); 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

When you make your own homemade Vegan Burger Buns, you'll forget that store-bought buns ever existed! They're squishy, fluffy, and absolutely delicious.

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Ready to majorly elevate your next veggie burger night? Make these fluffy homemade Vegan Hamburger Buns ASAP! They’re buttery, soft and fluffy. You’ll never want to go back to the sad, squished, store-bought variety.

If homemade bread seems a little intimidating to you, worry not! This homemade burger bun recipe is totally beginner-friendly, requiring just a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. A stand mixer will streamline the process, but it can also easily be made by hand.

Few things are more satisfying than pulling a batch of fresh bread out of the oven, and I promise once you give these buns a try, you’ll you be giving yourself a pat on the back.

Ingredients for Homemade Vegan Burger Buns

Soy milk. Unsweetened, plain varieties work best. I love using soy milk in breads to add richness and to make the bread softer. The protein content contributes to the structure of the bread, allowing it to rise higher for a fluffier hamburger bun.
Granulated sugar. A little bit to help proof the yeast, and a little to add a subtle sweetness to the burger buns.
Active dry yeast. Instant yeast works, too.
Vegan butter. You’ll want it softened (but not melted). Butter adds richness to the burger buns and keeps the crumb nice and tender. A little bit brushed over top also helps them to develop a nice golden color when baking. In a pinch, you can substitute in a neutral cooking oil.
Flaxseed meal. Classic burger buns are traditionally enriched with egg, and using a flax “egg” is one of the oldest tricks in the book for vegan baking. The flax is high in fats, so it adds richness to the dough and also acts as a binder for a more stable dough.
All-purpose flour. There’s no need to use bread flour in this recipe.
Salt. Naturally.

How to Make Vegan Burger Buns

Proof the Yeast

Sprinkle yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar over the lukewarm soy milk and whisk. After a few minutes the yeast should be bubbly. If there is no activity, there’s a good chance your yeast is expired.
In the meantime, whisk together the flaxseed meal with the water and allow to gel while you measure the other ingredients.

Mix & Knead the Dough

Add the yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the soaked flaxseed and softened vegan butter. Whisk to combine.
Add in the flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Use the stand mixer’s paddle attachment to mix everything together at a medium speed. (Or use a wooden spoon to mix everything together by hand.)
Once the ingredients are combined and there are no dry ingredients visible, switch to the dough hook attachment and knead for 3-5 minutes at a medium speed. (Or turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes by hand.)
Many factors can influence the hydration of the dough. If the dough is seeming overly sticky (sticking a lot to the sides of the stand mixer bowl, or to your fingers), gradually work in extra flour about 2 tablespoons at a time. Knead the extra flour in completely before assessing whether you need additional flour. The dough should be slightly tacky to the touch, but it should “clean” the sides of the stand mixer bowl. It should not stick excessively to your fingers or to your work surface.
You’re done kneading when the dough is smooth and elastic — it should “bounce back” quickly if you poke it. If you poke it and a deep indentation remains, you should continue to knead.

First Rise

Transfer your dough to a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise until just about doubled. (This usually takes around 1 hour if your kitchen is at a normal temperature. If it’s chilly, it can take up to 2 hours. If it’s particularly warm, it may happen a little faster than 1 hour. Take a visual note of the size of the dough and proceed to the next step when it has roughly doubled in size.)

Shape the Burger Buns

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and divide it into 8 portions. You can eyeball it, or use a kitchen scale for more precision (this is my preference).
Shape each portion of dough into a ball. There are a few methods for this. I like to hold the dough in my palm and repeatedly tuck the edges into the center while rotating. Take a look at the recipe video to get a better idea of how I do this. Once shaped, gently roll the dough on the work surface to create more surface tension.

Second Rise & Bake

Transfer the shaped dough balls to a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Flatten each dough ball with the palm of your hand to form a burger bun shape roughly 3″ in diameter.
Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise until very puffy. This usually takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the temperature of the kitchen.
Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 375°F.
Brush buns with melted vegan butter and bake 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Sarah’s Recipe Notes

Go by feel. One of the most important tips when working with bread is to focus more on the feel of the dough than the recipe itself. So many factors can influence the dough: the humidity and temperature of your environment, differences between brands of ingredients, the hardness of your water, etc. If the dough is feeling overly sticky or dry, don’t panic! There is no rush, and you can always work in extra flour or liquid as needed until the dough is behaving as it should.
Rising time is variable. This is similar to the first point, but when it comes to knowing how long your dough needs to rise, visual cues are going to be more important than your clock. The temperature of your kitchen will influence how quickly the dough rises, so take a mental note of the size of the dough before you let it rise. (Or snap a quick photo on your phone!) During the first rise, dough should roughly *double* in size. During the second rise, you want your shaped burger buns to become noticeably puffy, but don’t let them rise so long that they begin to deflate.
Hand-kneading tips. If you don’t have a stand mixer, don’t fret! Humans were kneading dough by hand for ages, and I actually find this process to be quite therapeutic (even if a little messy). If you can knead directly on your clean countertop, I find that to be the easiest (unless you’re blessed enough to own a marble pastry slab). Cutting boards tend to slide around, which can be quite frustrating while kneading. You can also grab a silicone pastry mat (they’re pretty inexpensive) for easy cleanup. A bench scraper is another extremely useful for scraping dough up from the counter while it’s still on the stickier side.

Substitutions & Variations

Whole wheat buns. If you’d like to make whole wheat vegan burger buns, you can substitute in up to 50% of the volume of all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour. Don’t substitute in the entire quantity, as this will result in a very dense and gummy burger bun. You may also need to increase the hydration of the dough slightly, as whole wheat flour is more absorptive.
Sesame seeds. You can add sesame seeds to the burger buns. To help them adhere, I recommend using a starch wash. Whisk together 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. Separately, heat 1/4 cup water to a boil on the stove, then whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly, until thickened and translucent. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature. Brush this on the burger buns just after shaping (instead of vegan butter), then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Smaller buns. This recipe makes large vegan hamburger buns. Feel free to divide the dough into more pieces for smaller buns.

Recipe FAQ & Troubleshooting

My vegan burger buns are dense/gummy

This usually means your dough did not rise sufficiently. There are two potential culprits. Your yeast could be expired. Did you make sure that when you combined it with the milk and sugar that it became bubbly/foamy within a few minutes? If it showed no activity, there’s a good chance you need a fresh packet of yeast.

The dough may also not have risen long enough. Did you make sure that the dough doubled in size during the first rise? Did you make sure to let the hamburger buns rise for another 45 minutes to an hour after shaping, before baking them?

The dough is too wet and sticky

Many factors can influence the hydration of your dough — everything from the humidity of your environment to the actual brand of your flour. That’s why it’s important to go by feel when working with dough.

If the dough is too sticky, gradually work in extra flour 2 tablespoons at a time when kneading, until the dough is strong, smooth and supple.

The dough is too dry and crumbly

When dough is excessively dry and crumbly, there is a good chance you over-packed your measuring cups when scooping the flour. Flour is meant to be aerated first before measuring. If using volume measurements, try spooning flour into the cup and leveling it gently with a butter knife.

You can rescue overly-dry dough by gradually kneading extra moisture into it. It takes time for the dough to absorb more liquid, so try kneading the dough with wet hands, and re-wetting your hands every so often until the dough reaches the correct consistency.

If using a stand mixer, add extra liquid a few drops at a time to allow it to absorb while the machine kneads. Don’t add too much extra water at once, or it will slosh around at the bottom of the stand mixer bowl.

The buns taste overly yeasty or alcoholic

This can happen when you are working in a very warm environment. During the summertime especially, yeast can work very quickly and produce a fermented smell. This just means you’ll want to reduce the rising time slightly. Go based off of when the dough doubles in size, rather than a timer.

Storing Your Burger Buns

Countertop: These buns are best enjoyed fresh, but leftover buns will keep on the counter for 3-5 days in an airtight container. Make sure they are fully cooled before placing them in a container, otherwise steam may accumulate and cause mold to develop faster.

Freezer: Hamburger buns freeze well. They can be frozen in a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping them individually within the container if you want them to retain the best flavor and texture and to ward off freezer burn. To thaw, defrost on the counter overnight or simply microwave for a few seconds.