Homemade Potato Buns
Light, soft and fluffy yet still sturdy enough to stand up to plenty of fillings, these easy potato buns are great for burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs!
Servings: 10 buns
Estimated Calories: 238
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1¼ cups warm water, 110°F
- 1 large egg, room temperature (see Notes below)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, I use salted butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 14 ounces all-purpose flour, plus about 2 tablespoons extra for dusting your work surface (see Notes below)
- 2 ounces instant potato flakes, see Notes below
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast, one .25-ounce packet
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, for greasing the bowl
For the Egg Wash & Topping
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk, I use whole milk
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, or to your preference; optional (see Notes below)
Instructions
Make the Dough & Rise
- In a large bowl, whisk together the warm water, room-temperature egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt until well combined.
- Add the flour, instant potato flakes and yeast. Mix until well combined and a shaggy ball of dough forms (it will be slightly tacky).
- Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured work surface (I use about 2 tablespoons of flour). Knead by hand until the dough is soft and elastic, about 12 minutes.
- Wipe out any remaining bits of dough from the bowl that you made the dough in, then add the oil and brush it or rub it around the bowl with your fingers to coat.
- Form the kneaded dough into a smooth and tight ball, tucking the ends under and pinching them closed on the bottom. Put the dough ball into the bowl and turn to coat it with the oil on the bowl, finishing with it smooth-side up.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
Once you pick up all of the flour on your work surface with the dough while kneading, the dough will continue to be just very slightly tacky as you knead, but it shouldn't stick to your hands or your work surface. It should feel soft and supple and not dry or tough. Don't add more flour during kneading unless the dough is sticking (and then do so only a little bit at a time until it no longer sticks). Adding too much flour can cause the buns to be dry, tough and dense.To test the elasticity, take a small amount of dough, about the size of a golf ball, and gently stretch it out a bit with your hands. If you can see light behind the dough without it breaking apart, you're good to go.
The times given for rising throughout this recipe are just a guideline and are based on an ideal room temperature of 75°F to 78°F. Since the temperature in each environment will vary, it is more important to go by the size of the dough rather than strictly by time. In cooler kitchens, it may take longer; in warmer kitchens, it may take less time.
Shape the Dough & Rise
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Punch down the dough in the bowl and divide it into 10 equal pieces (the easiest way to do this accurately is by weight).
- Shape each piece of dough into a ball by tucking the ends under and pinching them together at the bottom so the top is smooth and taut. Put each dough ball seam side down on your work surface (no flour). Cup the dough with your hand and move your hand in a circular motion to shape the dough into a smooth ball.
- To Shape Burger/Sandwich Buns: Place the dough balls on the sheet pan about 1½ to 2 inches apart. Gently press down each ball with your fingers to form a 3-inch disc.To Shape Hot Dog Buns: On the work surface, press each ball into a 5½ x 3-inch rectangle, roll it up longways, and pinch together the seams on the bottom and sides. Place seam side down on the sheet pan.
- Cover the sheet pan with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until puffed and doubled in size (they will puff up more than spread out horizontally), about 1 to 1½ hours.
Don't flour the work surface during this step unless you absolutely need to (i.e. if the dough is sticking). If you do, add it a little at a time just until there is no more sticking.
Egg Wash, Top, Bake & Cool
- Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F and put the rack in the middle of the oven.
- In a small bowl, beat together one egg and the milk. Lightly brush the top and sides of each bun (you won't need all of the egg wash; discard the rest). If desired, sprinkle each bun with sesame seeds or other toppings of your choice, or you can leave them plain.
- Bake for 17 to 19 minutes until the buns are cooked through and lightly golden brown (internal temperature 205°F).
- Remove the buns from the sheet pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- For the most accurate measurements and best, consistent results, use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water, and use a kitchen scale to weigh the flour and potato flakes.
- If the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast; if it's too cold, it can increase the rising time.
- If you don't have a kitchen scale, you'll need 3¼ cups of flour and 1 cup of instant potato flakes.
- For the flour, be sure to use the spoon-and-level method: fluff the flour with a spoon to aerate, spoon it into the measuring cup (overfill it just slightly), then level off the top with a straight edge. Don't scoop the flour out of the container with a measuring cup; this almost always results in too much flour, which will make the buns dry, dense and tough.
- I use a room-temperature egg for the dough so that it doesn't bring down the temperature of the water. This should take about 30 minutes to 1 hour (for food safety, don't let the egg sit out longer than 2 hours).
- You can warm up the egg more quickly by placing it in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sesame seeds are a classic topping, but you can also use other toppings, such as poppy seeds, dried minced onions, dried minced garlic, everything bagel seasoning, etc. Or you can omit the topping (but don't skip the egg wash, because it gives you that shiny, golden brown finish).
- The finished burger/sandwich buns will be about 3½ inches wide, and the finished hot dog buns will be about 6 inches long.
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see it!Take a photo, post it on Instagram, and mention @nowcookthis or tag #nowcookthisrecipes. Thanks!