No-Knead Cheese Burger Buns

Recipe by PJ Hamel

Everyone loves the ease of no-knead yeast breads. This version calls for you to beat all the ingredients in a mixing bowl for just 2 minutes. From there, it's an easy path to these big, soft, cheese-scented buns, perfect for hamburgers.

Prep
10 mins
Bake
19 to 21 mins
Total
2 hrs 29 mins
Yield
6 buns
No-Knead Cheese Burger Buns - select to zoom
No-Knead Cheese Burger Buns - select to zoom
No-Knead Cheese Burger Buns - select to zoom
No-Knead Cheese Burger Buns - select to zoom

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
  1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed, using a stand mixer or electric mixer, for 2 minutes. To use your bread machine, put everything in the bucket, and let the dough go through its dough or manual cycle; skip to step 3 below if you're using a bread machine.

  2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or rising bucket, cover, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it's noticeably puffy.

  3. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 6 pieces; each will be about 111g, a scant 4 ounces.

  4. Shape the dough into balls, and place them in the wells of a lightly greased hamburger bun pan. If you don't have a bun pan, space them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

  5. Gently flatten the buns with your hand to fill the bottom of the pan's wells, or until they're about 3 1/2" to 4" wide.

  6. Cover the buns, and let them rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until they're noticeably puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

  7. Brush each bun with some of the melted butter.

  8. Bake the buns for 16 to 19 minutes, until they're a light, golden brown, and their interior temperature is at least 190°F, measured with a digital thermometer. 

  9. Remove the buns from the oven, transfer them to a rack, and brush with the remaining melted butter.

  10. Allow the buns to cool completely, then slice in half and serve; or store hamburger buns airtight at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • To make a poppy or sesame seed star pattern on your buns: Brush each bun with a mixture of 1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water. Gently place a star stencil on top of a bun and sprinkle on a light layer of seeds. Remove the stencil to reveal the pattern. Repeat with the remaining buns.