Fluffy Burger Buns with Sesame and Nigella

In short

A good burger needs a bun that is soft but does not fall apart as soon as sauce, cheese and meat juices arrive. These buns are fluffy, slightly sweet and get more character from sesame and nigella seeds.

Ingredients

• 400 g wheat flour or spelt flour
• 20 g fresh yeast
• 20 g sugar
• 200 ml lukewarm milk
• 1 egg
• 40 g soft butter
• 10 g salt

For brushing

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• sesame seeds
• nigella seeds

Setup

• stand mixer or strong hands
• baking tray
• parchment paper
• oven or grill with indirect heat
• clean towel for covering

Method

1. Mix flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl.
2. Add lukewarm milk, egg, soft butter and salt.
3. Knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft.
4. Cover and let the dough rise for about 1 hour until visibly bigger.
5. Divide into 6 equal pieces.
6. Shape round buns with surface tension and place them on a tray.
7. Cover again and rest for 30 to 60 minutes.
8. Whisk egg and milk, then brush the buns.
9. Top with sesame and nigella seeds.
10. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for about 16 minutes until golden.

Philipp's tip

For larger burgers, shape 4 buns instead of 6. Flatten the dough pieces to roughly 1 cm after shaping, then let them rise. That gives you enough width for a proper patty while keeping the crumb soft.

Goes with

• burgers from the fire plate, grill or smoker
• cast-iron rosti
• pulled beef or pulled pork
• herb butter and fresh pickles