Fresh-Milled Hamburger Buns
Prep
25 min
Bake
20 min
Total time
45 min
Hydration
70%
Soft, enriched 100% fresh-milled hamburger buns at 70% hydration with butter and egg for a sturdy crumb that won't collapse under a burger.
Key Takeaways
- Egg + butter give the crumb structure to hold a juicy patty.
- Shape into tight rounds and flatten gently so they bake into burger shape.
- Use the same dough for hot dog buns — divide into 100 g logs instead.
- Brush with egg wash and sesame seeds for the classic look.
About this recipe
Soft but sturdy 100% fresh-milled hamburger buns built for backyard grilling. Holds up to juicy burgers without falling apart.
Ingredients
- Fresh-milled hard white wheat flour500 g
- Warm water260 g
- Whole milk80 g
- Softened butter45 g
- Honey30 g
- Large egg1
- Instant yeast7 g
- Fine sea salt10 g
- Egg wash + sesame seedsto finish
Instructions
- 1
Mill 500 g hard white wheat berries; cool to room temperature.
- 2
Whisk flour, water, and milk; rest 40 minutes.
- 3
Add butter, honey, egg, yeast, and salt; knead 8 minutes until smooth.
- 4
Bulk ferment 75–90 minutes until puffy.
- 5
Divide into 8 pieces (~115 g); shape into tight balls and flatten slightly.
- 6
Arrange on a parchment-lined sheet; proof 50–70 minutes.
- 7
Brush with egg wash, sprinkle sesame seeds, and bake at 375°F for 18–22 minutes.
- 8
Cool on a rack (yields 8 buns). Slice and freeze up to 1 month.
beginner home milling guide — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.
Learn about this grain: Spelt guide — flavor, milling notes, baking tips, and four in-depth guides on hydration, storage, and common mistakes. Or browse more Spelt recipes.
Learn a technique
All guides →- How to Autolyse Fresh Milled FlourCombine flour and water and let it rest before adding yeast and salt. Bran softens, gluten develops passively, and the final dough is dramatically easier to handle.
- How to Sift Fresh Milled FlourPass freshly milled flour through a 50 or 60 mesh sieve. Reserve the bran for porridge or rebake it in.
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Related Techniques
How to Autolyse Fresh Milled Flour
Combine flour and water and let it rest before adding yeast and salt. Bran softens, gluten develops passively, and the final dough is dramatically easier to handle.
How to Sift Fresh Milled Flour
Pass freshly milled flour through a 50 or 60 mesh sieve. Reserve the bran for porridge or rebake it in.
Related Troubleshooting
Why is my fresh milled bread dense?
Loaves baked with fresh milled flour come out heavy, tight, and barely risen instead of light and airy.
Why is my dough slack and won't hold its shape?
Dough that spreads, sags, or refuses to hold a tight boule or batard shape.
Why is my loaf rising lopsided?
A loaf rises and bakes with one side noticeably taller, leaning, or bulging compared to the other.
Related Conversions
Bread Flour to Fresh Milled Flour
Bread flour is refined, high-protein endosperm. To replace it you need a grain with comparable protein, which means hard red wheat at 13–14%. The swap is 1:1 by weight; add 7–10% more water and autolyse 30–60 minutes so the bran softens before you build strength. Fermentation runs 10–25% faster, not slower — check the dough early rather than extending bulk. Bread Flour to Hard Red Wheat carries the detailed figures. If you want a lighter loaf and can accept slightly less strength, Bread Flour to Hard White Wheat runs +5–8%.
Bread Flour to Hard White Wheat (Fresh-Milled)
Swap 1:1 by weight and add 5–8% more water. A 20–40 minute autolyse helps; sifting 10–15% of the coarsest bran makes the crumb nearly indistinguishable from a bread-flour loaf. Fermentation runs ~10–20% faster than bread flour.