Bread Machine Hamburger Buns with Potatoes
Sneak Preview: These Bread Machine Hamburger Buns are mixed and kneaded in a bread machine for your convenience. Fresh potatoes are the secret ingredient that will make your burger buns unforgettable.
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Do you need an idea to make your next meal or party memorable? Even if you’re having hamburgers, grilled chicken, or leftover blackened meatloaf sandwiches, these homemade bread machine hamburger buns will definitely cause a commotion.
If you get the texture and taste right, your buns will be a hit when you share them. The shape doesn’t have to be perfect, but I’ll show you two different ways to shape buns that work for me.
Use the DOUGH cycle (bread machine) to mix and knead the dough. See the recipe notes for directions for making this recipe by hand or using a stand mixer.
Happy Bakers Speak Up
“Thank you for spending your morning, with me, making hamburger buns. As per usual with me, additions and substitutions occurred. Even with those, thanks to your step by step approach and excellent video, these look and smell as if they came from a really good bakery.” —MELINDA
Ingredients and Substitutions
- POTATOES:
- Russet potatoes preferred; Yukon Golds OK
- Leftover mashed potatoes are OK, adjust for extra moisture.
- If your potatoes are hot, add to the bread machine first; pour cold milk over to balance temperatures
- Substitute instant potatoes. Prepare as directed, but drier than usual. (Aim for the dryness of the inside of a baked potato.) Check the moisture content of the dough as it kneads.
- MILK:
- Use any dairy or non-dairy milk
- Higher-fat milk = richer bread
- Water can substitute for milk, though rolls won’t be as tender
- No need to warm milk when using a bread machine
- EGGS:
- Use large eggs; adjust the liquid as the dough kneads if using larger eggs.
- Use less flour or add extra liquid for medium eggs.
- Make adjustments as the dough mixes.
- BUTTER:
- Use salted or unsalted butter; adjust the added salt accordingly.
- No need to melt or warm butter; finely chop and add directly to the dough.
- Kneading will melt and incorporate the butter.
- SUGAR:
- Use granulated white sugar for lightly sweet potato rolls.
- Honey or maple syrup is untested; if using, possibly add more flour to adjust for moisture.
- SALT:
- Table salt or sea salt
- If using Kosher salt, add an extra ¼-½ teaspoon.
- BREAD FLOUR:
- Bread flour is recommended for sturdier buns.
- Substitute with all-purpose flour for softer buns.
- If you want to use whole wheat flour, I don’t recommend substituting more than 1 cup of whole wheat flour for white flour. Or check out this recipe for whole wheat buns or these multigrain hamburger buns you can make in a bread machine.
- INSTANT YEAST:
- Use instant yeast for bread machines.
- Substitute with active dry yeast, adding an extra ¼ teaspoon.
- Dissolving active dry yeast is optional; if preferred, warm part of the recipe’s milk first.
- SEEDS (optional):
- Seeds enhance bun appearance and hide imperfections.
- Favorites include sesame seeds, everything-but-the-bagel seasoning, poppy seeds, and dried onion flakes.
How To Mix and Knead the Dough for Bread Machine Hamburger Buns with a Bread Machine
Start by baking a medium potato in your microwave. An 8-ounce potato will take around four minutes on HIGH power in a 1000-watt oven. The cooking time will vary according to the size of your potato and the power of your microwave.
Wrap the potato in a towel and let it sit for 5 minutes. Cut the potato in half and scoop out the innards. You need 1/2 cup of potato flesh. No need to mash the potatoes except to stuff them into a measuring cup.
Add the dough ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order given, starting with the potatoes. It is not necessary to warm milk, egg, or butter. The friction of the bread machine paddles will warm everything in short order.
Close the lid and choose the DOUGH cycle. Press START.
Open the bread machine after the first minute or two to ensure the paddles are engaged, and the dough starts clumping together. If your dough looks like pancake batter, biscuit, or pie dough before you add the water, you have most likely made a serious measuring mistake. Add small amounts of liquid or flour until the dough clumps together.
The dough should be smooth, soft, and shiny toward the end of the kneading phase. If you touch the dough, it should feel tacky and bouncy. Watch how the dough sticks to the side briefly, then pulls away cleanly.
If your dough doesn’t look like this, add more liquid, a tablespoon at a time if it’s too dry, or more flour, a tablespoon at a time if it’s too wet. Read more about this step and watch the video if you need help assessing the dough.
How To Shape Bread Machine Potato Hamburger Buns
Check the dough close to the end of the DOUGH cycle. If it has doubled in size, remove it from the pan. If it has not doubled, leave it in the pan until it does.
Pull the dough from the bread machine pan onto a lightly floured surface. (Silicone baking mats work well. When done, throw the dirty mats into the dishwasher.) Use your fingers to press the air bubbles out and form the dough into a rough ball.
Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 8, 10, or 12 balls.
If you want your rolls to be uniform in size, weigh the whole ball of dough and divide that amount by however many rolls you want. Although matching buns look pretty on a platter, offering differently-sized buns is a crowd-friendly, waist-line-pleasing option.
Prepare a cookie sheet. Cover it with a silicone mat or parchment paper (my least favorite because it wrinkles when you smash the buns), or spray the pan with Baker’s Joy.
How to make round balls
- Place the dough in your left palm (if right-handed) and pull the dough from the bottom to the top.
- Pinch it together with your fingertips.
- Work your way around the ball, creating a round roll with tension. (See the video.)
Place the pinched side of the ball down onto the prepared cookie sheet.
I like to place five balls on each tray, giving each ball plenty of space. Allow the balls to rest for 15 minutes before flattening them.
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After the balls have relaxed, use your fingers to flatten each ball down to ½ to 1-inch thickness. I get a more uniform “press” using waxed paper and a tool with a smooth bottom designed to flatten meat. You could improvise with a small plate, bowl, or pan with a flat bottom.
When the buns are puffy (20-45 minutes, depending on the temperature where they are sitting), coat them with the egg-water glaze. Be careful not to let the glaze drip onto the tray.
If using seeds, sprinkle them on top now. Bake at 400˚F (200˚C) for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190˚F (88˚C) and the buns are evenly browned on top. You may need to rotate and turn your trays to achieve even browning.
Remove the baked buns from the cookie sheet to a wire rack so the bottoms won’t get soggy. Slice them with a serrated knife before serving.
Alternate method for shaping hamburger buns
Below is an alternate method for shaping buns I learned while developing an English muffin recipe for a bread machine.
What is the best way to store these buns?
These buns stay fresh for just 2-3 days as they don’t have preservatives. For longer storage, freeze them for up to a month. They preserve best when double-wrapped: first wrap each bun in plastic wrap, then place all of them in a larger plastic bag.
How do I toast homemade hamburger buns?
Split the buns horizontally and brush the cut side with melted or “spray” butter. Place each bun, cut side down, onto a hot skillet or grill to brown. Watch carefully to prevent them from burning.
Parting Thoughts: If this is your first attempt at hamburger buns, don’t expect perfectly round rolls with a silky smooth glaze and no drips. If your buns taste good and aren’t too dense, your family or guests will forgive any sins.
Need help troubleshooting? Please email me: Paula at saladinajar.com–photos welcome!
Bread Machine Hamburger Buns with Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 medium russet potato (7-8 oz)
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (184 g) milk (any fat content)
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoon table or sea salt
- 3 ⅓ cups (400 g) bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
Egg Wash
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Place a clean and unpeeled 1 medium russet potato (7-8 oz) into a microwave oven. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 minutes (time may vary according to the size of the potato and the wattage of your oven) until the potato is soft and squishy. As soon as the potato is cool enough to handle, cut the potato in half and scoop out the insides. You will need ½ cup of slightly-mashed potato.
- Add remaining dough ingredients: ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (184 g) milk (any fat content), 1 large (50 g) egg, ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter (chopped), 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoon table or sea salt, 3 ⅓ cups (400 g) bread flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast in the order listed. Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
- Check the dough at least twice by lifting the lid to take a peek. Do this right after the machine starts to see if the paddles are correctly engaged and the dough is starting to form a ball.Recheck the consistency of the dough again 15 minutes into the DOUGH cycle.If your dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time. The dough should stick to the side, then pull away cleanly.Conversely, if the dough is too dry, add one tablespoon of liquid at a time until the dough looks just right. Find out more about this surprising secret to success with a bread machine here.
- When the DOUGH cycle completes, if the dough has doubled in size, go to the next step. If the dough has not doubled in size, leave it in the machine until it doubles before proceeding.
- Remove the dough from the pan onto a lightly-floured surface. Push the dough down with your palms to remove the bubbles. Shape into a smooth ball.
- Divide the dough into 10 pieces, more or less depending on how big you want your buns to be. (Your buns will be more like slider buns if you divide the dough into 12 or more pieces.) Shape into round balls by pulling the dough from the bottom to the top and pinching it shut to create tension when you turn them over. Watch the video if you want to see how I do it. Place 5 buns on each of two prepared cookie sheets. (To prepare cookie sheets, cover with a silicone mat or grease with Baker’s Joy. Parchment paper didn’t work for me because it tends to wrinkle during the flattening process.)
- Place each ball onto a cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Flatten the dough balls to less than 1-inch thickness with your palms or a small flat plate. I do this with a piece of wax paper between the dough ball and a flat meat pounder. (See picture above.) Cover with a tea towel to rise one more time.
- About 15 minutes before you think the rolls will be ready to bake (when they are quite puffy), preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
- Whisk 1 large (50 g) egg and 1 tablespoon milk together in a small bowl. Brush the glaze over the rolls immediately before you put them into the oven. Try not to leave any unglazed surface. Also, don’t use so much glaze that it drips onto the tray.
- Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190˚F (or 88˚C) and the rolls are golden brown all over.
Notes
-
Using a Stand Mixer:
- Add the ingredients to the bowl in the specified order in a heavy-duty stand mixer.
- Begin mixing on low speed until all the ingredients are moistened.
- Switch to a dough hook attachment and increase the speed to 2 or 3.
- Continue beating/kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, typically about 5-10 minutes.
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place.
- Once risen, gently deflate the dough and shape it as the recipe directs.
Making by Hand:
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until they form a shaggy ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth and elastic. Depending on your experience, this may take 10-20 minutes.
- Place the dough ball in a greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to double in size.
- After rising, gently deflate the dough and shape it according to the recipe’s instructions.
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.