Easy Air Fryer Burger Buns
Make golden, fluffy burger buns at home without a stand mixer using a cold water poolish method and your air fryer.
Homemade burger buns elevate any sandwich from ordinary to gourmet, but traditional baking methods often require tedious kneading or specialized equipment. This simplified air fryer recipe uses a cold fermentation technique to build deep flavor and manageable texture, letting you bake fresh buns effortlessly right in your kitchen basket.
Ingredients
- 200 ml lukewarm milk
- 20 g sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 g yeast
- 1 egg
- 300 g high-gluten flour
- 25 g butter
- to taste sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1Mix Liquid Base and Yeast
Pour lukewarm milk into a glass mixing bowl, then incorporate sugar, a pinch of salt, and yeast to establish the foundation of your dough.
Tip: Make sure your milk is at a lukewarm temperature so it doesnt kill the yeast. - 2Add and Whisk the Egg
Crack one egg directly into the bowl with the milk and yeast mixture, and thoroughly mix everything together using chopsticks.
Tip: Using chopsticks helps break up the egg quickly without splashing the liquids. - 3Incorporate High-Gluten Flour
Add high-gluten flour into the bowl and stir continuously until all the dry flour is fully hydrated and no dry patches remain.
Tip: High-gluten flour gives burger buns a great chewy texture and structural strength. - 4Cold Ferment the Dough
Seal the mixing bowl tightly with a lid and place it into the refrigerator to begin the cold fermentation process.
Tip: Cold fermentation develops deep flavor and makes handling sticky dough much easier. - 5Incorporate Butter into the Dough
Transfer the cold-fermented dough onto a silicone kneading mat, make an indentation in the center, and add the butter to begin working it in.
Tip: The dough might feel slippery at first when adding butter, but keep kneading until it absorbs completely. - 6Slap and Knead Until Smooth
Repeatedly slap and knead the dough against the silicone mat until it achieves a completely smooth, elastic texture.
Tip: The slap-and-help method strengthens the gluten network quickly without a stand mixer. - 7Press Down the Rested Dough
Take the rested dough and gently press down on its surface to release any trapped air bubbles prior to division.
Tip: Be gentle when pressing so you dont tear the gluten structure. - 8Cut Into Equal Portions
Utilize a dough scraper to divide the dough evenly into separate equal portions for your burger buns.
Tip: Use a kitchen scale if you want each portion to be precisely the same weight. - 9Shape the Dough Balls
Tuck the edges of each portion inward continuously and roll it between your hands to form a smooth, round ball with good surface tension.
Tip: Tucking tightly creates surface tension, helping the buns hold a nice dome shape during baking. - 10Secondary Fermentation in Basket
Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper and arrange the shaped dough balls inside to undergo secondary proofing.
Tip: Make sure to leave enough space between the balls since they will expand significantly during proofing. - 11Brush with Egg Wash
Gently brush the top of each proofed dough bun with an even layer of egg wash to ensure a shiny, golden crust.
Tip: Brush lightly so you dont deflate the delicate proofed dough. - 12Bake in the Air Fryer
Sprinkle sesame seeds over the egg-washed buns, then bake them inside the air fryer at 140 degrees for 18 minutes.
Tip: Keep an eye on the color near the end of the baking time to ensure they dont over-brown.
