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Homemade slider buns are simple to make and can be customized into individual buns or pull-apart buns. Beginner bakers can tackle this recipe with no problem. These mini slider rolls are soft and buttery and work great for mini-burgers, breakfast sliders, or mini-sandwiches.
This recipe is overnight friendly- make the dough the night before you need sliders and all you need to do the following day is shape and bake the buns. Easy, peasy hamburger squeezy =]
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Ingredients For Homemade Sliders
You don’t need anything fancy to make show-stopping slider buns at home! This is mostly a hands-off process aside from portioning out the individual dough balls =]
Flour: This recipe has been tested with all-purpose flour, we haven’t tried any other flours so can’t speak to how they will turn out.
Yeast: You will need 1 packet of yeast or 2.25 teaspoons. Use active dry or instant yeast. We don’t recommend RapidRise yeast.
Sugar: Granulated white sugar or cane sugar will be best. You could use brown sugar, the final buns will have a hint or caramel or molasses flavor.
Butter: Any butter will do, dairy or even non-dairy!
Milk: Any milk will do as well, dairy or non-dairy!
Oil: This adds fat and softens the dough, just 1 tablespoon of oil. Avocado, canola, or extra virgin olive oil all will work.
Method For These Mini-Burger Buns
We recommend a stand mixer to help you knead the dough and make everything easier. You can do the first rise at room temp to bake the rolls the same day you make them or you can do an overnight rise in the fridge. We like the latter, a slow fridge rise allows you to break up the process and shape the rolls on your timeline.
A kitchen scale is a super handy gadget for shaping the slider buns- ensuring each bun is about the same weight gets you an even bake. The buns are also more visually appealing when they are all nearly the same size and shape!
Here’s the basic rundown, read the specifics in the recipe card for in-depth.
- Make the dough: All ingredients go into the mixer and let the mixer do the kneading!
- 1st rise: Rise until doubled in size- about 2 hours at room temp or overnight in the fridge.
- Shape the buns: I highly recommend a kitchen scale to get 20 evenly-sized dough balls, about 50g each.
- 2nd rise: Leave the shaped buns at room temp for a second rise. They will poof up and if you poke one with your finger it will leave an indent.
- Bake, cool, and enjoy! It’s best to let the rolls cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Ways To Shape The Rolls (Individual or Pull-Apart)
We offer 2 methods of baking these buns- as individual buns or packed together for easy cutting and making a slab of sliders. (similar to Kings Hawaiian Rolls) You’ll need either a 9×13 pan or a half-sheet pan depending on the style you like.
Depending on all brands and types of ingredients used, this recipe will be anywhere from 980-1020 grams. If using a scale that puts each bun right around 50 grams. We tried recipes with sliders weighing 40g and 60g and thought they were too small and too large. 50 grams is just right.
However you decide to shape them, you’ll end up with 20 slider buns.
For slab-style, Kings Hawaiian rolls: Weigh the dough balls and fold the dough over itself for a nice smooth top, and seal the bottom of the bun by rolling on a non-floured surface. Then evenly space them all in a 13×9″ baking pan- 4 across by 5 across. Press down on all the dough balls to encourage them to fill the gaps and touch each other.
The pull-apart buns will be a bit ‘squished’ together thus, a little smaller but taller. These will need to bake a bit longer.
For standard mini-buns: Weigh out the dough balls, fold the dough over itself for a nice smooth top, and seal the bottom of the bun by rolling on a non-floured surface. Place buns at least 2″ apart on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
The individual buns will spread a bit more as they rise and will be a touch larger. They’ll also have a shorter bake time.
Tips To Shape The Dough Balls
As you are weighing the dough into 20 equal-sized portions, here are some tips on how to pinch and seal the dough balls. This works best with a non-floured workspace.
Take a 50g section of dough and use your finger to tuck small sections of dough underneath itself to form a smooth top section and a bunch of little tucked pieces on the bottom. Place the dough ball smooth side up and ‘tucked’ side down onto a non-floured counter.
Use your hand to gently slide the dough ball left and right, and up and down until the bottom tucks are seamless. The dough will stick just slightly to the counter as you slide it, helping to form the seam.
Optional Step: Dress The Top
After the second rise, you have an option to fancy up the buns in several different ways. We recommend brushing the tops with melted butter just before baking as this encourages a deep, even browning.
The fun part? If you brush the tops with melted butter you can dress the buns and the coating will stick thanks to the butter.
Add a sprinkling of sesame seeds(white or black), Everything but the bagel seasoning, poppy seeds, or even a flake salt and crushed black pepper combo.
Slider Buns FAQs
- Can you bake these in a pan other than 9×13? We haven’t tested this- to be certain the rolls have that stick-together and pull-apart nature, we don’t recommend another size.
- Can you leave out the sugar? This recipe is an enriched dough and although the sweetness from the sugar isn’t highly prevalent, the sugar helps make the rolls soft.
- Can you freeze the slider buns? The mini-buns freeze best after baking and cooling completely to room temperature. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap then store in a plastic bag.
Homemade Slider Buns (Overnight Option)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rise Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
- Yield: 20 slider buns 1x
- Category: Recipes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Here’s a great recipe for homemade slider buns with 2 options for shaping- as individual buns or a pull-apart sheet of buns like Kings Hawaiian rolls! Mini slider buns are a great way to serve a variety of mini sandwiches and are a hit at parties, Super Bowl, and for kids.
Ingredients
- 2.25 teaspoons yeast (1 packet, active dry yeast)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter (dairy or non-dairy)*
- 1.5 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy)*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil*
- 2.5 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons, 1 teaspoon sugar- divided
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Warm the milk to about 100*, add yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar, and mix to incorporate. Leave to sit for about 5 minutes, until creamy and frothy.
- Make the dough. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook add the yeast mixture, 1 tablespoon of oil, 2.25 teaspoons of salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and mix for a few seconds.
- Add 3 cups of the flour and mix on low speed until a loose dough forms. Sprinkle the final cup of flour in as the mixer is running.
- The dough should be soft and a little tacky but should only stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl when it is running. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl as well, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, and knead for a minute before adding another tablespoon.
- When the flour has all been added in, turn the mixer off and slice the butter into about 1/4″ thick pieces. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the butter slices one by one.
- When all butter has been added turn the speed up to medium-high and knead for 4 minutes.
- Let the dough rise.
- Option 1, Overnight rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to rise.
- Option 2, Same day rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in a warm location to rise until doubled in size- about 1.5-2 hours. Then place in the fridge for an hour before proceeding with the recipe. This gives the butter in the dough time to chill making the dough very easy to work with.
- Shape the buns. Punch down the dough and tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a kitchen scale (recommended) to portion the dough into about 50g pieces. This will give you 20 mini buns.
- Pinch and stretch each dough ball to form a smooth top and a bunch of seams or tucks on the bottom of the ball. Then roll each dough ball on a non-floured surface to smooth the bottom tucks.
- Second Rise.
- For pull-apart buns: Place the smooth dough balls into a parchment-lined 9×13″ baking dish, then press them down so they are touching each other. Cover with a kitchen towel.
- For Individual buns: Place the dough balls on a half-sheet pan with at least 2″ between each bun. Cover with a kitchen towel.
- Leave to rise again for 45-60 minutes.
- Optionally, brush the rolls with melted butter just before baking for a deep brown exterior. Bake in a pre-heated 350* oven until golden brown all over or internal temp measures 195*. The pull-apart sliders will need 30-35 minutes. Individual sliders on a sheet pan will need 18-20 minutes.
- Leave sliders to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting them in half. Then cut and serve!
Notes
For milk & butter: This recipe works with both dairy and non-dairy milk. We have tested this with both almond and coconut milk and it works.
You can freeze the baked rolls for up to 3 months. To freeze: wait until the rolls are completely cool to room temperature. Wrap well with plastic wrap several times then place in the freezer.
For the oil: Olive oil, avocado oil, or canola oil all work.
Keywords: Mini Slider Buns
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