Homemade Slider Buns

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/6/24
Tested by
Kayla Hoang
Photo of Kayla Hoang
Tested by Kayla Hoang
Kayla Hoang is a freelance recipe developer, writer, and baker whose Bangladeshi and Vietnamese roots influence all she does. Her life revolves around food and she can almost always be found waiting by the oven for a fresh batch of cookies.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Golden brown slider buns topped with sesame seeds

The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Rise Time: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 48 mins
Servings: 18 servings
Yield: 18 buns

These soft and delicious bite-sized buns are perfect for sliders and small burgers. They also make adorable appetizers and fun sandwiches, whether for a light lunch or a dinner the kids will love. Turn them into tiny burgers or fill them with seafood salad, shredded beef, pulled pork or chicken, or other delicious sandwich fillings.

The mini buns can be prepared by hand, with your stand mixer, or in a bread machine. The recipe makes about 24 to 26 ounces of dough that can be divided to suit your needs. When you divide the dough into 18 pieces, they're perfect for 2-ounce burgers or meatloaf sliders. For smaller appetizer sandwiches and burgers, make 24 rolls using 1 ounce of dough for each.

For a shinier and firmer top crust, brush the buns with an egg wash just before baking. You can also sprinkle them with sesame seeds or poppy seeds for a finishing touch. If you prefer to skip these steps, brush the tops with a bit of melted butter after baking while they're still hot to give the slider rolls a little color.

What You'll Need to Make This Slider Buns Recipe
A Zippy Stand Mixer
A Great Baking Sheet
A Handy Dandy Pastry Brush

"These buns are an absolute must! They’re so easy to make and worth the time and planning. The buns are soft, pillowy, and toast up beautifully for the sandwich of your choice. This is the only bun I need this grilling season." —Kayla Hoang

Slider Buns Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 (1/4-ounce) package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

  • 1/2 cup water, warm, about 110 F

  • 2/3 cup whole milk, room temperature

  • 1 large egg

  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method)

  • Butter or oil, for greasing the bowl

Optional Toppings:

  • 1 large egg white

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds, or poppy seeds, or as needed

  • Melted butter

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for slider buns recipe gathered

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. Combine the yeast and warm water in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy. 

    Foaming yeast and water mixture in a large glass bowl

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. In a small bowl, whisk the milk, egg, and melted butter together to blend.

    Milk, egg, and melted butter being whisked with a fork in a small bowl

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture along with the sugar, salt, and flour. 

    Milk mixture being added to flour and yeast mixture in glass bowl

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  5. Knead the dough by hand (or using a stand mixer with the dough hook) for 8 to 10 minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands, the countertop, or the sides of the bowl. The dough should be smooth and elastic at this point.

    Smooth dough being kneaded by hand in the glass bowl

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. Generously grease a large bowl with butter or oil. Gather the dough into a ball and place it into the greased bowl. Turn it over a few times to coat the dough thoroughly.

    Shiny greased dough ball in greased glass bowl

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk. 

    Dough in bowl covered with plastic film

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease the pans.

    Baking sheet lined with parchment paper

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  9. Punch down and pat the dough into a rectangle.

    Dough punched down and patted into a rectangle on a lightly floured work surface

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  10. Cut the dough into 18 pieces, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 ounces each (or smaller).

    Dough cut into 18 equal pieces with a large knife

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  11. Shape the dough pieces into firm balls, flatten slightly with your hand, and place on the prepared baking sheets 2 to 3 inches apart. 

    Dough balls arranged on the parchment-lined baking sheet

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  12. Cover the buns with a lightweight kitchen towel and let them rise in a draft-free spot for about 30 minutes.

    Dough balls covered with a dish towel

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska 

  13. Preheat the oven to 375 F and arrange racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. If using the egg wash, whisk the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water until blended.

    Egg white and water being stirred with a fork in a small bowl

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  14. Before placing in the oven, brush each roll with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if using.

    Dough balls brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with seeds

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  15. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. 

    Golden brown baked buns on parchment-lined baking sheet

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  16. If you didn't use the egg wash and seeds, brush with melted butter if desired. Let the buns cool on a rack.

    Buns cooling on a wire rack

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  17. Split the buns apart and stuff them with sandwich fillings.

    Buns on a wooden board and a bun sliced open

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

For a Bread Machine

If you have a bread machine, it can take some of the work out of making these mini buns. Just keep in mind you will have to shape them by hand.

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for slider buns recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, milk, melted butter, and egg.

    Milk, egg, and melted butter being whisked with a fork in a small bowl

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. Place the milk mixture along with the flour, sugar, salt, and instant or bread machine yeast in the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer.

    Milk mixture, flour, salt, and yeast in a bread machine

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska 

  4. Set to the dough cycle. 

    Risen dough in the bread machine

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  5. Remove the finished dough to a lightly floured surface. Flatten into a rectangle, cut into pieces, and shape the dough into balls. Place on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.

    Dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet covered with a dish towel

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska 

  6. Brush with the egg wash and seeds, if using, and bake in a 375 F oven for 15 to 18 minutes.

    Golden brown baked buns on parchment-lined baking sheet

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. If desired, brush with melted butter if the egg wash and seeds weren't used. Let the buns cool on a rack.

    Buns cooling on a wire rack

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. Split the buns in half, add sandwich fillings, and enjoy.

    Buns on a wooden board and a bun sliced open

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

How to Store

Store these buns in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 5 days at room temperature. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them thaw, covered, at room temperature.

Alternative Shaping Technique

If you don't have a kitchen scale and want perfectly even and shaped buns, use a round 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Roll out half of the dough until it's approximately 1/4 inch thick and use the biscuit cutter (a 2-inch cutter works great for the larger slider buns) to create dough circles, then form into balls. Repeat with the remaining dough and place the buns on the prepared baking sheet; continue with the rising and baking steps.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
134 Calories
5g Fat
19g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 134
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 185mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 57mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)