What to use instead of burger buns
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Holding a juicy griddled patty
A soft crumb has to compress under the bite while a toasted cut face seals against the juices, so the bun holds together to the last mouthful.
Potato rollsRan out
1 per bun
Denser and slightly sweet, and the tightest crumb of the group, so they take juice without falling apart. They toast in under a minute.
Brioche bunsRan out
1 per bun
Richer and sweeter, and the egg and butter make them brown in about 40 seconds on the griddle, so watch them closely.
English muffinsRan out
1 per bun
Chewier with much more crust, and the nooks trap juice rather than passing it through. Smaller, so trim the patty to match.
Thick white bread griddled in butterRan out
2 slices per bun
This is a patty melt rather than a burger. Crisp and buttery for about ten minutes, then it softens through.
Gluten-free burger bunsGluten-free
1 per bun, steamed 15 seconds under a damp towel
Dry and crumbly straight from the packet and they split at the back of the bun. The steam is what makes them hold.
What doesn't work: Untoasted sandwich bread. It is too thin and has no crust to seal, so the underside turns to paste against the patty within a minute and the whole thing collapses in the hand.
Carrying a wet, saucy filling
Here the bun has to absorb some sauce and still hold, which needs a tighter crumb than a plain burger bun and enough structure to survive ten minutes on a plate.
Potato rollsRan out
1 per bun
The standard for pulled pork. Dense enough to soak sauce without going through, and the sweetness sits well against vinegar barbecue.
Ciabatta or bolillo rollsRan out
1 per bun, crumb pulled out of the top half
Chewy and sturdy, and it absorbs far less, so more sauce ends up on the plate. Hollowing the top half stops the filling squeezing out.
Hawaiian sweet rollsRan out
2 small rolls per bun
Much sweeter and softer, and they go to mush in about five minutes. Right for sliders eaten immediately.
Cornbread split in halfRan out
One 3-inch square per bun
Crumbles as soon as it is picked up, so this becomes a plated dish with a fork. The sweetness works with pulled pork and fights a sloppy joe.
What doesn't work: Lettuce cups for a saucy filling. There is nothing to absorb the liquid, so it runs straight out of the leaf and down your wrist within seconds. Lettuce works under a dry grilled patty and fails under anything wet.