The One Five Guys Ingredient You Can't Recreate At Home

Five Guys, first started in 1986, remains one of the strongest contenders in the fast-food scene. According to Thrillist, the family-run business was started by entrepreneur Jerry Murrell who came up with the name "Five Guys" to indicate his five sons who joined him in running the company. Interestingly, before opening Five Guys, Murrell's first taste of professional culinary training came from working in a frat house kitchen to pay for his education while studying at the University of Michigan. 

The brand is now massive: as per its website, Five Guys now has more than 1,500 across the world and intends to expand. They famously only stick to peanut oil in their dishes and offer a variety of menu items, including burgers, fries, hot dogs, sandwiches, and milkshakes. If you've been wondering how difficult it may get to make a burger inspired by Five Guys from the comfort of your home, here is your answer. 

The bun is hard to recreate

It may be possible to collect all the necessary ingredients you need for the perfect hamburger such as meat, veggies, ketchup, cheese, buns, and more but getting it right is harder than it looks. On a Reddit Ask Me Anything by a Five Guys employee, curious commenters asked about the restaurant. One, in particular, asked why it's so hard to match the taste of the bun. They asked how they could rectify this and buy something that would closely resemble the taste of the buns at Five Guys.

The Five Guys staff member had an interesting answer. They wrote that it is indeed hard to get the bun right. "It tastes really sweet when it isn't toasted, a lot like a King's Hawaiian roll, so maybe toast those and you would be close," they advised. According to the Daily Meal, what helps Five Guys' buns stand out is the fact that they're made without chemicals and dough conditioners. They also have way more eggs (nearly twice the amount) than other buns. Now you know the secret. Or do you?