July 7, 2013

Homemade Hamburger Buns

And that, my dear friends, is my husband. I love when he commandeers my blog. We WERE going to write the burgers and buns recipes together, but I was informed I was not allowed to participate. So here are the buns, to go with those perfect burgers!




Homemade Hamburger Buns (or Bread Four Ways) (adapted slightly from Bakingdom)
Printable Recipe

Makes 1 loaves, 9 dinner rolls, 6 hamburger buns, or 9 pigs-in-a-blanket

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tb sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 Tb unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
3/4 cup water (half very hot, half lukewarm, about 6 oz each)

1 egg, whisked with a teaspoon of water for egg wash (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer and stir to combine.

In a glass measuring cup or bowl, combine the hot water with the butter pieces and stir until butter is melted. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg, then add it to the butter mixture and whisk slightly. Add the lukewarm water.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a dough just forms. If mixing by hand, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If using a standing mixer, knead on medium speed, with the dough hook attached, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Don't adjust flour or water yet! After about 8 minutes, the dough should only be sticking to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour 1-2 tablespoons at a time. If it’s too dry, add more water.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, divide and shape it, dividing into 6 pieces for hamburger buns, and stretching the dough over the top and down the sides, tucking under, to form nice smooth balls. (The original recipe has instructions for making dinner rolls, loaves of bread, or pigs in blankets as well!) Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a clean, dry towel and allow to rise for an hour, or until doubled in size. (With my air-conditioner on, this took nearly three hours to double. Doubling is important, be patient!) Once doubled, brush with the egg wash and garnish as desired, with sesame seeds, etc, or leave plain.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely before using! If you slice them while warm, they will be gummy!
We really, really enjoyed these buns! We hate it when you have a burger bun that just turns to goo under a burger, or falls apart, or squishes down to nothing. These don't! Fluffy but not flimsy, they hold up to any toppings you could possibly want to stack on that burger, and aren't too thick or bready either!
They have great flavor, and I can see why Darla uses this bread four ways! They are absolute winners for any home burgering needs. Honestly, I don't think I'll be buying buns again, anytime soon!

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