Hamburger Buns

When it comes to making dinner, I am often stumped.  I mean, I have my basic recipes that I love and know how to make in my sleep.  But sometimes I think my husband is going to get sick of the same meals over and over.  I am not a very adventurous eater.  I like a juicy hamburger and french fries.  I know, it's not exactly the healthiest meal, but I love it!  

I even order that often at restaurants.  When I am looking at a menu, Jeff will sometimes say something to me like "Are you getting the usual?!"  Haha :-) 

So one afternoon I had some ground meat that I was going to make into something for dinner, I decided I wanted hamburgers (and to be honest, we rarely make them at home in the winter time) but did not feel like going out to the store to get buns.  So I searched for a good hamburger recipe and this is what I came up with!  I found this recipe from King Arthur Flour and changed it up a bit.  

I'm sorry there aren't as many pictures as I normally post for a recipe.  For whatever reason, I forgot about grabbing my camera to document making these buns.  :-/  Opps!

Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
• 1/2 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees)
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups flour
• *1 egg, beaten for eggwash

Directions:

1. In mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water.  Let this sit for 5 minutes, and mix to make sure all the yeast has dissolved.
2. Add the milk, oil, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the flour.  Mix with a dough hook for 2 minutes on medium high.
3. Add the rest of the flour and mix until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and becomes smooth.  This should take about 6-10 minutes.  *If the dough sticks to the bowl, gradually add 1 tbsp of flour at a time until it does not stick to the sides anymore.  
4. Leave in the mixing bowl and cover with a clean dish towel.  Put in a warm place (I turn the oven on and place the bowl on the stove) and proof the dough for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough into 8 even pieces (Cut it in half, and then each piece in half, and then in half one more time until you get the 8 pieces).
6. Tuck the edges of the dough underneath and form into a ball.  
7. Place the dough balls about 1 1/2 apart on a silpat baking sheet.  
8. Preheat the oven at this point to 400 degrees.
9. Brush with eggwash and let rise for 45 minutes or until the rolls have doubled in size.
10. Brush with eggwash one more time and bake for 18-20 minutes or until an internal thermometer reads 190 degrees.  *Pull bread out of oven and insert an instant read thermometer into the middle of a bun.
11. Once cooled, slice buns in half for hamburgers or a sandwich.  Or leave the buns unsliced and place in a ziploc bag and enjoy within 3 days for the freshest buns!  

Mmm... my hamburger and fries (with lots of ketchup!)

I used to work at a bread bakery so I consider myself a bit of a "bread snob"!  Everyday that I worked, I was allowed to bring 1 loaf of bread home with me.   So I really only like bread the first day that it was baked.   But surprisingly, these buns stayed really fresh for 3 days!  (They have never lasted more than 3 days!) 

I don't think I will ever buy store bought buns again.  These ingredients are so simple that I always have them on hand at home!  You can even freeze the unbaked dough balls (after step 6) and defrost them in the fridge and proof as usual.

  They simply do not compare to these!  

What is your favorite thing to have on a bun?!?  Obviously mine is a hamburger (plain with just ketchup)!  

ENJOY!