Simple Hamburger Buns
If you've never made your own hamburger buns, you are really missing out! You just can't beat the taste of fresh bread and these buns do not disappoint.
These buns are a little different than regular baked bread we use for sandwiches because they have egg, butter and sugar added. Those added ingredients make for a delicious final product.
Remember, since they are homemade, having no preservatives, they will go bad faster so you'll want to use them within a day or two of baking them. You can also freeze them for later use. But never refrigerate bread, as that tends to dry it out.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup warm milk (100 degrees F)
1 Tb active yeast
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice (organic sugar or substitute such as sucanat)
2 Tb. butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. Celtic sea salt (fine)
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
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1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. of water
Sesame seeds (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
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Warm the milk to 100 degrees and add the yeast. Leave for a few minutes
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Mix in the sugar, butter, egg and salt.
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Add the flour slowly as you mix - preferably in a mixer with a bread paddle. (I love my Bosch mixer for bread making.)
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Knead (or let the mixer knead) the dough for 6 or 7 minutes until is is smooth and rather elastic.
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Put in a greased bowl in a warm place and cover with a damp tea cloth or towel.
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Allow to raise for 1 to 1.5 hours (depending on how warm your kitchen is)
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Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal sized balls. Press each ball into a circle that is rather flat, but not too thin.
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Allow the circles to rise for another 30 min. to 1 hour (a cooler kitchen will add rising time.)
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After rising, brush the egg and water mixture on to each bun, add optional sesame seeds if desired.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and bake for 15 min. or until the buns are a golden brown on tip.
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Can be stored for 1 or 2 days in an airtight container.
**Sometimes when I'm in a rush, I don't always make the buns perfectly round. And sometimes I'll make some larger than others for those with bigger appetites. Other times I'll make buns the size of sliders. You can choose based on your dinner plans!
