Homemade Hamburger Buns
Homemade buns require so few ingredients and are so much better than store-bought buns. I think of my sister Rebecca when I make these… when she had 3 kids under age 4 at home she decided one day that it would be easier to just stay home and make homemade buns rather than taking 3 young kids to the store. Whenever there time permits she makes her hamburger buns at home. I also think of our good friend Jayne. She makes these nice and thin, and the shape is similar to the low calorie thin hamburger buns sold in grocery stores. Of course the homemade version is 100 times better anything sold in a grocery store. This particular recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour Company.
Homemade Hamburger Buns
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 3 ½ (14 3/4 ounces) – 3 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- One egg white whisked with 2 Tablespoons water for toppings, optional
- sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or dehydrated onion, optional
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
Place warm water (100-110 degrees Fahrenheit) in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer. Add yeast and mix until dissolved. After a few minutes of activation add the melted butter, egg, sugar and salt. Mix on low speed. Add the flour, about one cup at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the mixer’s bowl. Knead on low- medium speed for seven minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky yet smooth and stretchy after kneading. Only add more flour if it the dough fails to come together.
Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it’s double in size. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. If you have trouble dividing the dough equally weigh each of the piece of dough – they should be around 95 grams each. Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3″ across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy.
Before baking brush with the frothy egg white and water, then add toppings if desired. If you are not adding toppings you can still add the egg white for a shiny finish. Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust.
*For sliders, divide the dough into 24 pieces instead of 8. When formed and flattened they should be about 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 375°F.
**For 14-cup Cuisinart food processor recipe, place 627 g flour, 75 g sugar, 12 g salt, and 1 Tablespoon instant yeast in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse to combine. In a measuring cup mix together 1 1/2 cup water, one egg, one egg yolk, and 3 Tablespoons butter. Pour liquids into the Cuisinart with machine running until a ball of dough is formed. If the dough seems dry add additional water, one Tablespoon at a time. Knead for 45 seconds. Continue as directed above. Will make 12 full size buns. For more information about making yeast breads in the Cuisinart refer to this post.
