Who ever thought I would go to the trouble to make hamburger buns at home? And then, who would have thought that after having found a recipe I really did like, I would continue to search for a truly perfect bun? Not I, though Ben is probably less surprised. But here I am, and the search is over. Thanks to Deb at Smitten Kitchen for doing all the real work of the search, all I really had to do was enjoy the spoils. Ben teased me for making burger buns the first time around, but I think now he understands why it is worthwhile. These buns are truly fabulous. It’s not easy to describe just what it is that makes them the perfect burger bun – the sturdy but light texture, the subtle sweetness, the golden crust for starters.
These really weren’t any more difficult to make than any other yeast bread or sandwich bun I’ve made before. The only road bump was that after the second rise, I checked the shaped rolls to find that they had spread and expanded so much that they had filled the whole baking pan. I was so frustrated and was ready to throw in the towel, but in an effort to save them, I just reshaped the rolls, topped them and popped them in the oven. It worked out perfectly and they were delicious. So either keep a very close eye on them during the second rise or just reshape them. Either way, it will be fine and they will be great!
If you are looking for some ideas of what to put on these buns, here are some of our favorite burgers:
Salmon Burgers
The Perfect Hamburger
Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Stuffed Italian Burgers
Stay tuned for another great burger to put between these buns tomorrow!
Light Brioche Burger Buns
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Ingredients:
3 tbsp. warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg. Mix briefly to combine. Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated. Mix in the butter. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes. The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.
Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Comme Ça via The New York Times
