Hey, I’m talking about B and baking! And B is for…no, not bagels… but…Beautiful Burger Buns.
I have never made hamburger buns before. Yes, I have made lots of yeast breads and rolls, but never buns. So I thought it was about time to try my hand at it. These buns are from one of my favorite, ok, confession, MY FAVORITE site. King Arthur Flour. Check out their site and search their blog for beautiful burger buns. The following words introduced the recipe:
The following recipe created quite a stir when it was first posted on our original online community. Baker after baker tried these buns and declared them THE BEST. Soft, vaguely sweet and golden-yellow from the butter and egg, these simple buns are perfect for burgers, but also fine for any kind of sandwich.
Credit for the original version of this recipe goes to "Moomie" (Ellen), one of the original members of our online community, The Baking Circle. Thanks, Moomie, for the joy you've brought to bun-lovers everywhere!
And that is what prompted me to ask: Who’s buns look better?
I’ll admit, I am not a professional here – this love of BAKING is just my hobby. One hobby that I am truly passionate about. Thus this project!
After thinking over an item to bake, remember my initial B item was bagels. But then it hit me. It’s June after all. Summer. I mean, is it not grilling season? Are we not flipping hamburgers and sipping cold drinks? Buns are IT! Sandals, sunshine and beautiful burger buns. I knew there was a logical reason that I decided not to make bagels. I’ll revisit that recipe in the fall. For now, let’s start measuring, mixing, kneading, waiting.. .baking. This is a simple recipe, so get mixing.
This is what the mixed dough looked like:
After the first rise - so light and airy:
After gently deflating the dough - no punching here - I divided the dough.
I knew I should have divided the dough into smaller sections but my Big Guy, when he makes a burger, he makes a burger! I did not roll the dough into perfect balls but I did flatten them and let them rest and rise. They looked big, some of them were huge, but nice.
The project was going great. Notice tense - past! Time to brush the rolls with melted butter and....no, no, no they deflated. I baked them - wait and see what the results are. I wasn't completely disappointed.
They are light, airy and had a wonderful flavor. So next time, because this is a keeper recipe, I won't brush them with melted butter between their rise times and we'll see if the finished result is indeed a bun - with height!
So here is the recipe. I will be baking these again. I'll post the results at that time. On to C...
Beautiful Buns
Dough:
¾ to 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 ½ cup KA unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
*For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in the summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate).
Topping: 3 tablespoons melted butter
Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients to make a soft smooth dough.
Cover the dough and let rise for 1 – 2 hours, or until it is nearly doubled in bulk.
Gently deflate (NO punching here) and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3-inches across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy. Brush the buns with about half the melted butter.
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Bake the buns for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust.
Cool the buns on a rack.
Yield: 8 large buns
TIP: Brushing buns with melted butter will give them a soft, light golden crust. Brushing with an egg-white wash (1 egg white beaten with ¼ cup water) will give them a shinier, darker crust. For seeded buns, brush with the egg white wash; it’ll make the seeds adhere.
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