Make Your Own Hamburger Buns

July 20, 2014August 31, 2014 Tracy Knutsen

Today was one of those Sundays that I felt really ambitious. I woke up early, got some clothes going in the washer, made coffee, fed the dog and cats, took out some ground beef to make burgers for dinner and sat down to read a few emails. As the day wore on, I was surprised to find myself still ahead of the game…everything going smoothly. This is the point where if I could add a sound effect, you would hear the cartoonish noise of brakes screeching to a halt. What this equals in real life is that our burgers are almost ready for the grill, but I forgot to buy the hamburger buns. Nice.

I guess I could run down to the store, but it just didn’t seem necessary. After all – this is a day of accomplishment, right? So we’ll just get to the business of making our own hamburger buns.

It all starts with the yeast…

I think most people have everything they need to make bread right in their pantry. It always seems so daunting, but when it comes down to it, it’s really simple. First, stir together part of the flour and the yeast.

Heat the milk, water, oil, sugar and salt until it’s very warm, 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit. (Use a thermometer if you need to – if it’s too warm it will kill the yeast.) I love the way the milk looks as it swirls into the water. Almost like a little cloud!

Add this mixture to the flour and yeast, and combine. I used my stand mixer, but a hand mixer works, too. You can also just do it by hand (when I say “you”, I really mean your “husband” or “child” can mix it for you!) Add enough of the remaining flour to make a nice, soft dough. It should even be a little sticky. I only use 5 of the 6 cups of flour today. Sometimes it takes a little more.

After the dough rests a few minutes, dump it out onto a well-floured surface. Isn’t this beautiful? I could truly use the dough for a pillow!

This is where my hamburger bun recipe differs from many of the others. Most divide out the dough and make balls, and that works fine – you can even do it with this dough. I like to roll out the dough to a 1/2″ thickness and use cookie cutters. It also gives me an excuse to use my grandma’s awesome marble rolling pin!

Because we’ll only use two hamburger buns today, I decided to make three different sizes to freeze. The smallest cookie cutter is 2-1/2″ and makes the perfect size for sliders. The next size is 3-1/2″ and is good for most burgers, sandwiches, sloppy joes, whatever… The largest one is 4-1/2″ and will make a generous bun for today’s 1/2 pound burgers! I know that’s a big ‘un, but we’re going for that steakhouse-style burger this afternoon.

Here are the buns all cut out and ready to rise. Notice the size differences and how many the recipe made. Oh, I do re-roll scraps, but only once so the dough doesn’t get tough. What you’re not seeing here is a small pan holding all of the scrap pieces that will bake alongside these. Testers for the cook? You bet!

After the dough rises for about 30 minutes, place them in a pre-heated over to bake for 12-15 minutes or until they’re golden brown. As soon as they come out of the oven, brush them with a little melted butter. Oh my goodness, they’re amazing!

Yes, they almost resemble a large biscuit, but the texture is totally bread. Sometimes we’ll sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top before baking to make them a little more special. Whatever you don’t use will freeze well in a zip-top bag. The recipe is also ok to double.

This batch certainly saved the day and make our hamburger extra delicious! There’s really nothing that can compare to fresh-baked bread.

Hamburger Buns

Ingredients

5 to 6 cups of flour

2 packages or 2 tablespoons yeast

1 cup milk

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

butter or margarine, melted

Directions

In a mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add milk, water, oil, sugar and salt until it’s very warm – 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the liquid all at once to the flour mixture. Beat until smooth about 3 minutes on medium speed with an electric mixer or 300 strokes by hand. Add enough additional flour to make a soft dough, mixing well. Let the dough rest about 10 minutes.

Roll out on a well floured surface to a 1/2″ thickness. Cut with a 3″ round cookie cutter, coffee cup or rim of a glass.

Place the rounds on greased baking sheets. Let rise in a warm place (about 80 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter or margarine if desired while still warm.

Makes 12 to 15 buns.