Hamburgers tonight folks–on homemade buns! Wonderful, and so easy:
1 cup warm water
1 egg
2 Tablespoons butter
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
NOTE: lately I've been loading all the ingredients in my bread machine, setting it to "dough" and skipping to the forming step. Works great. Saves time, too.
Dissolve the yeast & 1 Tablespoon of the sugar in 1/3 of the warm water. Let it proof for about 5 minutes or until it’s very bubbly. Meanwhile whisk the egg and soft butter into the remaining 2/3 cup water.
Measure the flour and salt into a mixer bowl and stir to combine. Add the remainder of the sugar and stir again. Add the liquid mixtures and, using a dough hook, knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes. It will be sticky, but that’s not a problem.
Cover with a damp cloth and allow it to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it is doubled in bulk.
form a roll 
divide into 8 
smooth balls 
egg wash
Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for a minute or so, until it looks smooth and the air bubbles are gone.
Divide the dough into eight equal portions and form very smooth, round balls. Place the buns on a greased sheet pan and brush them with an egg wash. (1 egg beaten with about a tablespoon of water) If you like seeded buns, now would be the time to sprinkle on sesame or poppy seeds, or perhaps a little kosher salt. Put the pan in a warm place and let the buns rise until they are doubled in size. About 25 – 30 minutes. At this point pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
Bake for 17 – 20 minutes or until golden.
These buns are so good, you’ll never again want to eat a store bought hamburger bun. They hold up to juicy burgers and all the fixin’s without getting soggy. They give sloppy joes, super bowl sammichs or just about any sandwich you can imagine a real boost in yummy-ness.
We only use ’em two at a time, unless there’s company, so it’s important to note they keep perfectly in the freezer and last for a month or two with no problem.
Give ’em a try, then let me know what you think. Hope you’ll love ’em as much as we do.
Contentment Cottage 