MAKE YOUR OWN HAMBURGER BUNS

Make Your Own Hamburger Buns image

When it comes to hamburger and hot dog buns, there's nothing like a fresh, soft, white bun for holding it all together. That's exactly what these are.

Provided by Eric Rusch

Categories Recipes

Time 44m

Number Of Ingredients 9

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Ingredients

½ cup (4 oz.) milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 (¼ oz.) packages active dry yeast or 2 teaspoons Instant Yeast (0.34 oz.)
1 ½ cup (12 oz.) warm water (105F to 110F)
5-6 cups (1# 13 oz.) unbleached bread flour
optional sesame or poppy seeds for the tops of the buns
optional egg white and water to brush on the buns before baking

Steps:

Combine milk, sugar, salt, and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm (less than 110F).
If using active dry yeast, dissolve the yeast in warm water in a warmed bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. If using instant yeast, just add it to the flour and mix it in before adding liquids.
Add the lukewarm milk mixture and water to 4 ½ cups (1# 6 oz.) flour. Attach bowl and dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and mix for 1 minute. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time (slowly so it doesn't fly out of bowl), until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch.
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
Punch dough down and shape it into hamburger buns, hot dog buns, or two bread loaves:
*For hamburger buns, divide the dough into 2 ½ oz. portions and shape into balls. Rest the balls for 5 minutes and then flatten them with the heel of your hand. For hot dog buns, again divide the dough into 2 ½ oz. portions and shape into 5-6" long tubes. Place the buns on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal (hot dog buns should be seam side down). Leave about 1" between the buns for expansion during proofing.
*For two bread loaves, divide the dough in half, and shape the pieces into loaves. Place them in greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½-inch loaf pans.
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Before loading in the oven, brush the buns with a whipped egg white-and-water mix and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.
Bake at 400F for 12-14 minutes for the buns and 30 minutes for the loaves. The internal temperature should be around 200F. Remove the baked breads and buns from their pans immediately and cool on wire racks.