Hamburger Buns
I finally got to make the homemade burgers recipe. At first, it was the children who requested, then it was my ambition to have them all perfect - the homemade buns, the patty and, finally, the whole hamburger. So, today we are going to start with the perfect burger buns - incredibly soft, yet fresh, easy to cook and with a lovely colour.
Just one thing - I've made 8 buns using these ingredients, as you can see in the pictures below. But they are kind of huge, resembling some rustic unsophisticated buns. Or, you could easily form (and I actually recommend this) 10 or even 12 buns, without letting yourself tricked by their initial small size. They will rise in the process and, in the end, they will be the right size.
This week I will continue with the burger patty recipe and then I will show you how to assemble a burger. Stay tuned!
Mix 400ml warm water, 15g dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp flour in a big bowl.
Use a whisk to stir well and then let stand for 20-30 minutes until it becomes frothy.
After this time add in 1 tsp turmeric (optional), 1 tsp salt, 2 more tbsp sugar and 40g softened butter.
Whisk thoroughly.
At the end, incorporate what is left of the flour and mix using the dough hooks from the mixer.
Mix until dough becomes uniform, smooth and sticky, don't worry, it should be.
Do not add more flour, we don't want the buns to be too dense.
Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 30-50 minutes.
You've probably noticed that I haven't used my hands at all to knead it and that's what I like best about this recipe.
Once it's doubled, you can keep on working.
Now spread oil over the work surface and your hands.
Turn dough onto it and gently bring the edges together.
Cut in 8 even parts if you want big burgers, or in 12 even parts if you want small-medium ones.
Take each part and shape it into a ball - keep bringing the edges in the middle until you get a uniform round ball.
Place the ball edges down on the baking sheet (already lined with parchment paper).
Press it gently with your fingers, to flatten it out a bit in the shape of a circle, as round as you can.
Notice the distance between the buns. They will get bigger and I don't want them to lose their shape if they accidentally touch each other.
Let rise in the pan for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile mix an egg yolk with 2 tbsp milk.
After they got bigger, brush the buns with the yolk mixture.
Spread over some sesami seeds, to make the buns prettier!
I had a mix of white and black sesami seeds, only white will do as well, or just skip it altogether.
Bake in the preheated oven to 200 degrees C for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool for 1-2 hours before starting to build the burgers. Notice in the picture the sponge texture, the buns are beautiful, tender and smooth.
You can always freeze some to use when in need.
I usually bake the buns in the morning and we have burgers for lunch, but they are also good if prepared 1-2 days before.
The patty recipe and instructions on how to assemble the burgers will come next in the following days.
Enjoy!
