Burger and Hot Dog Buns
Strong enough to hold the weightiest fillings, these delicious and soft buns are easy to make in a counter top mixer.
Equipment
- Counter Top Mixer
- Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheets
Ingredients
Step 1 - proof the yeast
- 1 cup water 110°F
- ¼ cup sugar* divided (see instructions)
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
Step 2 - mix it all together
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg large
- 2 tbsp butter (or oil) unsalted
- 3 cups all purpose flour plus up to ½ cup more as needed
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or counter top mixer bowl, combine all the warm water, all the active dry yeast, and *about 1 tablespoon of the sugar. It doesn't have to be exactly 1 tablespoon - first measure your ¼ cup sugar and then sprinkle a little bit of that, into the bowl, to help feed the yeast (too much will slow the process at this step, so just a little is needed).
- Allow this mixture to proof (get bubbly) for 5-10 minutes.
- Once bubbly, add the salt, egg, butter/oil, and knead in (by hand or with mixer) the flour, one cup at a time.
- If needed, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at time until the dough is *just barely* able to be touched without sticking. You want to use as little flour as possible to be able to handle it, the more flour needed, the tougher the buns will be.
- Knead by hand or mixer for 6-8 minutes.
- Place into a large, greased mixing bowl, cover with a dry tea towel, and allow to rise in a warm, draft free area until double, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Punch down the dough and move to a very lightly floured surface.
- Using a scale, divide into 12 equal portions (approximately 70g each) and shape into buns* (see notes, below), placing them on a parchment lined baking sheet. I use 17"x11" cookie sheets.
- Let rest 10 minutes, then flatten each dough ball, cover with a dry tea towel, and let rise in a warm, draft free area about 30-45 minutes or until just slightly smaller than desired size.
- If desired, mix a whole egg in a small bowl and brush into the tops of the buns, and sprinkle sesame seeds on.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes in a 375°f oven. Using a thermometer to check the bun closest to the center of pan will help prevent overcooking and drying out the buns too much. Your buns should be 200°f at 12 minutes. If not, let them bake longer and check each minute until the 200°f is reached.
- Remove from oven and let cool before slicing. Only cooled and sliced, quickly package into a bread bag to keep them fresh, and use within 2-3 days for best texture and flavour.
Notes
I regularly double this recipe for make 24 buns. I haven't tripled it yet, but if you do, triple all the ingredient except the yeast, you'll only want to use 2 tbsp for a triple batch.
You can also make smaller or larger buns by dividing evenly to make 8 or 16 buns, for example. You'll need to modify the cooking time up to 2 or 3 minutes. More time for fewer buns, less time for small buns.
You can use any size baking sheet you've got, but if you need to use 2+ racks in your oven, rotate them 3 or more times to cook and brown evenly.
*Regarding sugar amounts: burger buns are typically sweeter buns, and while these aren't super sweet (just the right amount, really) you can reduce the amount to 2 tbps and still get a decently quick rise.
See the photos for how to form each bun, after forming, let rest 10 minutes, then flatten them and continue with the second rise.
[av_masonry_gallery ids='13490,13491,13492,13493,13494' caption_elements='excerpt' caption_styling='overlay' caption_display='on-hover-hide' size='fixed' orientation='av-orientation-square' gap='large' columns='3' av-medium-columns='' av-small-columns='' av-mini-columns='' items='24' paginate='none' color='' custom_bg='' overlay_fx='active' animation='active' container_links='active' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='']
*This recipe can be used to make hot dog buns. Instead of shaping into a bun, roll out each bit of dough like a long mini-loaf of bread.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bunCalories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 201mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 78IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 2mg