As most of you know, I used to own and operate my own bakery. I learned a lot during those years. But if nothing else, I became an expert in the fine art of making yeast breads from scratch. It was my mainstay. I made breads of all kinds and even concocted breads for people on request that they couldn’t find elsewhere. It was fun and delicious!
I’ll be creating a series of videos for my YouTube channel coupled with write-ups on my blog instructing how to make the assorted breads I made in my bakery. I elected to start with hamburger buns simply because I needed them for my husband’s lunches! So, here’s one recipe I used in the bakery. The recipe is followed by a link to my YouTube video where I demonstrated how to make the buns. Happy baking! Judi
Homemade Hamburger Buns
Makes 11 each 3-1/2 oz buns
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1.5 oz (3 Tbsp) butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb, 5.25 oz (about 5 cups) bread flour
1/2 oz (2 packets) RapidRise yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
In a stand mixer bowl [or large bowl], combine the bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Stir to combine; set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the water, milk and butter to 120 degrees F. Pour the warmed liquid and eggs into the dry mixture. Stir to moisten the flour mixture. Place in stand mixer, attach a dough hook, and mix on low to medium-low speed for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. [NOTE: If you don’t have a stand mixer or prefer to knead dough by hand, simply knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, yet still slightly sticky. Be careful not to work in much flour.] Remove dough hook, spray dough with nonstick spray, cover with plastic wrap, waxed paper or a damp towel, and allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare your oven for proofing the buns. Turn on the light bulb (DO NOT turn on the oven). Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil and place it in the oven on the bottom rack that was moved to the lowest position. The upper rack should be in the middle of the oven.
After the dough has rested, portion the dough into 3-1/2 oz parts, or section the dough into 11 equal parts. On a lightly (and I mean LIGHTLY) floured board, gently form the dough parts into round patties and place them on a baking sheet that was greased or lined with parchment paper. [NOTE: The bottom of the buns will brown better on a greased baking sheet.] Place sheet on rack in the middle of the oven until buns have doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet and saucepan from the oven.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake buns for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Remove baking sheet from oven and place it on a rack to cool. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired. (This makes them look, taste, and smell fabulous!) When buns are completely cooled, slice them horizontally and enjoy!
Storage tip: If you don’t plan to eat the buns within a day or two, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in heavy-duty freezer bags. Store them in the freezer until ready to use. To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer, unwrap them and lightly cover them with a clean towel. After they thaw, they may be stored air-tight until needed.