Cheap Eats :: Homemade Hamburger Buns

About a month ago, I decided to try my hand at making my own hamburger buns. Buying the cheap ones, what I normally do, are good for keeping the calorie count at bay (each bun is about 100-110 calories) but they aren't very good and they are full of preservatives and other nastiness.
The ones that are any good, are out of the price range I'd like to spend. The ones in the bakery section would be the best option, but nothing really beats homemade.
The price to make them can't be beat. A couple cups of flour, some yeast, sugar, some milk...easy.

I found this recipe and photo tutorial on Pinterest. It seemed simple enough.

The results were a success! I rolled them a bit too thin, but they were very good. The flavor was wonderful and my house smelled amazing!
The recipe made about a dozen buns, but like I said, they were thin. Next time, I would expect a smaller yield, but still enough for a couple of meals. I simply froze the rest.

They are especially delicious grilled with a bit of butter. This softened them up, and added some extra flavor. Keeps the juices from your burger, sloppy joes or whatnot, from making your buns soggy.

Tonight, we defrosted a few and made some simple Sloppy Joes. We had some leftover Mac & Cheese on the side. Double your comfort food, double your fun!

Homemade Hamburger Buns: recipe from Eat Live Run 
makes about 10 hamburger buns

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup milk
1 packet dry active yeast (1/4th oz)
2 tbsp warm water (about 100 degrees)
1 egg
1.5 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
3 cups flour (plus a little additional flour if you need it)
for topping—
2 egg yolks + 1 tbsp warm water, slightly beaten
sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds




Directions:
1. heat the milk in a small saucepot over medium heat until bubbles appear all around the sides of the pot. Remove quickly and let cool to the temperature of warm bathwater (about 100 degrees F).

2. In a little bowl, combine the dry active yeast, 2 tbsp warm water and a pinch of sugar. Stir with your finger a couple times and then let sit for about 5 minutes. The yeast should start to bubble a little bit and get creamy/foamy looking.

3. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the soft butter, slightly cooled milk (test it with your finger first and let it cool a few more minutes if it still feels burning hot), egg, sugar and yeast. Mix on low until combined and butter melts.

4. Mix together two cups of the flour and the salt, then add that to the wet ingredients. Mix on high until well blended.

5. Change to a dough hook on your mixer if you have one (this thing always reminds me of Captain Hook…anyone?). With the dough hook on, add the remaining cup of flour and mix on high speed for five minutes. You can add a little bit more flour here if your dough seems especially wet, but remember that this dough is supposed to be sticky!

6. After five minutes on high, your dough should be sticky, but also smooth and elastic if you stretch it with your fingers. Remove dough from bowl and place in an oiled mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 2 1/2 hours.

7. After 2 1/2 hours, punch down dough on a floured surface then roll out to 1/2″ thick. Cut circles using a large biscuit cutter or the bottom of a glass. Place circles on a parchment paper or silpat-lined baking sheet. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top and let rise again for 1.5 hours.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Brush the rolls with the egg yolk and warm water mixture then scatter sesame seeds over top. Bake for 20 minutes until deeply golden.

Time:
5 hours