Homemade Hamburger Buns

*from King Arthur Flour

I never seem to have hamburger buns on hand when I need them. And I hate running to the store for just one item. This is because I always seem to leave the store with a bazillion other things I wasn't planning on buying! That is why I love, love, love this recipe. The buns are so delicious and easy to make. And I feel like I'm making gourmet burgers when I use this recipe. Seriously...you will never want to go back to buying your hamburger buns again!

Hamburger Buns

• 3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water* (I've always used the whole cup of water.)
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• *For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate); and something in between the rest of the time.

Topping

• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions

1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine.  I have done this both ways.  I have thrown all the ingredients (included the dry yeast) into my Bosch and mixed, like it says, and it did indeed work out. 

But most days, habit causes me to put my yeast in the warm water and allow it time to bubble and foam.  Then I add it to my other ingredients.  Do as you wish. 

Mix until you get a soft, smooth dough.

2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk.  I put a lid on my bowl, but don't seal it completely. 

3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy. 

4) Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter. 

5) Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust.

6) Cool the buns on a rack.

Yield: 8 large buns.

Tips from the bakers at King Arthur Flour.

• For slightly smaller buns, divide the dough into 12 pieces instead of 8. Bake the buns for 12 to 15 minutes, instead of 15 to 18 minutes. And how about "slider buns" — about 3" in diameter? Divide the dough into 24 pieces, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
• When making anything with yeast, including these rolls, let the dough rise to the point the recipe says it should, e.g., "Let the dough rise till it's doubled in bulk." Rising times are only a guide; there are so many variables in yeast baking (how you knead the dough; what kind of yeast you use) that it's impossible to say that bread dough will ALWAYS double in bulk in a specific amount of time.
• What's another easy way to shape buns, besides rolling them into balls and flattening? Gently deflate the dough, and form it into a smooth 8" log. Slice the log as though you were slicing cinnamon buns. Gently pull each slice into a circle.
• Brushing buns with melted butter will give them a soft, light golden crust. Brushing with an egg-white wash (1 egg white beaten with 1/4 cup water) will give them a shinier, darker crust. For seeded buns, brush with the egg wash; it'll make the seeds adhere. And, feel free to add the extra yolk to the dough, reserving the white for the wash.