I’m
sure you are wondering why I have two posts in a row dealing with yeast breads,
albeit very easy to make and tasty recipes. Our family loves fresh bread of any
kind and there are few things better than warm steamy loaves coming out of the
oven and eaten hot with melted butter dripping down your chin, at least in our
estimation.
It
is also something I am trying to become more comfortable with. Yeast breads can
be tricky. I’ve been making cinnamon rolls for years but have rarely ventured
out of that niche. Maybe I am trying to channel my husband’s grandmother, who
baked a dozen or more loaves a week. All of five-foot-nothing, she had the
strongest hands of any woman (and most men) that I had ever met. When she took you
into her embrace, there was no squirming out of it until she was good and
ready, and when she pinched your cheek, you felt it for hours. She would bake
huge batches once or twice a week and deliver them to friends, relatives and
would use them to barter with local farmers for produce.
I
started making a 5-minute
artisan bread back in April of 2012. It is one of those recipes that should
delight every suburban cook. It takes very little time (ummm…5 minutes), only 4
basic ingredients and yields a hearty round loaf reminiscent of something you
would buy at the bakery, similar in texture to a sourdough boule. I make it
once or twice a month, much to the delight of the family. The focaccia
recipe from last week has also received rave reviews from friends and
family, and I have even talked several into making it themselves. Now they are
hooked as well.
As
for why I would even attempt hamburger buns, the rationale was twofold. I had
initially planned hamburgers for dinner (topped with freshly smoked bacon and
some creamy avocado) but had forgotten to buy buns. Yes, I could have driven to
one of any number of stores to pick them up, or asked Butcher Son to bring me
some home from Robert’s Market, but I got to wondering if I could make them.
Secondly, I really am trying to learn to make a lot of what we eat from
scratch. I have mastered the jam/jelly thing, pickles, salsa, tomato sauce and
marinara, and even BBQ sauce. I have a number of mustards and rib rubs in my
repertoire, as well as fruit syrups. I make sausage, bacon, pancetta. And of
course, I am proficient with sweet baked goods. So this was just another thing
to try.
I
found a recipe on Taste of Home for 40-minute
hamburger buns. Sure enough, within about 40 minutes I had hamburger buns.
The original recipe made 12 buns, but they were only slightly larger than
slider buns and not really big enough for my hamburgers, so on a second try I
made 8 buns. Better, but I’m thinking that for a big juicy cowboy
burger, you should just make 6. Or if the kids want sliders, you could
probably get 16 perfect slider buns. The ingredients are basic pantry and
fridge items, so no need to get anything fancy. The texture overall is denser
than your average hamburger bun, but it doesn’t squish down like Wonder Bread
and soaks up any juices that might be leaking from your burger. Overall I was
very happy with the result and the recipe got the thumbs up from the family. So
now it’s your turn to try.
40-Minute Hamburger Buns
2
tablespoons active dry yeast
1
cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1/3
cup vegetable oil
1/4
cup sugar
1
egg
1
teaspoon salt
3
1/2+ cups, all purpose flour
In
a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5
minutes. Add the egg, salt and 3 cups flour to form a soft dough. Pour
remaining 1/2 cup flour out onto counter or breadboard. Add dough and knead until
smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. You may need to add more flour if the
dough become sticky.
Do
not let rise. Divide into 8 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 3 inches
apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Bake
at 425° for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks
to cool.
Yield:
8