2020 has been an odd year for so many reasons - the biggest of which is COVID. While I have learned that I take a lot of things for granted, the biggest learning curve has been consolidating my grocery list. Pre-COVID, I used to do a large grocery order weekly, then I would just pop in to Trader Joe's or Wegman's and pick anything I forgot, or something I realized I "needed". Those days are over - so I've had to learn to adjust. While I initially was overwhelmed, taking a step back and looking at it I have acquired some new skills. Bread making has been one of those skills. The last time I went to the grocery store in person was Friday March 13. I waited in line before the store even opened, and then it took an hour to get through the store and another hour to check out. Luckily I was able to snag some yeast while I was there so I've been able to bake bread- if I hadn't I would have been out of luck.
The other night I decided that I "needed" a burger for dinner. I am aware that's not a real need, but right now it's the little things in life that bring joy. (Also see my post from the other day about sauteed onions, they were a slam dunk!) I looked in the fridge and pantry and realized I had everything but hamburger rolls. So that sent me on a mission to find a recipe for hamburger buns that would be easy enough for a bread novice like me, but also satisfying. After a lot of research I settled on the Beautiful Burger Buns recipe from King Arthur Flour
This recipe is great for so many reasons - it is so easy to follow and smells incredible while they are baking. When you place a giant burger on it, it holds up to all the juices! Memorial Day is right around the corner, and we are supposed to have great weather - there will definitely be a lot of grilling happening. I highly recommend trying out this recipe this weekend - you wouldn't be disappointed. I am putting in step by step pictures so that you can follow along!
Organize all of your ingredients. For this recipe you will need:
3/4 to 1 cup of lukewarm water (around 105 degrees)
2 Tbsp room temperature butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp instant yeast
It is very important to ensure that your butter is at room temperature - not cold or melted. It's about how it incorporates into the dough. I also lightly beat the egg before incorporating it.
Incorporate all the ingredients with a wooden spoon and get ready to knead. I cheat and use the kneading hook on my KitchenAide. I can't tell you how long it would take by hand, so if you try this let me know!
Once you're done kneading the dough should be soft. This takes a while. Once you're ready, you will cover the bowl and leave to proof for about 2 hours. It should double in size during that time and feel soft and squishy.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. At this stage you are going to break the dough down into eights and form into rolls. The first two pictures below will show that. I use a knife to lightly separate the dough, then cut it into equal sized pieces. You then will roll the dough into a ball and lightly flatten. You can lightly flour your hands if needed. You will then lightly cover and let them rise for another hour or so until they have puffed up. At this point you will brush the buns with melted butter and pop them into the oven to bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
While these bake your kitchen will smell incredible, so get ready! Once they come out of the oven, I take the rolls off the pan while still hot and onto a cooling rack. Then lightly brush again with melted butter and let cool.
How incredible do those look? They are so easy, so don't be intimidated. I know that bread making is a lot of steps with the proofing and shaping, etc. But you can do it!!!! Now you just have to decide what toppings you're going to put on that burger. Thanks for following along ~ LC