The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Hamburger Buns

KenK's picture
KenK

Hamburger Buns

I just started trying to bake yeast bread a few weeks ago.  So far, my couple of trys at baguettes have been huge failures.  I'm pretty sure it was the flour I was using, soft wheat biscuit flour. 

I got some King Arthur flour and have using that to make sandwich rolls and they are coming out pretty well.  I made these rolls this afternoon and mixed up a batch of starter to try the baguettes again in the morning.

The rolls have been flattening out on the baking sheet, these did not.  I assume it was because I used the parchment paper?  The dough seemed the same, it kind of makes sense to me that the dough can get more traction on the paper.

The only reason I used it was because my wife complained about having to clean the sticky oil off the baking sheet.

 

12 3/4 ounces all purpose flour

2 tablespoons dry milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons instant yeast

8 ounces warm water

2 tablespoons melted butter

Makes eight big buns or one 4.5 x 8 loaf.

Mix all together and knead by hand for 10 minutes.  Let rise in oiled bowl for an hour (mine rose way over double) form into eight rolls and place on sheet pan.  Cover and let rise for an hour.  Bake at 375.

I formed them the way I saw someone doing Kaiser rolls.  Press ball of dough out into a circle about the size of the finished buns and then fold the edge over to the center and press it down. Repeat 5-6 times around the edge. flip over and press back down with the palm of hand.  Bake with that pleated side down. 

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

You'll really like KAFlours.  The All Purpose can be used in most all recipes that ask for bread flour...I use the KABread flour only when a High Gluten Bread flour is suggested and then sometimes I still prefer the KAAP.  Parchment is great but that's not the reason why you got a better rise on the buns..the KAflour really helped.  The KAAP flour you will notice takes less water than the KABF.  A high gluten bread flour absorbs more water.

Sylvia

jannrn's picture
jannrn

I have been baking Hamburger buns and they start off rising well...but they seem to stop when they hit the heat of the oven. The flavor is excellent...but I would SO like for them to be lighter and fluffier.....what am I doing?? I am using AP flour...but not KA...just too expensive......I feel it defeats the purpose of home baking if I am paying much more for the flour. I am buying Eagle Mills AP. From what I have gotten on this forum, it is an excellent brand.....any ideas on how to make mine lighter??

Thanks!!

mrfrost's picture
mrfrost

All things being equal, the higher gluten flour/dough will always rise higher, be fluffier than a lower gluten flour. KA all purpose can be significantly higher in gluten  than many other brands. It is essentially bread flour compared to most ap flours.

In the same vein, a dough made of all white flour will always rise higher and fluffier than a dough with whole grains...all things being equal.

KenK's picture
KenK

Thanks for the reply Sylvia.

I had some leftover pulled pork and made us a barbeque sandwich for lunch today.  They (and the rolls) were delicious.  That big hole in the crumb, I think, is mostly an artifact from my amatuerish shaping.

jannrn,  I'm using a slightly modified recipe from the KA website, The Classic Sandwich bread.  I had made it a couple times in a loaf pan and it was good but a little to sweet and oily for me so I reduced the sugar to one tablespoon and the butter to two tablespoons, also using dried milk.

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Ken, they call that little hole in the bread 'where the baker sleeps'.  : )

Sylvia

judyinnm's picture
judyinnm

Add about 10% homemade whole wheat flour - that'll kick up the flavor about 100%.....

weavershouse's picture
weavershouse

Those are beautiful hamburger buns. Perfect.

weavershouse

jannrn's picture
jannrn

Judy, I do use Wheat, and have tried Kamut as well as adding a touch of Quinoa and Amaranth....seems no matter what I do, they are still heavy.....Ken, they are just beautiful!! Funny...I was planning to make pulled pork for tomorrow!! I think it would be amazing on good home made buns! I WILL try again!!

qahtan's picture
qahtan

 

 great looking buns there,,, ;-)))) qahtan

KenK's picture
KenK

I really appreciate all the nice comments. 

I added the recipe to my original post.

tabasco's picture
tabasco

Your hamburger buns look beautiful!

One thought:  You might try a couple of teaspoons of Vital Wheat Gluten in with your flour.  I believe that will help lighten up your finished product. 

FYI:   VWG is usually available in stores that carry a lot of baking products and is found in the flour section in small boxes.  I think we use Bob's Red Mill Brand.  VWG's not the same thing as 'Vital Wheat Gluten FLOUR', which comes in larger portions and is not nearly as 'potent'.

 

anarista's picture
anarista

Those are great looking hamburger buns. Were they light and fkuffy like store bought? My husband says that my homemades ones are too heavy and all you can taste is the bread. Open for suggestions on making them lighter and fluffier.

KenK's picture
KenK

I think mine are fairly light but they are not remotely like the standard store bought buns.  I hope to never buy them at the store again unless it is for company I don't like.

I put my rolls in the freezer the day after baking.  Every day this past week I took a roll out first thing in the morning and left it to thaw in a zip lock on the counter until lunchtime.  They remained good all week.  Better than anything we can buy in our not very good small town grocery.

I eat a cold cut sandwich most every day for lunch.  Had tuna salad one day and toasted the cut side on the spider. 

I have made these with 1/3 whole wheat flour and preferred the all white.  Last night I made a batch for next week with 1/6 whole wheat.  Once I figure out what I like best it should be easy to make my lunch bread for the coming week in only a couple of hours.

judeyramone's picture
judeyramone

I had to try them myself.  They are delicious and easy, and I have made them 3 times in the past 3 days (can't manage to keep them around).  I am currently taking another batch out of the oven.  My kids & I had hamburgers Thursday night, and they begged the remaining buns for their school lunch the following morning (my daughter actually ate one plain/cold/dry for breakfast).  Thanks for sharing.

audra36274's picture
audra36274

  I am a roll and bun junkie and those are beauties! Thanks for sharing!

Audra

KenK's picture
KenK

I like this recipe in part because I can make the rolls from start to finish from the time I get home from work until my early bedtime.  I have been making them on Friday evening, what an exciting life we lead!

I needed to bake today so I would have bread for my lunch tommorow.  Since I had all day to fool with it I decided to implement some of the things I have learned from this forum.  I reduced the amount of yeast to 1 teaspoon and used cooler water in the hopes of slowing down the rise and getting a more flavorful bread.

It took about two hours for the dough to double in the bowl and then after forming the rolls I let rise for an hour and forty-five minutes.  I would post a picture but they look exactly the same as those in the first post.  I also weighed the dough for each roll this time to avoid the melancholy I felt on the days I had the skimpier rolls for lunch.