August 4, 2009 - 9:28am
Hamburger buns from Saveur
I had just come back from a month-long vacation in Asia where I gorged on fresh seafood and vegetables every day, so I was craving for some good old-fashioned hamburger. Fortunately, Saveur had the hamburger for its Sept. issue focus story. The sesame seed bun recipe for 12 buns took only 4 hours from start to plate. The texture was soft without being airy like the commercial kind, and the taste with just a hint of sweetness- perfect with salty blue cheese burgers.
1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
1 1/3 cups milk heated to 115F
1.5 tsp. + 2 tbsp. sugar
4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 lightly beaten egg
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
3 tsp. sesame seed
- Mix yeast, milk and 1.5 tsp sugar; let foam.
- Stir in remaining sugar, flour, salt and egg. Mix with paddle on low speed until dough forms.
- Replace paddle with hook and add butter. Knead on medium high speed until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 8 minutes.
- Let rest in an oiled bowl until doubled, about 2 hrs.
- After bulk fermentation, divide dough into 12 and shape into tight balls.
- Let balls rise in parchment-lined sheets, covered with oiled plastic, for about 1.5 hrs.
- Spray tops with water, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake in 400F oven until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.
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Those look fantastic and quick :)
What differences would you say the heated milk made on the finished product? Taste, texture, or just a quicker rise with the elevated dough temp?
Zigs,
I think the heated milk is just to facilitate quick rise.
Nice job, they look great and thanks for the review Cake Diva. I read the same article and meant to copy the recipe but forgot, so I’ll print yours. I like trying different burger buns, and as you say certain nuances highlight flavor aspects of what's going in the buns. Good to know this got an A O.K.
I’ll try it soon.....keep on baking
Dosi
I have been using a similar recipe that started out with one from KAF. I use it for buns, sweet rolls and a great sandwich bread.
On KAF's website it is under Sandwich Bread and Devonshire Splits
I use dark brown sugar in place of white sugar and I use the dry baker's milk and KAF bread flour rather than the AP. Also I make a starter or poolish the night before with about 30 percent of the flour, an equal amout of water and a very small amout of yeast (1/4 tea). I think this really adds to the flavor. It is one of my "standard" breads that I make in a large batch and then use for loaf, rolls and buns.
Dave
Dave,
I can imagine your method results in a more complex flavor, certainly the way to go but not for us laggards and procrastinators always rushing last minute to do things. =)
Handsome!
This is the perfect yeast roll that I have been working for. It works great for hamburger buns, you could even place shredded old cheddar on top for a nice cheese bun.
I plan to experiment on the weekend with 80% flour and 20% rye flour, hopefully the flavour will be very complex albeit cheating with instant yeast.
dwcoleman,
I know what you mean about yeast. I, too, feel a strange guilt over using yeast in my bread recipes- the same feeling I get with a simple and easy-to-make recipe that turns out well. Somehow, somewhere, I got this notion that I have to slave over food for me to get a feeling of accomplishment. LOL! --cake diva
I tried making them in a hot dog form, they weren't very good IMO.
Hamburger buns are just awesome though! I usually scale out at 80g for a smaller roll, or 100g for a jumbo one. I add old cheddar on top before the bake for an awesome cheese bun!
Wow, these are great!
I made these for tonights dinner and couldn't be happier with the results! As a relative newbie to bread baking, this is easily my most successful project to date!
A huge thank you for this recipe!
I have tried several and found this recipe to be the best. Nice soft interior and good crust, which makes for an excellent bun that holds up to big quarter pound burgers with all the fixings and it doesn't fall apart from juicy burger or tomato. I've been making this bun recipe since it was first published here on August 4, 2009 and just realized I had not posted a comment on this recipe.