February 26, 2013 - 6:13am
Buns
This recipe looks wonderful and easy. However, it calls for a hamburger bun pan. What is that? Is it necessary? Can I mold them by hand and let them rise free instead? Thanks
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/seeded-hamburger-buns-recipe
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I often make square-ish sandwich buns using a pair of small jelly roll pans. At six buns per pan they come out tall with rounded tops. I have thought of looking for something like a short muffin pan, to keep them round as they rise, but, as I suspected it would be, the one I saw at the King Arthur shop (look under bread and pizza pans at the "shop" link on the recipe page linked above) was too expensive for my needs.
You can make free-form round buns but they end up relatively disc shaped in profile at their edges. The buns can't rise as tall at their edges without being supported. If you place the buns close enough together to support one another as they rise in a pan with sidewalls they will obtain a good height with a more pleasing profile but will not stay round in shape where they meet and will (obviously) assume the shape of the pan/mold on that side. You'll get either oddly irregular shapes, in a round pan/mold, or regular rectangles in a rectangular pan/mold.
Hope this helps,
Sam
So the buns ahould be touching while they rise?
I scale the dough at 95-100 grams, form into tight balls, rest them briefly, then flatten to round discs. The discs are placed close to the pan edges and about one inch from one another. Pan is parchment lined, dusted with cornmeal. The buns smoosh together as they rise. I let mine nearly triple in volume, then whole egg wash and bake in a 440°F oven.
So you recommend using a square pan? One with sides like a brownie pan? Or more like a baking sheet?
Flat cookie sheets and standard half sheet pans didn't work for me. The buns seemed to need slightly higher sidewalls to achieve the overall height I wanted.
I found that using rectangular pans helped keep the sandwich buns the same size and shape. I didn't want random, irregular shapes like the buttermilk cluster rolls baked in a round pan and pictured near the top of the right-hand sidebar of this page, and here.
Hope this helps,
Sam
ramekins for HB buns. I have 2 different sizes depending on how big the meat will be and if I'm trying to be be traditional in shape. Seems to work fine and the bun is the right size and round - not that I give a hoot about such things :-) I'm making them in a square pan, like cinnamon rolls, next time and see how they do. I've also had good luck baking them free form \ on a rimless cookie sheet by just making round balls and smooshing (a great bakijng term) them into a flat disk for proofing , like you would in a square pan.
How about using English muffin rings? Sure a heck of a lot cheaper ths KAs $31 pan? I think I paid around $4 for mine.
Also, you can easily find a recipe for the everything bagel topping. I did a google search when I made bagels. I didn't save it because they were all about the same.
I'd prefer not to buy anything. I have so many(too many) gadgets/pans/pots/etc already. I don't want to spend the money. And if it's superfluous, I don't want to support the racket.
If it's necessary I'll get something, so I totally appreciate your idea. But I use a cup to cup my English Muffins and they come out great. If I can get away with freehanding or improvising, I'd rather do that. Is that possible? Can I shape by hand?
Also, are we allowed to let things rise longer then prescribed? I have to run out for an hour and a half. This first rise is for an hour. Can I let it go a little longer? Thanks