My sister Lauren visited some dear friends in California who are amazing cooks.  She was snapping iPhone photos of every meal they had, and one looked better than the next.   One afternoon, she snapped a shot of homemade hamburger buns and I was inspired!   I’m much better at breads made with yeast these days, so I decided to give them a shot.  Surprisingly, they were easy to make, they rose like champs and they were delicious.   I served them with turkey burgers hot off the grill.   My boys LOVED these and would have been happy to have bread and water for dinner that night if I had let them.

Homemade Hamburger Buns
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast (this is slightly more than 1 package of yeast)

Place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Using a bread hook, mix the bread for about 7 minutes, until it looks smooth and stretchy.  The dough should stick slightly to the bowl of the mixer when it’s done.  If the dough seems dry, add a little more warm water.   When the dough is ready, place it in a greased bowl, cover it with a damp towel, place it in a warm area and let it rise until it has doubled in size.  This can take up to two hours.

When the dough has doubled in size, place it on a lightly floured surface, deflate it, and divide it into 8 equal pieces.  Shape each of the pieces into a nice, smooth, rounded ball.   Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.   Flatten each of the buns until they’re about 3″ or so in diameter.   Cover the buns (I’d cover them with plastic wrap and spray the plastic wrap with oil so it doesn’t stick to the dough), place them in a warm area and let them rise for a hour.  They won’t double this time, but they’ll definitely rise again.

Preheat the over to 375°F.    Cook the buns for 15 – 18 minutes, or until they’re a nice golden brown.   Once cooked, you can brush them with melted butter, if desired.

Yield:  8 hamburger buns

One year ago: Southern Biscuits
Two years ago: Raspberry Maple Scones
Three years ago: Peanut Butter Pancakes with Chocolate Chips
Four years ago: Double Chocolate Cookies