Hamburger Buns

I know I have another Hamburger Bun recipe on here, but this recipe... This one right here... is the perfect hamburger bun.  The texture, the taste, the size, everything.  In fact, I only needed four of them, so I took four to a friend.  On Facebook that night she posted, "I have to say it publicly... Your buns are awesome!"  Now, I have been working out lately, but she was speaking of these tasty buns.  They were easy to make and better than any store bought bun you'll ever find. 

 Hamburger Buns
Source: King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion (another amazing cookbook) It's also on their website

1 c water
2 T butter
1 lg egg
3 1/4 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1 t salt
1 T instant yeast
1 t onion powder (optional)
1/2 t dried minced onion (optional)
sesame seeds (optional, but oodles better with them)

Combine all ingredients and mix them together.  (I didn't use the onion powder or minced onion.) I threw them all into a bread make and put it on the dough setting.  If you don't have a bread maker, knead it until it forms a soft, smooth dough.  Place it a bowl, cover it, and let it rise for an hour.

Once it has risen for an hour, divide the dough into eight pieces.  Shape the dough into flattened ball.  See the picture below. Place the dough discs on a greased cookie sheet.

 Let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes or until they are big and puffy.  I know you love my scientific terms and big vocabulary.  If you are going to use the sesame seeds, brush the tops of the risen dough with egg whites and sprinkle on some sesame seeds.

 Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes in a 375 degree oven.   They should be golden brown and beautiful on top. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them to a rack to cool. 

One of the best things about these buns is that you get to pull them apart.  You know how the store-bought buns are like that, and you have that one flat end?  These totally do that.  Amazing.

The next time we do pulled pork sandwiches, I'm going to use this recipe and make slider buns.  This would be a perfect recipe for that. 

In the picture above, I made cheddar-stuffed hamburgers with sauteed onions.  It was great.  These buns are out of sight!  But they will never be out of mind.  :)