We make our own hot dogs and burgers these days, and if you’ve not done so yet, you owe it yourself to try; it’s fun, fabulous and very soul satisfying indeed. Naturally, if you go to all that trouble, you aughta make buns at home as well, right? Here’s how.
Burger or Dog Buns
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 – 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 heaping teaspoon active dry Yeast
1 Tablespoon granulated Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Egg
Heat the milk, water and butter to roughly 100° F. Fill your primary mixing bowl with water as warm as you can get outta your faucet and let it sit until warmed through.
Mix 1 cup of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt together thoroughly.
Put the wet mix into the drained mixer bowl; add the dry mix and mix by hand. Crack the egg and reserve a teaspoon of egg white. Mix the rest of the egg into the blend.
Add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing until the dough pulls away from the mixer bowl, leaving it more or less clean.
Continue to knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
NOTE: You can do this entirely in your mixer if you prefer; just use the dough hook and mix/knead on low speed.
For hamburgers, form 6 equal balls, place on a greased baking sheet and flatten into roughly 3″ discs.
For hot dog buns, form six rectangles about 3″ x 6″, then roll them up tightly along the long axis and fold the ends in on themselves. Place on a greased baking sheet, seams down.
Allow to rise for about half an hour. Preheat oven to 400° F.
Mix egg white with a 1/4 teaspoon of cold water.
Brush buns with egg white mixture and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove and allow to cool before cutting.
UrbanMonique 