Hamburger/sandwich buns

[ShadowsDad]

Lynnes (from http://www.primogrillforum.com) Hamburger Buns

Yield: 12 buns

Lynne gives credit to :

“Two Hour Buns Fermipan Quick Rise Yeast Rolls”

These buns are fantastic and fast!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water (lukewarm, below 115°F) (350 g)
4 TBL sugar (48g)
3 TBL oil (37g)
½ tsp salt (3 g)
1 TBL Quick Rise instant yeast (9.2g) ( I just use what I have on hand. It works fine. I think it's red star.)
1 egg
3 1/2-4 cups bread flour (divided) or enough to make the dough workable (520 g) (I use King Arthur bread flour and it works fine)

Misc. Flour for the working surface and hands


Directions:

Do in the order listed. KA users, Don’t use the kneading attachment, use the mixing attachment. In the Ankarsrum I use the scraper and roller.

Mix yeast, sugar, salt, 2 c flour, and ½ the water with the mixer in the mixing bowl. Turn off.

In a separate bowl mix the egg and oil. Add to mixer bowl.

Rinse egg/oil bowl with the remaining water and add to mixing bowl. Mix until incorporated. As it’s mixing you adjust the flour to form a loose dough. It will be sloppy, but you’ll need to hand form the buns, so make a suitable dough. Knead long enough to fully develop the gluten. Before the gluten is fully developed the dough will be messy, afterward, not so much, but it will NOT be like a bread dough. It will be a bit looser. I have no idea how to test for fully developed gluten in a KA. In the Ankarsrum toward the end of kneading, 6-8 minutes, you might get a dough ring, and the dough will definitely get "satiny" looking. If your dough isn't fully developed it will stick to your hands terribly in the bun forming stage.

Turn the mixer off. Allow to rise for 15 minutes.

Turn the mixer on, to punch the dough down. Turn off and allow to rise another 15 minutes.

Flour your countertop and turn the dough out onto it.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, divide each piece into 2, then each of those into 2 again. You’ll have 12 equal pieces (82g).

Flour your hands and form the buns by gathering the dough at the bottom and forming a round smooth top. Pinch the dough at the bottom together. Adjust size by flattening and spreading them after forming them into a round. Sort of like a tiny pizza, but not to that degree. Just use the hands.

Place into a greased pan ( I prefer butter but I don't know why real grease or lard wouldn't work), pinched bottoms down. Allow to rise 1 hour. Bake in a 350°F oven for 15-18 minutes. Cool and use.

Variations:
Use a brushed on egg wash ( 1 egg with a few TBL of water, then mix the bejabbers out of it), and sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, diced onion, or whatever you want on the tops of the buns before baking.

Too, dough enhancers can be added, but absolutely are not mandatory. They do change the texture of the buns you might like the change or might prefer the original recipe. I sometimes add 1 TBL of lecithin and 1 tsp of ascorbic acid (vit' C). 3/8 of a cup of non-instant dry milk (not a typo) would also enhance the dough, but I haven't tried that yet. What these additions do is to make for a very soft bun and lengthen the time until they stale.

Note: If you have a silicone work mat use that instead of the floured countertop. If using the mat, just butter your hands and keep them buttered to work with the dough.

[dosco]

Brian:
Thanks for posting.

Too, dough enhancers can be added, but absolutely are not mandatory. They do change the texture of the buns you might like the change or might prefer the original recipe. I sometimes add 1 TBL of lecithin and 1 tsp of ascorbic acid (vit' C). 3/8 of a cup of non-instant dry milk (not a typo) would also enhance the dough, but I haven't tried that yet. What these additions do is to make for a very soft bun and lengthen the time until they stale.

Have you tried the tangzhong method? That would be another simple way to make an interesting texture. Similarly adding cooked and mashed potato and using potato water should result in a similar "tangzhong" texture.

Regards-
Dave

[Squire]

Thanks for the reminder Dave. This is a bread making process I've thought about but never tried.

[ShadowsDad]

(Sigh) So many things to try, so little time, and as I age I eat less and less. But I still love food!

I haven't tried it yet Dave, but I have run across it. It's somewhere on the list of things to try. But before trying that technique I want to develop a killer sourdough rye and I haven't even started on the sourdough rye.

I wouldn't try it on the buns, they're OK as they are. I just had to post that disclaimer that adding dough enhancers will change the texture. I think I prefer the buns without the enhancers.