Homemade Hamburger Buns

Summer is unofficially here again! I love that I live in New England and get to enjoy four distinct seasons. The start of a new season always gets  me excited. I don’t think I could ever live without the changing seasons, because when the seasons change so do the menu options. Since it is now past Memorial Day, my weekends will be filled with a lot more grilled food, especially hamburgers, my summer favorite. I  used to buy hamburger and hotdog rolls all the time, but now that I have found a really good recipe and mastered the secret to achieving a soft and fluffy roll, it is hard to go back to the store version. These rolls are different than my kaiser roll recipe (which I love), in that they are soft on the outside as well as the inside,  whereas the kaiser rolls have a thin and slightly crispy crust. I really love the kaiser roll for a deli sandwich, but I think this hamburger roll recipe is  perfect  for when you are looking for that classic soft but sturdy roll.

Ingredients:

•  12.85 oz (364 g, a little over 2 and 3/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 TB sugar
• 1.5 oz (43 g, 1/4 cup) potato flour
• 1.25 oz (35 g, 1/4 cup) non-fat dry milk
• 2 tsp. instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1.5 oz (42.5 g, 3 TB) canola or vegetable oil
• 9 oz (255 g, little over 1 cup) warm water

Procedure:

1. Combine all your ingredients into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook. Mix until no bits of dry dough remain. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
2. Knead the dough by hand or machine. When the dough is fully kneaded it will be smooth and very elastic. This will take 10-12 minutes by hand or 6-8 minutes by machine set on medium-low speed.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. For this dough especially I like to use my dough proofer, I find that in order to get a really light and fluffy roll it helps to have a nice warm and humid climate, which is exactly what the proofer offers. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in bulk, about 1-1 1/2 hours. If you poke the dough with your finger the indentation will remain, if it springs back quickly allow the dough to keep rising for another 15 minutes then recheck.
4. Divide the dough into  10 equal pieces (about 3 oz each). Roll them into tight balls. Place them  a sheet pan lined with parchment paper with enough space in between them so that they can expand to almost triple their original size once baked. It is okay if they rise together and touch a little bit when they bake. Cover them with oiled plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for about 1-1 1/2 hours. You want them to more than double in size. This will ensure a light roll that won’t be too bready. This was something that I had to work on. I sometimes have trouble waiting and put them in the oven too soon, only to be disappointed with the final product. They should look like light and fluffy pillows, you will even see some air bubbles under the skin of the roll.
5. Preheat your oven to 350 degees about 30 minutes before your rolls are ready to go into the oven.
6. Lightly spritz the tops of your rolls with water and sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds on them if desired.
7. Bake them for 20-25 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown color. Allow them to cool on a wire rack for 15-30 minutes before slicing.

adapted from: King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion Cookbook

This recipe was submitted to Yeast Spotting