Yes, I realize you can buy hamburger buns at the grocery store for, like, 79 cents. Yes, I realize that this takes far more effort and time than picking up a bag of easy, quick, cheap and adequately-tasty hamburger buns off the store shelves. 

But.

These are worth it.  Yes, store-bought hamburger buns are just fine.  But why spend all of that time making the perfect burger just to eat it on a tiny, flimsy mass-produced bun?  I promise that your effort will make your hamburgers taste even better.  These are firm but still soft and chewy, so they’ll hold up to even your biggest burgers and all your toppings.  De-lish.

For me, the hardest thing about this recipe was the egg wash at the end.  My little buns were all poofy and pretty, but when I used the egg wash they deflated a bit, and I was sad.  They did rise in the oven again, but next time I’ll be more careful with my egg wash.  If you want to spice things up a bit, sprinkle some minced onion and garlic powder on top instead of the sesame seeds.  I promise you’ll love these.  Please, please try them!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons lukewarm milk
1 package active dry yeast
2 and 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Sesame seeds

In a small glass bowl, combine warm milk, 1 cup warm water, yeast and sugar.  Let sit about five minutes or until foamy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together bread flour, all-purpose flour, and salt.  Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until crumbs begin to form.  Using the dough hook on your mixer, add yeast mixture and one beaten egg, mix until a dough forms, about 7 minutes.  Dough will be tacky but not sticky, and should not stick to the bowl.  If dough is sticking to the bowl, add flour a teaspoon at a time until it pulls away.  Extra flour = tough buns.  Go easy with the flour!

Shape the dough into a round ball, kneading slightly by hand if necessary.  Place in a well-greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.  Try to find a warm place for your dough to rise.

Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.  Divide dough into 8-10 even size pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and flatten slightly to form a disc.  Place rolls on baking sheet 2-3 inches apart, or just 1/2 inch apart, depending on what you want.  If you want soft sides, you want them to bake together, so place them 1/2 inch apart.  If you want stand-alone rolls, place them 3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and let rise again in a warm place for 1-2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon of water and brush some on top of buns, taking care to coat the entire top of roll.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.  

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Slice in half with a serrated knife before serving.
Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen