Everything Hamburger Buns

After an almost 5 year break, I decided to come back here and check in. A lot has happened in the last five years! The youngest graduated from high school, gone off to college, come back HOME from college (due to COVID-19) and has a girlfriend we just love, the second  youngest got married to a fella we adore, graduated from college, and made me a GRANDMA, the second oldest has graduated from college and has a great job and a girlfriend we love and lives only a couple of hours away from us, and our oldest moved from IL back to IA and has a job and a church and a life he loves as well.  God is good.  Ron and I are enjoying a semi-empty nest, with kids coming back here and there for a short while as they need.  We are happy and blessed!

I still love cooking and baking, and that is one of the reasons that I decided to pop back on here.  This is an easy spot to share recipes when people ask for them.  Today (in the midst of our stay at home/no school/no church services due to this virus that is hitting our country hard) Ron wanted to make breaded pork tenderloins.  Since I love to bake, and have a yummy recipe, I decided to make some hamburger buns to go with them.  Several people have asked me for my recipe.  Never mind the naysayers who tease me and say, "You know they SELL hamburger buns at the grocery store, right?"  But, they don't sell hamburger buns like THESE at the grocery store!

I have made these for several years, and have combined a few recipes to get them to turn out the way I like them best.  So...here ya go!  

1 c. warm water

1 T. yeast

1/4 c. sugar 

3 -3 1/2 c. flour

1 t. salt

1 large egg, beaten

2 T. unsalted butter, softened

EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING

Mix together 2 t. each 

sesame seeds

poppy seeds

minced dried onion

minced dried garlic

1/2 -3/4 T. Kosher salt

1 egg white, beaten (for brushing on the baked buns)

• Add the yeast and 1/2 of the sugar to the warm water and let sit 5-10 minutes, until the yeast is bubbling and active.  
• Add 3 cups of the flour, salt, softened butter, egg and the rest of the sugar to the water/yeast mixture.  (IF desired, add 2 T. of the everything bagel seasoning, or a couple of tsp. of dried onion powder)  Knead (I use my Kitchenaid stand mixer.)  Knead for 3-5 minutes.  Add more flour if needed, to make a soft and tacky (but not sticky) dough.  
• Place in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm spot, covered, until about doubled in size.  (This usually takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  )
• Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface roll into a ball.  Divide the dough in to 8 equal pieces (about 3 1/2 to 4 oz each).  Roll into a ball (I usually do that similar to what is shown in this video  )
• Place on a cookie sheet or (I prefer) a baking stone.  Flatten them slightly and gently.  Cover and let them rise again until they have doubled in size.  This usually takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour.   Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375.
• Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and, working quickly, brush with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with Everything Bagel Seasoning.  (Or for just onion rolls, sprinkle with dried minced onion.  Or for sesame rolls, sprinkle with sesame seeds.)  You have to be quick and brush one roll, then sprinkle with seasoning.  If the egg white dries, the seeds won't stick.
• Return the buns to the oven and continue baking 5-8 more minutes, until they are golden brown on the top.  Remove from the oven and cool on a baking rack.  Wait until they are mostly cooled to slice.  They are good with any kind of patty....breaded tenderloin, buffalo burger, hamburger, bratwurst patty. 

ENJOY!