I know what you’re thinking, “Homemade burger buns, really??“. I didn’t set out to make my own buns – it just kind of happened. I wanted to make black bean burgers and we didn’t have any buns. I was too lazy to go to Kroger, so I decided I’d just make my own. They’re really simple. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise =). And now you ask, “Were they worth it? Are they any better than store bought?“. Totally worth it! Homemade is always better than store bought in my opinion. I’ll definitely be making these again. They’ll keep for a couple days in a ziploc bag and then you can wrap tightly in plastic wrap, freeze, and reheat whenever you want. My only complaint was the size of the buns. They are pretty large and I could only eat half, so next time I might consider making around 10 buns instead of 8. Other than that, I wouldn’t change anything – they’re the best buns I’ve ever ate! Enjoy!
Light Brioche Burger Buns
For the dough:
3 tbsp warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2½ tbsp sugar
1½ tsp salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds (optional)
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg. Mix briefly to combine. Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated. Mix in the butter.
2. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes. The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.
4. Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400Ëš F with a rack in the center. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
*from Annie’s Eats, originally from The New York Times
