Mum's Burger Buns

Burgers are a quick and easy meal that my family loves, but I rarely have burger buns on hand so I adjusted this bread recipe to fill the need.

These are so easy to make, use ingredients most people have on hand, and are great for burgers or sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups water
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup powdered milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp bread machine or “instant” yeast

Combine ingredients in the order given. Select “Dough Setting” on your machine. Start the cycle.

Tip: While your dough is mixing, place a pot of warm water inside your oven, and heat it to 170F. Turn off oven and keep the door closed. This turns your oven into a “proofer” for the second rise of your dough. Remove the pot of water before preheating to bake.

Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper, and sprinkle it with cornmeal. When your machine is done, remove the dough from the pan. Divide it into 12 equal pieces — I like to use our kitchen scale to do this as accurately as possible.

Form each piece into a ball, tucking and pinching the edges underneath. Gently flatten them into patties approximately 1/2” thick, and place on the baking sheet. Cover with a greased piece of parchment, and place a damp tea towel on top. Place in a warm, draft-free spot, and allow to rise for 25-35 minutes.

Brush the top of the buns with some egg wash and sprinkle them with sesame seeds or, if you prefer a softer bun, you can leave them bare and brush them with butter after baking.

Bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes, or until the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.