Yeast Breads: Hamburger Buns

Even people who make their own bread have a tendency to buy hamburger or hot dog buns. Some have this idea that they're difficult to make, but they're really not. You can form hamburger or hot dog buns from any basic bread dough. This one is made with white bread, but you can make buns from rye dough, whole wheat dough, or even sourdough.


Ingredients


1 recipe for Basic White Bread
2 tbsp water
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tbsp water


Preparation


Unlike recipes such as Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks or Slashed Dinner Rolls, you'll notice this one has an extra 2 tbsp of water. This is added to the recipe for Basic White Bread to make the dough just a little bit stickier. The extra water helps the hamburger buns spread out instead of directly up, giving you a bun that is a little wider but not as high.


Make the Basic White Bread according to the recipe directions up until after the first rise. Make sure you added the extra water to recipe. Punch down the dough and divide into 8 portions for larger buns, 12 portions for smaller buns. If you're making sliders, you'll want to make the buns even smaller still. Shape each portion into smooth balls and flatten. You'll want to flatten them until they're about ½-inch thick. Not thinner than that, but not too much thicker either. If you're making hot dog buns, you would shape them into longer ovals, but they'd still be the same thickness.


Let the buns rise in a warm location until they're doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Once risen, combine the beaten egg and 1 tbsp of water to make an egg wash. Brush this wash over each bun.


Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until the buns are golden and sound hollow when tapped. Cool completely before using for hamburgers or hot dogs.


Store baked buns in an airtight container for up to 3 days.