Homemade Burger and Buns

Burger Buns
Yield: 8 4-inch buns

1 cup warm water
2 TBS melted butter
1 large egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS instant yeast
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Mix all ingredients together and knead until the dough comes together and is soft and smooth, about five minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and cover; let rise for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. You can do this part with the breadmaker. I made the dough by using breadmaker.

Turn the dough out onto the counter and divide into eight even pieces. A scale is the most accurate way to accomplish this task. Taking each portion of dough in turn, press it flat against the counter to degas the dough. Then pull up the edges and pinch together in the middle to form a nice, smooth ball of dough. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.Cover the buns with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour, until they are nicely puffed.

Once the buns are about finished rising, preheat the oven. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the top of each bun with a wash of egg. Add sesame seeds, if desired. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the buns are beautifully golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing and using or freezing.

For the assembly of burger buns, you can use beef patties, chicken patties or anything you want. I used homemade beef patties and used cheese to make it a perfect beef burger. The easy way to melt the cheese on burger is to put the cheese on the patty while on the stove, and cover it with a steel dome shape cover for the cheese to melt.

Enjoy the yummy homemade burgers. This same recipe can be used for buns and submarines also.