Burger Bun
Now that summer is here it’s time to dust off the BBQ (unless you are South African in which case it is out all year round) and get grilling! Every great burger deserves a great bun – something which many burger restaurants overlook (hence I always order without the bun because I just cannot bear a bad bun).
Ingredients
Dough:
- 500 g Plain white flour
- 150 g Whole milk Can be straight from the fridge
- 150 g Water Can be straight from the tap
- 75 g Unsalted butter
- 10 g Salt
- 2.5 g Instant yeast Or 5 g dry active yeast Or 10 g fresh yeast
Glaze:
- 1 Egg
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Sugar
- 1 tablespoon of Water
Decoration:
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- If you are using instant or fresh yeast measure all the ingredients into a bowl. Bring them together and then turn the blob of dough out onto the counter. Knead well for 10 minutes. For guidance on kneading, see here.
- If you are using dry yeast, measure the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the flour and measure in the yeast. Pour on the water and let the bowl sit for 15 minutes while you have a nice cup of tea. A beige sludge may or may not form on the top of the water. Don’t worry about it – you just need to dissolve the yeast. If you have never done it before, see here. Then, measure in everything else. Bring it together and then turn the blob of dough out onto the counter. Knead well for 10 minutes. For guidance on kneading, see here.
- Return the kneaded dough to the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let it sit for 1-2 hours or until it has visibly doubled in size. Then, pull it out onto a non floury surface and divide it into pieces. The size of the bun depends on the size of the burger. 100 g is a BIG bun. 50 g is a small bun. I usually make mine 75 g.
- Shape each piece into a tight ball (see here for guidance) and place the balls on a baking tray you have lined with non stick baking parchment. Leave a lot of space around each ball because you will squash them flat in the not too distant future and they will expand. Maybe 12 on a “normal” size baking tray.
- Cover the balls with a tea towel and let them sit for 20 minutes. Then remove the towel and, with the palm of your hand, gently but firmly press the balls so they are no more than 1 cm thick. Cover them again and let them rest for another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, turn on the oven to 220 degrees c.
- Just before putting the buns in the oven, press them flat again (don’t worry – you will be amazed at how much they rise) and then brush some of the glaze over the top. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and pop them in the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes (check after 15 that they are not getting too brown and if they are, cover them with foil or parchment). Take them out and tap the bottom of a bun. It should sound hollow. Let them cool completely on a wire rack and then make the burgers to match the buns!
- YUM. Your life will never be the same again!If all of this seems a bit overwhelming, come and take a baking class with us. They are fun, you learn loads, and your sense of achievement is fantastic! You can learn to bake bread in London, you can learn to bake bread in Berkshire, you can take bread classes in Oxford and take bread classes in Essex/Suffolk! We have bread classes in lots of places in England!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Mine were TO flat, Was perfect and puffy until i flattened them like in the recipe before putting into the oven, wish i didnt now 🙁
I love my buns kind of flat because I hate having HUGE mouthfuls of bread on either side of my burger. Don’t you love the fact that we are all different. Try them again and this time either don’t squash them or squash them less. Your buns, when you don’t squash them, will be completely round as opposed do disc shaped. Have fun!