Who ever thought I would go to the trouble to make hamburger buns at home? And then, who would have thought that after having found a recipe I really did like, I would continue to search for a truly perfect bun? Not I, though Ben is probably less surprised. But here I am, and the search is over. Thanks to Deb at Smitten Kitchen for doing all the real work of the search, all I really had to do was enjoy the spoils. Ben teased me for making burger buns the first time around, but I think now he understands why it is worthwhile. These buns are truly fabulous. It’s not easy to describe just what it is that makes them the perfect burger bun – the sturdy but light texture, the subtle sweetness, the golden crust for starters.
These really weren’t any more difficult to make than any other yeast bread or sandwich bun I’ve made before. The only road bump was that after the second rise, I checked the shaped rolls to find that they had spread and expanded so much that they had filled the whole baking pan. I was so frustrated and was ready to throw in the towel, but in an effort to save them, I just reshaped the rolls, topped them and popped them in the oven. It worked out perfectly and they were delicious. So either keep a very close eye on them during the second rise or just reshape them. Either way, it will be fine and they will be great!
If you are looking for some ideas of what to put on these buns, here are some of our favorite burgers:
Salmon Burgers
The Perfect Hamburger
Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Stuffed Italian Burgers
Stay tuned for another great burger to put between these buns tomorrow!