Homemade Burger Buns

With only two in the house to cook for I run into the problem of hamburger buns going  stale before I can use all eight of them up. I ran across this excellent homemade hamburger bun recipe in a Taste of Home magazine and made half a batch which gave me four beautiful fluffy buns.

 

Beautiful Burger Buns
(Taste of Home)

Yield:8 | Prep:2 hrs 25 mins. | Bake: 15 mins.

1 cup water

1 Tablespoon instant yeast

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, soft

1 large egg

3 1/4 cups unbleached All-Purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon water

1. Place the water and yeast in a large bowl; let sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to soften. Add sugar, butter, egg, flour and salt and mix until a smooth dough forms.

2. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes, until the dough is soft and bouncy.

3. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour, or until very puffy. Once the dough has risen, punch dough down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface.

4. Divide into eight pieces, and round each into a ball. Cover; let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

5. Lightly grease a large baking sheet, or line with parchment. Preheat the oven to 375˚. Shape each ball of dough into a bun by pressing down on them until they are 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Let the dough rise once more, for 30-40 mins.

6. For egg wash, combine the egg and water. For a shiny top, brush the buns with egg wash.

7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake for 12-15 mins. till golden. Remove from oven and cool on racks.