Homemade Hamburger Buns

It's been high barbeque season for a while, and though I've been a little quiet this summer, I'd like to share a hamburger bun recipe for your next barbeque. Sure, it takes more time than going out and buying a bag of pre-made buns, but it's more fun to make things from scratch. Oh, don't tell me I'm the only one. I used a recipe from Nicole of Baking Bites, so clearly I am not alone.

Sure, it takes some time to let the dough rise, but if you let that happen in the fridge overnight, you can avoid spending hours watching dough rise. Now I may be the only one who does that for entertainment, but that is why I used the fridge trick this time.

The original recipe calls for whole wheat flour and brown sugar, and I swapped it with all-purpose flour and honey. The buns were soft and sweet, and I would make them again. If not in this barbeque season, then certainly in the next one. You should really consider making them too!


Hamburger Buns
adapted from Baking Bites

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup oats
2-3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Combine 1/4 cup of the water with the yeast in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, until foamy. Stir in the rest of the water, honey, oats, salt and 1 1/2 cups of flour.
2. Using the dough hook attachment on the mixer, mix the dough together. Add in the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough comes together into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
3. When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured flat surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or overnight in fridge.
4. Let dough rise until doubled in size. If left to rise in fridge overnight, let thaw for about 1 hour. Once doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press into a rectangle. Divide into eight equal pieces.
5. To shape the buns, draw up the corners of each piece of dough and pinch together, forming a tight ball. Place, seam side down, on a parchment/Silpat lined baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.
6. Sprinkle the tops with black sesame seeds and let rise for 45 minutes, covered with a clean dishtowel, until almost doubled in size.
7. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. The rolls will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. The rolls will soften slightly as they sit. Recipe makes 8 buns.