Homemade Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

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Why do I make homemade hamburger and hot dog buns using this easy, delicious recipe? Because when you remove GMOs and processed foods from your diet, some of the convenience items, like hamburger and hot dog buns, are no longer an option. But considering the many benefits of doing this, making your own becomes a joy. (Learn more about GMOs)

I began making homemade buns just over a year ago and have perfected this recipe for my family. I like this recipe because it’s so versatile. It can be used for hamburger buns, hot dog buns, rolls, I guess anything you want it to be. All you have to do is decide what you want to make and shape the dough accordingly.

Just a few notes about this recipe before we dive in:

 1) In warmer, more humid weather you’ll need to use a little more flour to absorb the liquid in your recipe.

 2) This dough will not be stiff like a bread dough. It’s supposed to be relaxed, or slack. This means you will want to be careful in adding any flour past the 6 cup mark to avoid having heavy buns. Just add ¼ cup of flour at a time until your dough is barely kneadable and only sprinkle enough while kneading to keep it from sticking to your surface and hands.

 3) When your buns are in the last 20 minutes of the 2^nd rising (just before baking) slash the top of the buns or use your fingertips to compress the middles. Since dough rises from the center first, this keeps your buns from mounding in the middle.

4) Decide what type of crust you want.

Crusty top – brush with water before baking

Soft top – brush with egg before baking

Very soft top – brush with butter after baking

5) Be patient with yourself. Consistently successful bread baking is a skill that comes with time and experience. You’ll develop your own style and skills as you continue to bake. This recipe is super easy and a good one to start with.

6) If you want to make this a sourdough recipe, use 1 cup sourdough starter and 1 ½ cups warm milk as the liquid. Use only 1 package of active dry yeast. Learn how easy it is to make your own sourdough starter.

All of my ingredients are Non-GMO, organic. If you don’t use these, or don’t eat that way, no worries, your ingredients will work just fine.

Total Prep Time 3 hours (including 2 hours of rising time). It will get shorter the more familiar you become with the recipe 🙂

Equipment you’ll need for this recipe:

• Large bowl

• Dish towel to cover your rising dough

• Measuring tools – cups and spoons

• Kneading board or other surface

• Large knife to cut the dough

• Parchment paper

• Baking sheet

• Cooling rack

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Packages active dry yeast (this is a about 2 Tablespoons)

½ cup warm water (105/F to 115/F)

2 Cups warm milk (105/F to 115/F)

1Tablespoon raw, organic Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tablespoons coconut oil – at liquid state OR olive oil

2 round teaspoons real salt (this means kosher or sea salt)

6 to 7 ½ cups of any flour your like (all-purpose)

 Instructions:

In your large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Add the yeast and stir well to dissolve.

Next, add the warm milk, apple cider vinegar, oil, and salt. Stir to mix thoroughly and to finish dissolving the yeast.

Now, add 3 cups of the flour to the liquid and beat well for 2 minutes. After the 2 minutes, slowly add ½ cup of flour at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and begins to make a ball. It usually takes 1 ½ – 2 cups to get there.

Turn the dough out onto your floured kneading surface and knead for about 8 minutes, or just until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Remember: you don’t want to add too much flour to the dough while kneading. Only add enough at a time to keep it from sticking to the kneading surface and your hands.

Let the dough rest by placing it into an oiled bowl and turn the dough so that the entire dough ball is coated. I oil the bowl I mixed the dough in and use it. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rise until doubled in size. This usually takes at least one hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

When the ball is doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly oiled surface and shape into an evenly dispersed oval. These cutting directions will make 18 hot dog, hamburger buns, or medium size rolls depending on the size of your cuts.

Using your sharp knife, cut the dough into thirds.

Then, cut those thirds in half;

and then those halves into thirds.  

This is the step that is determines the size and kind of buns you are desiring to make. You can make the buns bigger by cutting the halved pieces in half instead of in thirds. This will make very large hamburger buns or rolls. The hot dog buns are too thick, I think, if you cut the halves any larger than into thirds. Actually, I often cut them into fourths for the size hot dog buns we like. If I want breakfast buns, I make them smaller than hamburger buns and then use them for toast, breakfast sandwiches, french toast….

Now that you’ve cut the dough, shape them into the buns you want.

For hot dog buns: gently roll the dough into a cylinder shape

For hamburger buns: gently roll the dough into a round shape (this is for rolls as well)

As you get the dough balls shaped, place them on parchment paper lined baking sheet(s). For buns with soft sides, place them ½ inch apart on the baking sheet. For crispy sided buns, place them 2”- 3” apart. Press down lightly on the center of each bun to flatten its top. As mentioned in tip 4 above, this prevents the buns from doing the majority of their rising in the middle, causing a misshapen bun. 🙂

Once you’ve finished shaping all the dough, cover with a towel and let them rest and rise until doubled in size. 15 minutes before you want to put them in the oven, preheat it to 400 degrees.

Bake 20 minutes or until the desired brownness is achieved. Remove to a wire cooling rack just until cooled. Use warm or let cool completely for storing.

Small Hamburger Buns

There you have it, fresh, easy, delicious homemade hamburger/hot dog buns, or rolls.

Be sure to let me know how the recipe works for you and what you think by leaving your comments below. You can also use the Contact Me page to reach me personally. If you like it, why not share it with your family and friends and on your social media pages. We appreciate the sharing love 🙂

Safe and Happy Journey,

Rhonda and The Pack

 

 This post is shared on Homestead Blog Hop and Simple Life Sunday