Recipe: Soft and Sturdy Burger Buns

Burger Buns

I've been making these rolls for over a year now. Well, I say "these rolls," I started with a similar recipe that I originally found on a website called Cowbridge Kitchen (https://www.cowbridgekitchen.com/), feel free to check them out. After some experimenting and adapting to create a great recipe that’s easy to follow and doesn’t require any time spent in a bakery, I’ve decided to give you a go-to recipe for burger buns or just rolls that will stand up to filling.

The recipe has been designed to hold a burger, which has placed it on the sweeter side with a soft mouthfeel needed to complement your favourite all-beef or, in my case, plant-based patty. The dough has the addition of egg and a small amount of fat to push it towards an enriched dough; these qualities also make it great to pair with cheese and ham as it has a very slight croissant flavour.

Ingredients

Most breads share somewhat the same ingredients, but there are a few that are worth discussing as there are options.

Flour

Strong white bread flour is a must. The gluten in it allows your buns to rise. However, even within this category, there are variations.

Until recently, I would've told you that all strong white flour is the same. Brands and price tags make no difference, and to some extent, this holds true. However, it doesn't tell the whole story. If you go into the supermarket or your pantry and find something labelled 'Strong White Flour,' this recipe will work. It's what I regularly use. Make sure it says 'strong,' but beyond that, you're good to bake.

A while back, I needed flour for pizzas or rolls—I can't remember honestly. There was no own-brand available, so I bought some Canadian extra strong flour. I noticed a difference in working with the dough. This wasn't a one-off; I've worked with it since. There's an additional softness when working it. It won't revolutionize your baking, but it adds something. I'd say it has given pizza dough more life than it did with the buns, but the extra stretch is there. I've tried other more expensive specialist white flours for pizza and honestly, the benefits didn't match the price increase, except in the case of Canadian extra strong flour. The crux of this is: buy strong white flour. If possible, go for the extra strong. If it's not within your budget, don't worry and stick with the standard.

A short note on wholemeal flour: it makes perfectly fine rolls. Typically, it has less gluten and is often used as a half wholemeal, half white mix. Its malty flavour might be a bit odd in this recipe but give it a try if you like. If you choose to do so, I'd recommend increasing the water content by about 15 millilitres, as it's absorbed more readily by wholemeal varieties.

Flour, being your primary ingredient, could be a topic of its own, which might be covered in the future. But for a burger bun, you can't go wrong with the standard.

Yeast

There are typically two types of yeast readily available in stores: instant or quick yeast, and active yeast. For this recipe, we're using instant yeast. The flour amount has been adjusted to work with a standard 7-gram sachet of yeast, at least in the UK. Personally, I use yeast from a pot and measure it out, both because I use it frequently and it reduces plastic waste.

https://www.allinsonflour.co.uk/products/easy-bake-yeast

If you have dry active yeast, don't worry, you can still use it. Instead of adding all the ingredients at once, put the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a separate bowl or jug for ten minutes to activate the yeast. Combine it with the flour when you're ready to mix.

Oil or Butter

A previous recipe I used to follow used butter, and after some experimentation, I found that oil works as well. Both add something different. The important part is the fat. There are interactions with other ingredients from a chemistry standpoint, but with the result in mind, fat provides a fuller, creamier, yet soft mouthfeel. If you choose to include melted butter the colour will be more yellow in addition to the egg yolk influence, and it’ll have a buttery flavour. Olive oil, however, gives a slightly nuttier nuance and is lower in saturated fats, which your body will appreciate. That said, if you're stuffing a burger in it, this might be less of a concern.

Egg

I’d use a medium or large egg, free range of course, we want to look after our chicken friends as much as possible. The egg is important for the fats and proteins it coats the flour with. The size of the egg arguably won't matter much. Some people buy eggs with intensely orange yolks, but personally, I find this to be marketing. On the one occasion I used them, there was a noticeable colour difference in the rolls, but that was about the only change.

Troubleshooting

Helping you troubleshoot problems is a challenge with one-way online communication, but I'll cover a couple of issues I've seen in past baking projects, both my own and others'.

Water

A common question is about water temperature. We're looking for warm water, which is admittedly a bit vague. Yeast works optimally at around 38°C (100°F); it will work at a lower temperature but will take more time. What you want to avoid is hot water, which can kill the yeast. A foolproof method for getting your water ready is to take 50ml of boiled water and mix it with the remaining 110ml of tap water—basically, two parts cold to one part hot. If it's cooler, don't worry; it'll take a bit longer to proof.

Rise

In the instructions below, I've provided images to guide you on the amount of rise you should expect to see, but keep in mind that proving times will vary more due to the environment than other factors. People sometimes follow a recipe exactly and still don't get the desired results, often due to proving times. Many recipes call for two one-hour proves, as you'll see below as well. However, this assumes a warm environment—again, a vague term. In this case, "warm" means room temperature, around 23-25°C (73-77°F). If it's cooler, the prove will take longer. Most instructions you find will tell you to wait until the dough has doubled in size because size is a better indicator than time, without a controlled environment. A rule of thumb I've found is that if it's doubled in size, you'll know. If you're unsure, add half an hour. If it's clearly not doubled, give it another hour. If it still hasn't risen, your yeast might be old. To test your yeast, mix a bit with a teaspoon of sugar in warm water. It should create foam in five to ten minutes.

Frustration

If for some reason things aren't going your way, take a step back. Cooking should be enjoyable for the process and the results. If at least one of those applies, you're doing fine. Many things in life are out of your control, and sometimes mistakes happen—just chill.

Recheck the ingredients list; it's not uncommon to forget an ingredient. Did you let the bread prove long enough? Did you preheat the oven? Are your ingredients still within their expiration dates?

This is one of those situations where the problem is within your control. There are few instances, if any, where a bread roll is so urgent that it's worth stressing over. Relax, grab a drink, come back—it's only a couple of hours in total. If you're desperate, send someone to the shops. Things go wrong. Getting annoyed shows you care. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

Storage

These rolls will remain fresh for about three days in an airtight container. In truth, they'll likely stay good for longer, but they might not be as soft. One thing to note is that sometimes I like to use salt flakes and pepper instead of poppy seeds. Salt absorbs moisture, so although they'll still be edible, they might become a bit damp after a day or so.

The Recipe

Ingredients List

• 400 grams of Strong White Flour
• 40 grams of Caster Sugar
• 7 grams of Instant Yeast
• 1 teaspoon of Salt
• 25 grams of Olive Oil (approximately 2 tablespoons) or Melted Butter
• 1 Egg
• 160 millilitres of Warm Water
• 25 millilitres of Milk
• Poppy Seeds (or other seeds)

Instructions

1. Add the flour to a large mixing bowl, preferably the bowl of a stand mixer, though it's not required.
2. Next, add the sugar, yeast, and salt to the bowl, but keep the salt separate from the yeast on the other side of the bowl for now.
3. Beat the egg in a separate bowl with a fork or whisk.
4. Add the beaten egg, oil or melted butter, and warm water to the bowl.
5. Knead the mixture using a dough hook (speed 2 on a KitchenAid) for about 6 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 10 minutes. When the kneading is done, the dough will be smooth and will spring back slightly when poked with a finger.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl. Pour a couple of drops of olive or vegetable oil into the bowl and use it to grease the bowl.
7. Place the dough back into the mixing bowl, and cover it with a tea towel.
8. Leave the bowl in the warmest place available to rest for an hour, or until doubled in size. This might take longer depending on the ambient temperature.

Before First Prove

After First Prove

9. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into six roughly equal pieces using a bench scraper or a knife.
10. Take one piece of dough and flatten it slightly on the surface using your hand.
11. Fold in two opposite sides of the dough to the centre, then fold in the other two sides. Repeat both sets of folds once again. This will create a ball of dough with seams only visible underneath.
12. Repeat this process for the other five pieces of dough.
13. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the dough pieces evenly spaced.
14. Press down firmly on each roll to flatten them slightly; they might spring back a bit, but that's okay.
15. Cover the rolls with a tea towel again and leave them in a warm place for another hour, or until they have doubled in size once more.
16. Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F) with a tray that has a rim placed in the bottom.
17. Brush the rolls with milk or, alternatively, a mixture of beaten egg and water. Milk is cost-effective and works well.
18. Coat the rolls with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or other topping of your choice if you're feeling adventurous.
19. Once the oven is preheated, pour a small cup of water into the separate rimmed tray that was preheating in the oven, and then place the buns on the middle shelf.
20. Bake the buns for approximately 15 minutes, until they're golden on top.
21. Allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack.
22. Once cooled, enjoy your delicious homemade burger buns!