Homemade Sandwich/Burger Buns - In One Hour. Yes, that's right!

This Saturday, I asked Craig if he would would venture into learning how to make Pulled Pork on our Weber Grill.  Since that process took almost five hours, and involve babysitting the fire and soaking chips-- there was no way I was going to buy store bought hamburger buns!  I remembered that Cathy, from Wives with Knives, had posted her version of Homemade Sandwich Buns.   Fine. Go and peek at her gorgeous photos. But, come back and I'll show you how easy they are to make.  Are you still me? Let's go!  I made mine with a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, but I'll also tell you how to make these with your own two hands.  You need instant yeast, to make these in under an hour.  I like to use SAF Instant Yeast.  You'll need whole milk, honey, water, butter, one egg, yeast and unbleached flour.  

I've added 4 cups of the unbleached flour and reserved 1/2 cup into the mixing bowl.  I've also added the instant yeast and the kosher salt.  Now, to see how the wet ingredients are doing, temperature-wise. A thermometer is very helpful, to make sure you don't add liquid to the flour and yeast that's too hot.  First you want to heat the liquids until it's at 120F.  As you can see, my thermapen accurately registers at 126F.  I waited a few more minutes...

The instructions say to add the egg to the hot liquid, which has cooled down to 120F.  I turned on the mixer on low speed and...Ooops... I added the egg. No worries, the warm milk mixture is coming next, and all is well.  Using my New Metro beater blade the ingredients are blended together... for 1-2 minutes.  Now, I switch to the dough hook. 

I let the machine do the work, for about 5 minutes.  I am so pleased that the dough comes together and it's no longer sticky. I only added a wee bit more flour. 



IF USING YOUR OWN TWO HANDS:
Mix 2 cups of the flour, yeast and salt. Mix into the milk mixture. Stir in the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition.
When the dough pulls together, (it will form a soft ball) turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about 5 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 equal parts. A scale is a handy tool to use, to ensure equal sizes. Otherwise, eyeball it! Shape into smooth balls, flatten slightly, and place on a silicone mat, or parchment covered baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic film and allow to rise in 30-40 minutes.
TIP: I preheat my oven to WARM, and then turn it off. I place the dough to rise, and they were perfect in 35 minutes.

30 minutes later, I opened the oven door. Yessssssssss! They are ready to bake.

 I also have a "Bun Pan", so I used that. I wanted to compare which method I prefer as a baking tray.

These have risen perfectly.

Normally, I would brush an egg wash over the dough. I like how it makes the buns shiny. Only I ran out of eggs.  I have a Plan B.  The oven is preheated to 400F.  I bake them for 10 minutes, and decide 2-3 minutes more is a good idea.

Plan B:  Immediately brush melted butter, once I remove them from the oven. 

My oldest brother has arrived for dinner.  We have pulled pork we just took off the grill. The buns are cooling, the homemade BBQ sauce is ready.  The homemade slaw is ready and the beer is chilled.  I tell you this, because now my photography becomes rushed.  My finished rolls don't look as beautiful as Cathy's.   It's time to eat:

I grab a bun, and the bread knife easily slices through it. I love the texture! Now, to build a Pulled PorkSandwich. First, a pile of tender and juicy smoked pulled pork. Next, some homemade BBQ sauce...

Gotta add the slaw and now to add the top of the bun.

VERDICT:  While the bun looks rather "Plain Jane", it's The bun is a success. I love the texture and it's perfect.   These are so easy to make, that I doubt I'll ever buy store bought again.  The bun pan helps to shape the buns nicely. But, the baking sheet works fine, too.

Oh. The rest of the recipes?  Are you curious how I made them. It's coming! I decided to break down each dish as a separate post.  It was a lot of work, but I've missed not being able to cook for a week.  I took a lot of photos and I look forward to sharing the rest of this meal with all of you.  Cathy, thanks for sharing this easy recipe. It's my turn to share it with more people!  

A printable recipe is at the very bottom of this post.  

With love, from my oven to yours,