In preparation for the holiday weekend, Friday at lunch I pulled together some hamburger bun dough. I know this seems insane, since I work full time. If I didn’t have a KitchenAid, I wouldn’t do it. It only took about 15 minutes to do.

Instead of letting it rise, punching down, etc. I put the dough in the fridge to be dealt with later.

The buns are from Peter Reinhart’s book “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread.” I chose version 2 only because I didn’t have any whole milk in the house but I had some buttermilk. I think I would like to try the recipe with whole milk because I thought these came out a little crumbly, but I live at altitude. But, it’s totally worth making these even if it is the only bread you make.

Mary

Homemade Hamburger Buns

4 ¼ c. unbleached bread flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

3T sugar

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 large egg, slightly beaten at room temperature

¼ c Butter, margarine or shortening at room temp.

1 ½ buttermilk or whole milk at room temperature

1 egg wisked with 1tsp water until frothy, for egg wash

Sesame or poppy seeds for garnish

1. Mix together flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the electric mixer. Pour in the egg, butter and 1 ½ cups plus 1T water. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment till all flour is absorbed and the dough forms a ball. If the dough seems very stiff and dry, trickle in more water until the dough is soft and supple.
2. Mix on med. Speed with the dough hook adding more flour if necessary to create a dough that is soft, supple and tacky but not sticky. Continue mixing for 6-8 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl, but stick slightly to the bottom. Dough should pass the windowpane test and register 80°F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
3. Ferment at room temperature for 1 ½ or 2 hours or until double in bulk (the length of time will depend on the room temperature).
4. Remove the fermented dough, turn onto a floured board and divide into 12-3 oz. pieces. Shape pieces into tight rounds. Mist the dough lightly with spray oil and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rest about 20 minutes.
5. Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment or a Silpat. Gently press down on the rolls to form desired shape. Transfer to the sheet pans.
6. Mist tops of the dough with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Proof the dough at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until it nearly doubles in size.
7. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the buns with the egg wash and garnish with poppy or sesame seeds if desired.
8. Bake the buns for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden brown and register just above 180°F in the center.
9. Buns should cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Gourmet Burgers

Burgers are one of those things that you can make into whatever you want. There are endless combinations and ideas for what you can make them out of, stuff them with, or top them with. Take these as options as suggestions, but make them your own. Be as creative as you can!

Serves 6

2 ¼ Lb. Ground Beef

Salt & Pepper

Lettuce

Tomato

Shredded Parmesan Cheese for Frico

Blue Cheese

Onion Jam

Mustard

Ketchup

Homemade BBQ Sauce (Stay Tuned…)

Divide the meat into 6 oz. portions. Shape into balls then press into hamburgers gently trying not to compact the meat too tightly. Make a slight indentation with your thumb in the middle of each patty (one side only). If possible, let rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Season the patties with coarse salt and pepper. Grill over high heat for 4-5 minutes, flip and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes. Remove from grill and let sit covered for 5 minutes before serving. Top with any combination of ingredients that suits your fancy! Some suggestions: BBQ with Blue Cheese or Onion Jam with Frico. What are your favorites?

To make Frico, heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add ¼ c. of cheese to the center of the pan. Let cook until the cheese firms up enough to flip it over. Take a spatula and gently flip the frico, let crisp on the other side. Remove from pan and let cool on a Silpat or parchment. The frico will be pliable when warm and you can place it over a bowl or cup to shape it for other uses. For burgers, just let cool into a disc to be placed on top.

Burger with frico and onion jam…yum!

Do your life to spice up your burger or do you prefer something more traditional? Tell me about your favorites!!

Kelly

I am not Jewish but I was inspired to make challah today. Maybe it was the start of Chanukah? Maybe it was our party coming up on Saturday? I first made challah when I was probably 16 and made it for a family event. One thing about challah is that is one of the easiest breads you will ever make and it looks the most impressive. I hadn’t made it in 30 years until today , and poof! It came out perfect! I am thinking of putting it in a basket with rolls next to our smoked pork and beef for next weekend’s graduation party. Stay tuned!

Mary

Challah
From The Bread Baker’s Apprentice (Canada, UK), by Peter Reinhart.

Ingredients: 

4 cups (18 ounces) unbleached bread flour
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (.25 ounce) salt
1-1/3 teaspoons (.15 ounce) instant yeast
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) vegetable oil
2 large (3.3 ounces) eggs, slightly beaten
2 large (1.25 ounces) egg yolks, slightly beaten
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp to 1-1/8 cups (7 to 9 ounces) water, at room temperature
2 egg whites, whisked until frothy, for egg wash
Sesame or poppy seeds for garnish

Instructions:

Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and yolks, and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon (or on low speed with the paddle attachment) until all the ingredients gather and form a ball. Add the remaining water, if needed.

Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and knead for about 10 minutes (or mix at medium-low speed for 6 minutes with the dough hook), sprinkling in more flour if needed to make a soft, supple, but not sticky dough. The dough should register approximately 80°F (27°C).

Lightly oil a large bowl. Form the dough into a boule and transfer into the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment for 1 hour at room temperature.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for 2 minutes to degas. Re-form it into a ball, return the ball to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and ferment for an additional hour. It should be at least 1-1/2 times its original size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 3 equal pieces for 1 large loaf, or 6 pieces for 2 loaves. (Or, for a celebration challah, divide it into 3 equal pieces and combine 2 of those pieces and form them into 1 large dough. Take this larger piece and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Take the smaller dough and divide it into 3 pieces as well; in the end, you will have 3 large pieces and 3 small pieces.) Regardless of the size of the loaves you decide to make, form each of the pieces into a boule, cover them with a towel, and let them rest on the counter for 10 minutes.

Roll out the pieces into strands, each the same length, thicker in the middle and slightly tapered toward the ends. Braid them using the 3-braid method shown. (If making the celebration challah, lay the smaller braid on top of the larger braid, gently pressing the smaller braid onto the larger to adhere.) Line a sheet pan with baking parchment and transfer the loaf or loaves to the pan. Brush the loaves with the egg wash. Mist the loaves with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap or place the pan in a food-grade plastic bag.

Proof at room temperature for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the dough has grown to 1-1/2 times its original size.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) (325°F (160°C) for the celebration challah) with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Brush again with egg wash.

Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking for 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the loaf. The bread should be a rich golden brown and register 190°F (88°C) in the center.

When done, transfer the bread to a rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.

Yield: Makes 1 large braided loaf, 2 smaller loaves, or 1 large double-braided celebration loaf