Hamburger, the small grilled or fried beef patty we are so familiar with today, comes from the city of Hamburg, Germany. The burger, as it is often called, became firmly established and synonymous with American cooking at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, and America never looked back the fast- food chains made sure of that.
Enclosing the cooked meat between toasted bun halves was popularized around 1940 with the birth of what is currently the oldest and largest of these establishments. From my point of view, at least, you could say, “It’s the bun that makes the burger.”
This recipe for hamburger or hot dog buns is not for the most common type, but I personally like them better.
Ingredients
- SPONGE
- 11⁄2 ounces (40 g) fresh compressed yeast
- 1 quart (960 ml) warm low-fat milk
- 1 ounce (30 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (27 g) granulated malt extract or 3 tablespoons (45 ml) or 2 ounces
- (55 g) honey
- 2 pounds 2 ounces (970 g) bread flour
- DOUGH
- 1 pound 4 ounces (570 g) bread flour 2 tablespoons (30 g) salt
- 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
- Poppy or sesame seeds
Instructions
1- To make the sponge, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Using the dough hook, mix in the granulated sugar, malt extract or honey, and the flour. Continue mixing until the sponge has a smooth, pastelike consistency, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours.
2- To make the dough, reserve 2 handfuls of the flour and mix the salt with the remainder. Add this to the sponge and knead for 1 minute or so to combine well.
3- Add the oil and contin- ue kneading for 8 to 10 minutes, adjusting the consistency by adding the reserved flour as required to make a medium-stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.
4- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough to coat with oil, place a damp towel on top, and set aside to rise in a warm location until the dough has doubled in volume.
5- Punch down the dough, cover, and let rise a second time until doubled in volume.
6- Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, approximately 1 pound 14 ounces (855 g) each (do not punch down the dough or otherwise tighten the gluten). Form the pieces into even strings.
7- Cut each string into 8 equal pieces. Form the pieces into round rolls. Set the rolls on sheet pans lined with baking paper, leaving about 3 inches (7.5 cm) between them. Set aside in a warm place until the dough has relaxed and the rolls have just start- ed to rise, about 10 minutes.
Baking
8- Using a flat, round object about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) in diameter, flatten the rolls to make them 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. Spray or brush with water, then sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds over the tops. Let rise until slightly less than doubled in volume.
9- Bake at 400°F (205°C) for approximately 15 minutes or until baked through and golden brown.
