Homemade Hamburger Buns

We prefer charcoal grilling to gas and have found it to be super fast and easy with the use of a Chimney Starter. We use 85% lean ground beef for burgers and then simply salt and pepper them before grilling. The hamburger patty should be simple and delicious on it's own so you don't need to add a bunch of stuff to the burger. If you want to add more flavors do it with the topping choices not the actual patty. A really good resource for grilling hamburgers would be Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes. The hubby and kids bought me a signed copy for Mother's Day a few years back and I LOVE it!

Some topping ideas: sauted mushrooms & onions, cheese, bacon, tomato, lettuce, Vidalia onions, fried egg, etc.

I have a hard time going back to store bought hamburger buns after trying this recipe. I have made a few changes to it, but you can find the original here.

• 4 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 tablespoons butter, soft or melted (I use 4 tablespoons coconut oil + 1 tablespoon butter)
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/4 cup warm milk
• 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnishing the sandwich rolls (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter, for brushing on the hamburger buns

Directions

1. The original recipe called for mixing and kneading the dough by hand but I opted to use my bread machine to save some time. Place yeast, sugar, milk, and water in the bottom of the bread machine pan. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add the butter/coconut oil then top with flour and salt.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured or greased surface. Knead a few times then divide into 12 portions. Shape each portion into a smooth ball and place the dough on a greased baking sheet. Lightly pat the tops of the balls of dough to flatten them slightly.
3. Cover the tray with a towel, and leave the dough to rise again for another hour.
4. Preheat an oven to 425° F (220° C). If garnishing the hamburger buns with sesame seeds, brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake the hamburger rolls until rich golden brown, about 20 minutes. Immediately upon removing the rolls from the oven, brush their tops lightly with melted butter or coconut oil.
5. Transfer the sandwich rolls to a rack and cover them loosely with a towel to trap steam and keep the crust soft as they cool. Store thoroughly cooled rolls in a plastic container or plastic ziploc bag. Freeze any rolls which won't be used within a day.