Burger Buns

Super soft buns for a special burger night at home.

Ingredients

• 450 g bread flour (90 %)
• 50 g whole wheat (10 %)
• 100 g liquid natural yeast (ready = about 4 hours after feeding if maintained at 26-28 °C) (20 %)
• 230 g of milk (46 %)
• 100 g butter (20 %)
• 1 egg (= 55 g, 11 %)
• 30 g granulated white sugar (6 %)
• 5 g diastatic malt powder (1 %)
• 10 g salt (2 %)

• extra milk to brush
• sesame seeds

Instructions

Kneading

Sift flours in the mixer bowl, add the natural yeast and the milk while mixing with the K attachment. Add and mix sugar and diastatic malt. Once incorporated change to hook attachment and add and mix the egg, lightly beaten, and salt. Finally, mix in the butter, very soft but not melted. When the gluten has developed, stop mixing.

Bulk/First Fermentation

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container and cover in plastic wrap. Let it double in volume (4/6 hours at 26-28 °C).

Shaping and proof

Transfer the dough over a floured surface and degas it well. Divide the dough in smaller balls of 160-170 g each for regular size buns. Shape each ball until smooth and round, and place on an oven tray covered with parchment paper. Place them pretty distant as they will proof and increase in size. Brush the surface with oil and cover with plastic wrap. The oil only serves to avoid the plastic to stick to the buns. Let it proof until almost doubled in volume (about 3 hours).

Bake

Preheat the oven at 230 °C (450 °F) and place a pan with water. Generously brush the buns with milk and sprinkle white and black sesame seeds and cook for about 20 minute removing the pan filled with water after the first 10 minutes. If they are getting to dark cover with foil. To keep them soft and moist, cover the buns with a couple of cleaned kitchen towels right when they come out from the oven still in the oven tray. Let it cool completely.

Notes

If you make smaller buns (mini buns), reduce the cooking time and keep an eye on them. If you don’t have diastatic malt, just leave it out.