To any real fan, a hamburger is never just a burger. Rather, it’s a work of art, passionately thought out and painstakingly executed. A great burger is the very extension of the grill master’s identity, the perfect blend of meat for flavour and just enough fat to keep it juicy and rich, flavoured with the right mix of spices. Top that beauty with colourful veggies, a slathering of homemade sauce and maybe — just maybe — your own homemade pickles, and most of us would call it a masterpiece.
But what about the bun?
All too sadly, most of us shop for the first buns we see in the market. We test for fluffiness (just like those old Charmin commercials), check for a bedazzling of sesame seeds and call it a day. But consider hamburger buns in the same way you would pizza crust — you don’t want them stealing the show, but they should be able to hold their own with the rest of the parade. If you’re going to all that trouble with the fillings, why not care about the bookends?
Here are three classic burger bun recipes for when you plan your cookouts this summer. They’re surprisingly easy to make — most of the time is spent waiting for the dough to rise — and you can’t beat the flavour.
Brioche buns are unpretentiously rich, full of butter and eggs, but still light and fluffy, and brushed with a thick coating of egg and milk wash for an extra-shiny golden sheen when they come out of the oven.
The honey whole wheat buns are a tad more healthful for the virtuous among us. With a nearly equal blend of whole wheat and bread flours, they’re light, almost airy, rather than dense, with just enough honey to balance the flavors of the whole grains.
But my favourite might be the pretzel buns: Made with a blend of rye and bread flours, the buns are dipped in an easily orchestrated lye dip to give them their characteristic flavour and colouring. (You could easily skip the wash and brush them with egg for colouring and sheen, topping the finished product with coarse sea salt.)
While you’re at it, don’t forget to add your favourite flavourings to the buns, personalizing any of the recipes to suit your tastes. Flavour the dough with fresh herbs, spices or cheese; top them with sesame, poppy, sunflower or other seeds, or maybe old-fashioned oats or nuts.
A freshly made batch of buns is just the right complement for the burgers you’ve been perfecting — and they also work well sandwiching brisket, pulled pork or any other glorious concoctions you plan on conquering this summer season.
Brioche Buns
Cooking time: About one hour, plus rising time
Makes: Six buns
3/4 cup milk, divided
1 package (2 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp sugar, divided
3 eggs, divided
10 Tbsp (1 stick plus 2 Tbsp) butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
In a small pan, heat one-half cup plus 2 tsp of milk over medium heat, just until warmed. Remove from heat, and pour the milk into a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir in the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar, then set aside until the milk is foamy and the yeast is activated, about 10 minutes.
Whisk two eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) until light and fluffy, about one minute. Stir in the yeast mixture and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until fully incorporated. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer running, add the butter, 1 Tbsp at a time, until incorporated.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture, one spoonful at a time, until fully incorporated.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is soft and somewhat silky (it’s a rich dough and won’t be entirely smooth), five to seven minutes. Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough overnight, then take it out the next day and wait for it to come to room temperature.)
Meanwhile, make an egg wash: Beat together the remaining egg with the remaining 2 Tbsp of milk.
Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.
When the dough is doubled (it will be very smooth and elastic), punch it down and divide it into six pieces, each weighing about 5 oz. Form each piece into a ball, pinching the seams together at the base of each one. Flatten the ball so it’s about one inch thick and place on the prepared baking sheet; continue until you have six rounds evenly spaced on the sheet.
Lightly brush each round with the prepared wash (for deeper colouring, brush the rounds a second time after the first wash has dried), and set aside until the rounds are puffed and almost doubled in size, about 15 minutes.
Bake the rounds until they are puffed and a rich golden colour, about 20 minutes, rotating halfway for even colouring. Cool completely on a rack before slicing and serving.
Honey Whole Wheat Burger Buns
Cooking time: About two hours, plus rising time
Makes: Six buns
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp, divided
1 package (2 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp honey, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
• old-fashioned oats, sunflower or other seeds, for garnish, if desired
In a small pan, heat 1 cup milk over medium heat just until warmed. Remove from heat and pour the milk into a small bowl or measuring cup.
Stir in the yeast and 1 tsp of honey, then set aside until the milk is foamy and the yeast is activated, about 10 minutes.
Whisk the egg in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in the yeast mixture and 1/4 cup honey until fully incorporated.
If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer running, add the butter, 1 Tbsp at a time, until incorporated.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours and salt. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture, one spoonful at a time, until fully incorporated.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is soft and elastic, five to seven minutes. Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size,
1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough overnight, then take it out the next day and wait for it to come to room temperature.)
Meanwhile, make a wash: Beat together the remaining honey with the remaining 2 Tbsp of milk.
Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.
When the dough is doubled, punch it down and divide it into six pieces, each weighing about 5 oz. Form each piece into a ball, pinching the seams together at the base of each one. Flatten the ball so it’s about one inch thick and place on the prepared baking sheet, continue until you have six rounds evenly spaced on the sheet.
Lightly brush each round with the prepared wash (for deeper colouring, brush the rounds a second time after the first wash has dried), and top with oats, seeds or other garnishes, as desired. Set aside until the rounds are puffed and almost doubled in size, about 15 minutes.
Bake the rounds until they are puffed and a rich golden colour, about 20 minutes, rotating halfway for even colouring. Cool completely on a rack before slicing and serving.
Pretzel Buns
Cooking time: One hour, 20 minutes plus rising time.
Makes: Eight buns
1 (1/4-oz) package active-dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 3/4 cups warm water
2 tsp light brown sugar
5 cups bread flour, divided
1/2 cup rye flour
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp butter, melted
• pretzel wash, such as lye (see note) or beaten whole egg
• coarse sea salt, for topping
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir in the sugar and one-half cup of the bread flour. Set aside until the yeast begins to bubble, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining bread flour with the rye flour and salt.
Beat the melted butter into the large bowl with the yeast.
Using the dough hook (if using a stand mixer) or a fork or wooden spoon (if mixing by hand), slowly mix in the remaining flour mixture, a spoonful at a time, until all of the flour is added and a firm, thick dough is formed.
Move the dough to a lightly floured board. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, two to three minutes.
Remove the dough to a large, oiled bowl. Cover and set aside in a warm place until the dough is almost doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the pretzel wash and heat the oven to 375 F.
Divide the risen dough into eight pieces, each weighing about 5 oz. Form each piece into a ball, pinching the seams together at the base of each one.
Flatten each ball so it’s about one inch thick.
Coat the pretzels with a wash. If using lye, dip the roll in the wash (wear rubber kitchen gloves and goggles) for 15 to 20 seconds, turning the roll over halfway to coat evenly.
Remove the round to a greased nonreactive baking sheet and top as desired (if using an aluminum baking sheet, line the sheet with parchment before greasing). If using beaten egg, brush the egg over the buns.
Use a serrated knife or razor blade to make a crosswise slit into the top of each roll about one-half-inch deep. Sprinkle over the coarse sea salt. Set the rounds aside until puffed and risen, about 15 minutes.
Bake the pretzel rounds, one sheet at a time, in the centre of the oven until puffed and a rich golden brown (colour will vary depending on the wash), about 20 minutes. Rotate the sheet halfway through baking for even colouring.
Remove the baking sheet to a rack, and set aside until the pretzel buns have cooled completely before slicing and serving.
Note: Food-grade lye is the classic wash for pretzels. It can be found at some cooking supply stores and online (do not use common lye; it is not food-safe). To make enough wash for one batch of buns, dissolve 1 ounce (about 2 Tbsp) food-grade lye in 1 quart of warm water (add the lye to the water, not the other way around) in a glass bowl.
Wear gloves and goggles while using this wash. Lye can burn if it comes into contact with your skin or eyes.
Five styles to wash
Bread recipes frequently call for some sort of wash, or glaze, before baking. Sometimes, a recipe may call for egg, sometimes milk, even butter. Different washes are used to achieve different results. So how do you choose the right one for your project?
Egg: Using beaten whole eggs will give colour and sheen to a bread. Egg yolk provides rich colour, browning easily in the oven; egg white provides a nice sheen.
Milk: Brushing with milk will lend colour to the crust, as the sugars in the milk help to brown it.
Water: Water is often sprayed or brushed onto bread before it is placed in a very hot oven — and while it bakes — to give the bread an extra-crisp crust. Water added to an egg wash thins the wash so it brushes more easily.
Butter: Butter gives the bread a softer crust and richer flavour.
Sweeteners: Honey, maple syrup, agave and other liquid sweeteners will give bread a sweeter, softer crust.
