Rollin' With My Homies

I hit the kitchen to ensure there would be no lack of freshly baked breads to nourish my family while camping last weekend. I literally came with about half a paper grocery bag full. (And four were left at the end of the weekend.) And I’m just now telling you about it, I know, you hate me. You were just dying to know this. It’s okay, these wounds will heal.

We were camping, so we of course needed some hamburger and hot dog buns. Now, I know it’s tempting to just pay the damn $.99 at the store for some buns instead of waiting through the rising and kneading for ten minutes and all that fun stuff. But I promise you, pinky swear on a double dog dare that these are worth it. Even my brother who turns his nose up to anything that defies Pillsbury kept sneaking these.

Hamburger Buns & Hot Dog Buns Worth the Work

Not Quite Right, but Still Yummy Potato Rolls

My parents were raving about potato buns and were so sad the Amana bakery doesn’t make them anymore. So I decided to surprise them and make up a batch. I was confident I nailed it. Turns out I didn’t.Even though I went to the work of using locally grown potatoes and all the process of boiling and mashing by hand, I still didn't. Apparently the bakery used potato flour to make an amazingly soft and fantastic potato roll. This led to one of these conversations with my grandpa I will cherish forever as he shared baking secrets with me such as the ratio of potato flour to put in bread to give it some extra softness and that malt will do amazing things to the flavor of white bread. We talked for at least an hour around the picnic table and I wish my memory had a record mode so I could relive it for years to come. He shared tales with me about experimenting with bread doughs for better recipes, long hours in hot bakeries, rebuilding bakeries from the group up, and the good times with family over the years of a part of the Amana heritage my family has had a key role in. I was enthralled and I don’t know that I’ve ever felt such a tie with my grandpa before.

Hamburger & Hot Dog Buns Worth the Extra Work
 
The original recipe was from allrecipes.com, but I did some changes to this and I think it made for a tastier bun. The original didn't allow for rising time, which I feel would have made for a much denser bun. I like some fluff.
 
Ingredients
 
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast  (2 1/4 t.)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
 
Optional:
1 egg plus a little water to make an egg wash
Sesame seeds
 
Directions
 
1) In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until very warm, 120 degrees F (50 degrees C).
 
2) In a large bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, transfer to a large bowl coated with oil. Turn dough once to coat with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour. (Or half an hour in my oven like sewing room!)
 
3) After dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
 
4) Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. (At this point I coated the buns with an egg wash and sprinkled the sesame seeds on top.) Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for 30 to 35 minutes.
 
5) Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
 
For Hot Dog Buns: Shape each piece into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly, and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 20 to 25 minutes. Bake as above.
 
Calories per bun: Apx. 230