Homemade Hamburger Buns and Fries

I never thought that I would ever make homemade hamburger buns.  It's something that's really easy to pick up at the store.  But boy, was I missing out!  These homemade buns are to die for.  You'll never go back to store bought after making these.  

We adapted this recipe from a recipe in the book called 200 Fast & Easy Artisan Breads.  We found that the original was too sweet, so we cut the sugar. The original also makes a dozen rolls, we like it better cut in half. One other modification that we like to make is doing half whole wheat, half white flour. 

Beside flour, salt, yeast, and water, the key ingredient to artisan bread is patience. Like most artisan breads, the gluten is not formed by kneading, it's formed by resting. For this and several other reasons, I find this recipe to be the easiest. 

While patience is important, it is not always necessary, but there are trade-offs to be made. You have temperature control. The warmer the liquid going into the dough, the faster it will rise. Room temperature also plays a part in this process. The downside: when a rise happens fast, the flavor is reduced. I recommend a liquid temperature between 90 and 100 degrees (F); it will allow the dough to rise relatively quickly and help the flavor to improve. If you are in no hurry, lower the temperature down to 80 degrees. If you find that the dough is rising too fast, punch it down, and if you would like, put it in the refrigerator.

So there you have it. Please try it out; you won't be disappointed. Don't forget to send us pictures, and post comments. 

Ingredients: 

(Serves 12)

• 6 1/2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 Tablespoons of Instant Yeast
• 1 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Cup of Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cups of Milk
• 1 1/2 Cups of Water
• 1 Mixing Bowl with Wooden Spoon (Or Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment)
• 2 Sheets of Parchment Paper

Directions:

Mix thoroughly together all dry ingredients, including the yeast. Microwave the milk for a couple of minutes. Keeping temperature in mind (no more than 130 degrees F), add the water to the milk, and mix into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or stand mixer just until everything is absorbed by the liquid. You don't want to mix this too long. Continue by scraping down the sides  of the bowl and covering with plastic wrap for a few hours or until it has doubled in size. 

After it has risen, it will be very sticky. Don't hesitate to knead in a little more flour if necessary. Clean latex gloves work great to protect your hands from the very sticky dough. Press down the dough into an inch thick slap and cut much like you would biscuits; I use a large tumbler cup. Stretch the cut pieces of dough to be about a half-inch in diameter smaller than your hamburgers. Space evenly on a parchment papered cookie sheet. Cover again and let rise for 15-30 min. Bake in preheated oven at 400 for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Variations: Mini Hamburgers (AKA: Big Mouth Bites)

Baked French Fries

The great thing about these is that because they are baked or pan fried, they are so much better for you.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Potatoes per Serving
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive/Vegetable Oil per Serving
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Paprika or Chili Pepper as Desired
• 1-2 Quarts of Boiling Water

Directions:

First, peel potatoes if you would like, otherwise wash them very very well. Cut each potato into strips or wedges. Try to make them uniform so they cook evenly. Put sliced potatoes in a large bowl and pour the boiling water on top. Soak potatoes for 3-5 minutes. Drain water and add oil and salt and pepper and other spices as desired. I usually just eyeball this step. I like my fries really salty so I add a lot. Mix until they are coated evenly. Spread evenly on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes.  

I will warn you that these will take a while to crisp up. I usually let them cook for about 25 minutes.  After that if they are still not crispy enough I'll broil them for a few minutes. Enjoy!