Homemade Sandwich Buns
Deeply bronzed without, and butter and brioche-like within, these buns invite all kinds of sandwich fillings. They are terrific too for hamburgers.
Servings: 8
Calories: 300kcal
Equipment
- A stand mixer outfitted with the dough hook
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 422 grams bread flour
- 54 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 large beaten egg
For glazing the buns
- 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
For decoration
- Poppy seeds or sesame seeds -- a sprinkling for each bun
Instructions
- Pour the water and milk into a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave until the liquids achieve 105-110°F -- 30-45 seconds. Whisk in the yeast and sugar. Let sit until the mixture foams -- 5-10 minutes.
- In the bowl of the standing mixer, whisk together the flours and salt. Then add the butter, and rub it between fingers until the flour turns slightly crumbly -- about 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and the beaten egg.
- Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough at low or medium-low speed for a full 10 minutes. Then scrape the dough (it will be sticky) onto a non-floured surface and knead it a few times by hand. Grease or dampen your hands if the dough is too sticky to knead.
- Form the dough into a ball. Then drop the dough, smooth side down, into a large, greased bowl. Invert the dough to grease the other side. Cover the bowl with cling film, and then place the bowl in a warm location until the dough doubles in volume -- 90 minutes to 2 hours.
- Punch down the dough to deflate it. Put the dough on a non-floured surface, and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into smooth-topped ball (see video), and place on a large parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with greased cling film.
- Immediately place a pan of water on the bottom of the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F. In about 30 minutes, the water will achieve a boil and fill the oven with steam.
- Just before baking, brush the buns with the egg-wash and sprinkle on the poppy or sesame seeds.
- Bake the buns in the humid oven until they puff fully and color deeply -- about 18 minutes. Cool to room temperature before slicing.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 458mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg