Hamburger Buns

 These buns are amazing (like most homemade bread is) and the best part is you can make them to suit you whether you want them to be whole wheat (much cheaper than at the stores), green for St. Patricks Day, or any other if you want to show off your support for a favorite sports team.

Last year when I made these on St. Pattys day we had perfect bright green buns. My kids laughed until their plates were clean. This year I wanted to get pictures of the original and the green, so I tried to add the food coloring after they rose, and it just didn't work. So if you want to color yours make sure you add the coloring into the batter before you let the dough rise.

Hamburger Buns

Recipe adapted from Rosa's Yum Yums

1 c lukewarm water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter or dairy free margarine, room temperature
1 Egg

3 1/4 c flour

1/4 c fine granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp Instant yeast

1 Egg yolk + 1 Tsp water (for tops)

Sesame seeds (for tops)

Sprinkle the yeast into the water and leave for 5 to 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir to dissolve. In a big bowl, combine yeast/water, egg, butter/margarine, sugar, salt and flour. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured working surface or use mixer and knead for about 10 minutes until you've made a soft, smooth dough. Place the dough in a clean and lightly greased bowl and cover it with a towel and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place the buns on greased baking sheets, cover and let rise 30 to 40 minutes, until they're quite puffy and doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Glaze the buns with the egg yolk and water mixture, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns for 12 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oven, cool them on a wire rack and cut in half.