Maximum Bob

Standard supermarket burger buns are stodgy, cardboard-like and unpleasant. The same is true of hot dog rolls. I previously blogged about using Warburton’s Milk Roll (toasted) as a good alternative for burgers, but today I made my own buns, and quite successful they were too.

For Burger Buns

8oz Pasta Flour (I used Doves organic)
8oz bog-standard strong white bread flour
1tbsp Freebake dough improver (this is half what you’d use for a wholemeal type loaf)
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 sachet Freebake easyblend yeast
1/4 pint milk, heated to just short of boiling in microwave
1/4 cold water, to make 1/2 pint liquid with milk, and cool milk to correct temperature.

(The correct temperature for the liquid is just a little bit warmer than your hand.)

Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, and start to mix on slowest speed using a dough hook. Add the liquid and when it has mixed in (the mixture should be on the sticky side), double the speed of the mixer and leave running for 5 minutes.

Leave the dough to rise in the bowl in a warm place (oven on at this point, around 200°C in a fan oven).

When the dough has doubled in size, oil a worksurface, and empty the dough from the bowl onto the surface. Gently compress and then (with oiled hands) shape into rolls. I made 8 quarter-pounder size rolls with this batch. Shape the rolls, and then flatten them to about the height of a crumpet on your (oiled or non-stick) baking tray. Cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place to double in size. You could at this stage brush with egg and coat with sesame or poppy seeds, if you like that kind of thing.

Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until they look brown and sound hollow when tapped. Because they’re coated in oil, the crust is nice and crispy, but the milk makes the crumb soft and just the right kind of chewy. Pasta flour adds a warm golden colour.

For Hot Dog Rolls.

A similar recipe, but this time using Italian 00 (I used an organic one from Waitrose) instead of the pasta flour. Same amount of heated milk and water, but also add an egg for extra stickiness and flavour. This dough is just slightly more sticky than the burger bun dough.

When you shape the rolls (again on an oiled surface with oiled hands), this time roll them into sausage shapes, getting them as smooth-looking as possible. Length is up to you. I keep them fairly short because my kids can’t eat huge quantities of bread. Don’t place them too close on the baking tray, or they’ll all blend together.

Leave to double in size, or even bigger if you forget about them for a bit, then cook in oven (on 200°C, fan oven, or 220°C for a conventional) for about 13-15 minutes. Cool on a rack. Some people can’t resist them warm, but I actually think they’re better when completely cool but still fantastically fresh.

The texture should be light and fluffy, with the golden hue from the egg yolk. Fantastic with frankfurters or sausages, or just scarfed down with butter when fresh.