Hamburger Buns in 30 Minutes

For the cheese buns mentioned in the Tomato Soup post, I just cut the buns in half horizontally (in the normal way for a hamburger bun) and top each half with cheddar cheese.  Then I put them under the broiler until the cheese is melted.  These buns freeze beautifully and are great for hamburgers (obviously) or any sandwich filling.  

This recipe makes 32 buns or do what I do and use half of the dough for cinnamon rolls. We usually end up eating 8 of the buns right away and then I freeze the other 8 for another meal or we use them for lunches for a couple of days.  I also use this dough for breadsticks.  Just pat out 1/2 of the dough in a baking sheet, brush on melted butter, sprinkle with salad supreme (sounds weird, I know, but it works) and Parmesan cheese.  Cut into strips.  I usually do about 1 inch wide and then cut the whole thing in half so they are not too long to handle.  Bake as usual.  Serve with Ranch dressing for dipping and they are just like the bread sticks from Robintinos Restaurant in Bountiful Utah.  This recipe will also work with white flour, but I always use fresh ground wheat flour.

This recipe is adapted from one I found in a ward cookbook when we lived in Spanish Fork, Utah.  I have seen the exact recipe in a dozen different cookbooks/blogs over the years.   The original recipe called for 1 cup of oil.  I cut this in half and did not have to do anything else to compensate.  I also added the gluten and the vitamin C, because I use them when making my whole wheat bread as dough enhancers.  I have made them this way for 13 or 14 years now.

Hamburger Buns in 30 Minutes (really 40-50)

Servings: 32 buns or you can make 16 buns and use the rest of the dough for quick cinnamon rolls

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 Tbsp yeast
10 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, (fresh)
1 Tbsp salt
3 eggs , lightly beaten
2 Tbsp gluten, wheat (optional)
500 milligrams vitamin C, crushed (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees *** I use my Bosch mixer to make these.  If you are using a Kitchenaid, you may want to half the recipe.***Mix together the water, sugar, oil, and yeast. let mixture rest for 15 minutes Add the flour, gluten, vitamin C, salt and eggs. The original recipe says to shape immediately. I find I get better results if I let the dough raise for another ten minutes before shaping into hamburger buns, cinnamon rolls or bread sticks. After shaping let raise for 10 minutes. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Note:
Cooking Tip: If there is a yeasty taste it is not from too much yeast, but from the water being too warm. Less yeast may be used in this recipe, but it will take longer to raise.

Shaping the buns:  I use a bench scraper to cut the dough into pieces, first in half then cut one of those pieces in half and each of those in half and then one more time until you have 16 pieces from 1/2 of the dough.  To shape, take one piece of dough and sort of pinch with your thumb while turning in order to create a dome shape gathered and pinched at the bottom.  I don't know if that makes sense, but that is what I do.  You can do whatever works for you.