Homemade Hamburger Buns

I've been on a huge kick to try and reduce our grocery bill each week by as much as I possibly can. So to help reduce that cost, and to enjoy a more organic way of cooking, I decided to try my hand at baking Hamburger Buns. I was daunted at first like I usually am when dealing with baking breads until I stumbled on this recipe from allrecipes.com.

Burger or Hot Dog Buns

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package of instant yeast
 2 Tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until very warm, 120 degrees F (50 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.









3. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for 30 to 35 minutes.

4. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

**For Hot Dog Buns: Shape each piece into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 20 to 25 minutes. Bake as above. These buns are pretty big. I would make 16 instead of 12.

I'm looking at the pan of hamburger buns right now and thinking that I should have made 8 instead of 12. The buns are about average size. I usually like mine a little bigger then this, but that's alright. They smell and taste delicious!