Easy BBQ/Burger Buns

We have recently made a commitment to ourselves to make more from scratch when we can. Everyone knows what it's like battling inflation, and one way to do that is to stop buying convenience. I grew up in poverty, and have some skills for making a dollar stretch - this is just putting that into practice!

On days when I can work from home, I've decided to "restock" my "homemade kitchen" as much as I possibly can. We make our own coffee creamer, cold brew concentrate, chocolate syrup, flavored simple syrups, jams, jellies, pickles, and more - so why not add bread?!? We were gifted a stand mixer for our wedding, and she's been putting in WORK lately.

However, one thing that's super important to me, in particular, has been not undertaking tasks that take up too much of my time. I absolutely love these rolls, because they took about 25 minutes to make, which is faster than I could have driven to the store and back (since we forgot to pick up buns this week for our bbq pork).

Plus, look at them!

I could have made these all a uniform size, but since we are feeding 2 adults and 3 kids that range in age from 1 to 11, I actually love letting everyone pick out the size that corresponds to their hunger level. So, let's get to it! I'll also include the cost per item so you can see how this stacks up to the store buns!

You Will Need:

• 2 T Active Dry Yeast ($0.21 when you buy in bulk)

• 1 Cup Warm Water (free)

• 1/3 Cup Melted Butter ($0.66 - to save money you can use vegetable oil)

• 1/4 Cup Sugar ($0.07)

• 1 Large Egg (or 4 quail eggs, in my case) (variable, free for me)

• 1 tsp Salt (under $0.01)

• 3 Cups Bread Flour ($0.94 - to save you can exchange for All Purpose Flour, but you may need up to 3 1/2 cups)

Additional Items for the top:

• 1 Egg Yolk (1 quail egg)

• 1 tsp Water

• Sesame Seeds

My total recipe cost was $1.89, which isn't bad considering the quality of ingredients! The cheapest hamburger buns at our local food lion are $2.19, but these buns are larger, fluffier, softer, and just all around better than that. I would compare these to an artisan bun, which is $3.79 or more here in our local store.

Instructions:

1. Add yeast, sugar, and warm water to a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until mixture is foamy and smells like yeast.

2. Whisk in egg.

3. Add salt and flour. I recommend adding half the flour, then turning on your mixer. Add the rest of the flour as the mixer is running.

4. Let your dough hook mix and knead for you for 3-5 minutes. It should look like one large ball, where the dough is not sticking to the sides of the bowl and clings to itself.

5. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees at this step. By the time you're ready to put them in, it will be ready.

6. Remove dough from mixer and divide into 8 pieces. I do this by dividing the dough roughly in half, three total times. Place them on parchment paper or a greased baking sheet. I like to flatten down the tops a little bit so I have flat circles that look like buns in this step. Cover with a towl and let rest for 10 minutes.

7. After 10 minutes, brush the buns with an egg wash - use 1 whole quail egg or 1 chicken egg yolk, a little water, and mix. Brush on top of the buns. We like to sprinkle the top with sesame seeds, minced onion, flaky salt, or everything but the bagel seasoning.

8. Bake until golden brown, approximately 12 minutes. Each oven is different, so yours may take anywhere from 8 to 14 minutes.

9. Remove from tray and let cool on a wire rack, then enjoy!

Let us know what your favorite toppings are! We are always looking to try new things.