Homemade Hamburger Buns – Oh, My, God. Becky, Look at Her Bun!

Finding high-quality hamburger meat at the market is a lot easier than it used to be, but the same cannot be said for the buns. They're never the right dimensions for a decent sized patty; and they're either made from some insipid white sponge with seventy-three ingredients, or from high-fiber, whole grains, which in many ways is even worse.

A proper bun should be nothing more than a light, buttery, airy delivery system for getting a hot, juicy hamburger into your mouth. Oats, spelt, and flax seeds have no business getting anywhere near this type of operation. That's what turkey sandwiches are for.

Above and beyond taste and texture, the bun needs to be the right diameter to fit a classic half-pound burger, and should be twice as thick as the patty. I guess you could drive all over town looking for these magic buns, but it would be a lot easier just to make them yourself.

They do take few hours, but most of that is rise time, and when you see and taste the results, I'm sure you'll agree it was well worth the investment. By the way, don't worry if your buns are slightly irregular in size. We'll assume you'll form your burgers with the same precision, so in the end they should match perfectly. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Editorial Note: Today's title will only make sense if you watch the video, and are familiar with Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back."

Ingredients for 8 large hamburger buns:

• 1 package (2 1/2 tsp) dry active yeast (I used Fleischmann's “RapidRise” Yeast)
• 1 cup very warm water
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 pound all-purpose flour (about 3 1/2 cups)
• Note: add a 1/2 cup of the flour to the yeast and water, and then the remainder before kneading
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• for the tops:
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk
• sesame seeds
• *bake at 375 degrees F. for 15-17 minutes
• View the complete recipe