Forty Minute Burger Buns

Welcome to my week of Burgers!!! I know it has been a long time since I’ve done a full week-of posting. The last one was in February for Valentine’s Day! But, this summer I have two week-ofs planned, the first being delicious burgers. It will include everything from vegetarian burgers, to healthy turkey burgers, to burgers with an international flair!All of the burgers (I hope), you will enjoy as we really tried to make them as healthy as possible, but also as interesting as possible. I think that they can become go-to recipes that you use all summer long. After making a bunch of burgers over the past two weeks (yes, I didn’t give myself much time), I couldn’t wait to get started sharing them all with you! Because of our tightened time frame, I did my best to do healthy versions of the American classic substituting turkey for beef or veggies for meat whenever possible.

After finishing all five posts I kept thinking that I was missing something. An elusive “start” to our week of burgers. Last night it hit me; hamburger BUNS! I was cleaning out our spice drawer (yes, I have a full drawer of spices) last night and found sesame seeds I bought on sale about 6 weeks ago (for $1)!!! And it was like a lightbulb. I knew that I needed some fast buns (no pun intended!) if I wanted to showcase them as the starter of burger week. A few quick searches later and I had my recipe.

Forty Minute Burger Buns
Serves: 12 people (12 hamburger buns or 24 slider buns)
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3 – 3 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar and let stand for five minutes. The mixture will turn foamy. Then, add the egg, salt, and enough flour to form a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Immediately divide into 12 pieces. Shape each into a ball and place them 3-inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush with melted butter and top with sesame seeds. Cook in the hot oven for 8-12 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting.