The warm, sunny weather brings out the BBQ menu. Some people will BBQ all winter long but I like to cook with “seasonal” food. It causes anticipation, looking forward to and getting excited about certain foods. Sunday was on my list for hamburgers. Since my freezer is so “organized” I knew exactly where the hamburger buns were. Well, I couldn’t find them and then realized I never did have them. I really did want to cook those hamburgers so I found a recipe to make the hamburger buns. I found a recipe that was quick and easy and they were delicious. Once you start making your own buns you will never go back to the “store” type. No comparison.
The Basic Burger
The recipe starts with 1lb of meat. I made a big batch using half beef and half venison. You can switch it with pork, lamb, or bison. I made extra to freeze and the trick is to use a large scoop, cookie sheet, and parchment paper for layering. After the burgers are frozen I take them off the parchment paper and place them in an enclosed container.
The results—well who doesn’t like burgers and big homemade buns—they were gobbled up
1lb ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup finely, minced onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbsp Ketchup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 shakes Worcestershire sauce
1/4 to 1/2 cup Loon Song oats finely ground (food processor works the best)
Salt and pepper
1. Add everything together and then gently mix it together until combined. Form into patties.
Avocado Rolls
You can use any dinner roll recipe for hamburger buns. Instead of forming ping-pong-sized balls you make tennis size balls which weigh about 3oz. I had a well ripened avocado to use up which gave the buns a lovely green color. I doubled the recipe and replaced half the white flour with spelt, which meant the buns turned out a bit heavy. To save time, which it does, use a food processor.
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/3 cup water
1 small ripe avocado or 1/2 very large one
1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 1/2 – 2 3/4 cups unbleached white flour
1. Sprinkle the yeast on the bottom of a food processor container. Pour the water over. Let rest a minute or two, then insert the metal blade and spin to blend.
2. Peel the avocado and add to the yeast. Blend until thoroughly pureed. Blend in the honey, salt, and yogurt and start adding the flour through the funnel with the motor going, just enough so that the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and balls up.
3. Remove and knead on a lightly floured surface for a minute or two, adding more flour if needed.
4. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rise until double in volume—in a warm spot—about 1 hour.
5. Tear or cut off pieces of dough weighing around 3 ounces. Form into a ball and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet 4 inches apart. When the cookie sheet is full take the palm of your hand and flatten each ball into a circle about 3 inches in diameter. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until double in size—-about 45 minutes.
6. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes or a light brown.
7. Remove from the oven and rub the tops with butter while still hot.
*Makes 8 buns
