Hamburger Buns

I know what your thinking..."why would I make my own hamburger buns when I could buy them?" Well here are some reasons. They taste WAY better homemade, they do cost less, and you feel like you are eating a gourmet/snazzy meal even though you are just eating hamburgers for dinner. I found this recipe, and modified it slightly to provide more flavor in the dough. My family LOVES eating hamburgers or chicken burgers on these buns. They taste awesome, and don't get soggy or crumbly. I usually make up the batch and freeze half, so that I can pull them out of the freezer when I need them. If you are afraid of making bread or working with yeast, you are not alone. It has taken me some major practice to feel comfortable. Back in the day, cinnamon rolls were mistaken for hockey pucks. I have a Kitchenaid mixer, and I love it.
I really wanted to conquer making bread, and so I told myself that I would start with pizza dough, because it is very forgiving. Then I moved on to a basic roll recipe from my mother in law (I will post that recipe soon). Once making these 2 bread recipes, I finally got to the point where I no longer needed a thermometer to check the temp on the water, and my bread comes out fluffy and a good texture every time. I swear that if I can do it, you can do it. It just takes practice.

Hamburger Buns

1 c. milk
1 c. water
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. sugar
2 1/2 tsp salt
5 1/2 c. flour (more or less)
1 pkg instant yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tbs. water

In a glass measuring cup, combine water, milk, butter and sugar. Microwave until liquid is warm/hot and let the butter melt in the milk mixture (let mixture cool till very warm). In a mixing bowl, combine 3 c. flour, salt, and yeast. When milk mixture has come to a very warm temperature, add to dry ingredients. Mix until combined, add more flour to desired consistency. Knead for 8 minutes, adding flour if dough become too sticky. Placed dough in a greased bowl in a warm draft free place (in the oven works best). Cover and let dough rise for 1 hour. Punch down dough, and divide into 12 pieces. Grease a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Roll each piece on dough into a ball, stretching it to make a smooth top, place in cookie sheet. Cover, and let rise for 25-45 more minutes or until almost doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine egg yolk with water, and mix. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.