Taking the Labor Out of Homemade Buns for End-of-Summer BBQ {Recipe: 40-Minute Hamburger Buns}

Confession time: burger shown is a veggie burger.

Labor Day weekend seems to mark the end of summer, even though it is not officially over until September 22nd and the kids started school a few weeks ago. I suppose it's a remnant of my childhood. School always started after Labor Day when I was growing up. My kids have always started school early to mid-August, but they feel the same about labor day-it marks the end of summer, and with it, the end of backyard barbecues and hanging out at the pool. 

We don't barbecue hamburgers often, but when we do, we want them to be good. We go to the local butcher and special order ground beef for the occasion, and not just any ole' hamburger bun will do! My daughter, Lili, makes fantastic Brioche Hamburger Buns (recipe posted here at Mother Always Told Me, April 21, 2016), but it is time consuming to make these. So we recently tried these 40-Minute Hamburger Buns and they are really good as well. 

So fire up the barbecue and get out there and enjoy the last weekend of summer! 

40-Minute Hamburger Buns

This recipe is adapted from one found on tasteofhome.com.

Depending on the size of hamburger buns you want, this recipe can make 6 for a hardy burger bun, 8 for an average sized burger bun, and 12 for sliders. 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110-115℉)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon sea salt
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper, then set aside In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg and salt. Then add flour, starting with 3 cups; gradually add more flour until you achieve a soft dough. 

2. If using a mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough on low speed for about 3-5 minutes, or until smooth an elastic. If a mixer is not being used, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 3-5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. After kneading the dough, weigh it, then divide by 6, 8, or 12, depending on the desired size hamburger bun. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and place about 3 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

3. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425°F for 6-12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter, then remove to wire racks to cool. 

Note:

For making really good grilled burgers, we follow the tips from  Bon Appétit found here: <http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/burger-common-cooking-mistakes>. 

Also, as mentioned in a previous post, there are a few vegetarians and vegans in our family and friend group that we try to accommodate. We recently discovered Field Roast Hand-Formed Burgers at our local Walmart and we were pleasantly surprised when we tried them. While they won't fool a meat lover, they are tasty. Both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians in our family like them. 

Enjoy!

Time Passes Too Quickly {Recipe: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Granola}

It is back-to-school time already, and as always, summertime passed far too quickly. It seems like summer just gets started, then boom, it is time to prepare for back-to-school. I think one of the things I dread the most is school lunches. It is always a challenge to come up with a variety heathy foods that the kids like. By the end of the school year they are tired of the some old lunches.

So this school year we are trying to come up with some new healthy snacks. So far we have tried a few nut butter and oat energy bites found on Pinterest, one made with peanut butter and another made with almond butter. Both received a thumbs up. Granola is not always a favorite, but they both loved this one. I am sure it has to do with the fact that I added a little more added sugar than what I usually do. The brown sugar can be adjusted to taste or left out.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Granola

The kids love to snack on this granola right out of the container! 

Ingredients:

5 cups old fashioned rolled oats 
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon salt (If leaving out brown sugar, only add a pinch or else it may be too salty.)
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup 
1/3 cup brown sugar (You can add less or leave out, depending on how sweet you like your granola.)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 


Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat; set aside. 

2. Place the oats in a large mixing bowl, add chocolate chips and salt; set aside. 

3. In a microwave-proof quart-size bowl or measuring cup, melt coconut oil. Stir in maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Cool to room temperature, then pour over the oat mixture and stir until ingredients are well coated. 

4. Pour granola mixture into the prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly, then press down to compress mixture together with a large metal spatula.

5. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned, rotating the pan halfway through baking time. Let granola cool for at least one hour in baking sheet. Break granola up into desired sized pieces. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. 

Variation 1: For  Maple Pecan Granola, substitute whole pecans for the chocolate chips. 

Variation 2: Crispy Rice Granola. My daughter prefers a lighter textured granola, so we tried 3 cups of oats and 2 cups of brown rice crisps cereal; it works well. We also left the chocolate chips out. In addition, this seemed to brown a little faster than the original recipe, so I gave it a stir 1/2 way through cooking and kept a close eye on it. It was done in about 30 minutes.


Enjoy!