Hamburger Buns - a Photo Tutorial Using a Bread Machine

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I baked cookies yesterday.  Spent about three hours, made 3 different kinds, over 9 dozen.

But I also made hamburger buns.  It took me about 10 minutes of hands on work.  I was in the kitchen any way and why not.  Multi tasking!

I've shown this recipe before.  It is the famous Moomie Buns.  Comes out PERFECT and I mean PERFECT every time.  When I was on the island, I did all the work by hand, but I bet most of you have a bread maker in your cabinet.  If not, go garage saling one day, I always see them.  I see them because they make terrible bread (at least I make terrible bread in em).  BUT, they can be used to do all the mixing, then all you have to do is divide, form, let rise and bake... Like I said, maybe 10 minutes total hands on work.

Here's what I mean...

Long post, but it is almost all photos...

The recipe is at the end of the post, but...

Assemble your ingredients (Mise en Place)

I am going to assume I am writing this for someone without a bread machine... Here's the inside.  Non stick, with a little paddle that does all the mixing and kneading.

Just measure and dump in.  be sure the water is warm (about 100 degrees, but not too hot).  This is so the yeast will do it's work.  No need to mix at all.  the paddle does it for you.

Each machine has a menu of duties... just hit menu till you reach the "Dough" setting (mine is #7)

Just takes an hour and a half...

Here's what it look like after just 7 minutes of the machine running.  It whirs around, mixing, then pauses before it starts kneading.

And here it is after an hour and a half...


See how it rises all by itself (there is a little heat unit inside, providing a PERFECT atmosphere for the dough to rise.

We are close to bread, but first, punch the top and it droops back about 1/4th.  This is fine, don't panic, it (and the South) will rise again.


While it took an hour and a half, the only hands on time was assembling and measuring the ingredients...2 minutes.

Bring the dough out.  It will be some hands on now... Form a ball.

Divide into 8 equal portions.

Form these into 8 balls.

Lay these out spaced evenly apart on parchment paper.

You can bake them like this if you like.  I prefer to add toppings.  SO, I do an egg wash (just beat an egg and brush the egg on the bread.


Also, allow the dough to raise again (see, told you), about 45 minutes.

Right before you pop them in the oven, I sprinkle some sesame seeds, garlic flakes and sea salt on the top.  they stick to the egg wash.

And about 15 minutes later, you have fresh made buns!

And like I said, since I was making cookies anyway, this took only a few extra minutes.
here's the famous Moomie Buns recipe...


Here's the original recipe...

� 1 c water 
� 2 tbsp butter or margarine 
� 1 egg 
� 3 1/4 c. flour 
� 1/4 c. sugar 
� 1 tsp salt 
� 3 tsp instant yeast 

� Place all ingredients in your bread machine. Select dough. Allow to run cycle.  

� Dump out onto lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 pieces. With each piece, slap into a bun shape. Usually 4 or 5 slaps will do it. Place on greased cookie sheets or your bun pans, cover; rise about 30 to 40 minutes. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes til golden. Cool on wire racks. 

The recipe above is the "classic" Moomie recipe (I believe, as it is the one I see reprinted most of the time). The site I found that might be the original Moomie site (clouded in mystery, it is rumored she raises goats, so I like this legend and chose not to delve deeper... But I am digressing again)....