Artisan Hamburger buns

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And Once again, OH BOY!

I just LOVE THIS BREAD RECIPE!

You know, different breads for different reasons.  Yesterday's, Focaccia bread is the perfect seasoned bread to dip in infused oils.  But, it would be a terrible bread to make for sandwiches.  And especially sandwiches that were meant to hold a wet filling... Like a sloppy Joe (or tomorrow's post for a Chicken Salad Sandwich).

Which was exactly the bread I needed for a long road trip!


Not much fun this trip, my Mother in Law is having surgery on Monday.  It's an $800 airfare from god's country (Kansas City) to god's Country (South Dakota).  Or, it's a 10 hour drive.  So, I cranked up the Elvis CD's, packed a cooler with "road food" and off we went.

I did have a day for prep, so my road food was pretty good.

Starting with sandwiches.  I do my best to read over all the submissions to eRecipeCards.com.  Somedays I only have enough time to glance through them quickly (like for the next 4 days), MiL (Mother-in-Law) does not have an internet connection.  So I do my work at the Internet cafe in town, sipping coffee and staying just long enough to not get kicked out for staying too long.  So, if it looks like I am ignoring you all, it is just bad internet.  But I digress...

Somedays I get to read every word.  Like this WONDERFUL recipe from Heather, author of the GIRLICHEF blog.  Heather and I go way back as blogging buddies.  I first found Heather at least three years ago, when I only had a couple dozen posts under my belt.  Heather has been blogging herself for about 3 years.  She has over 650 posts under her belt and an amazing nearly 700 plus followers.  In fact, she is so close to 700, if you jump over to her blog and start following her, you could easily be her 700th milepost follower).

And, she is popular for a very good reason.  She has foodie chops coming out of her fingertips!  She did attend Culinary School.  But mostly the food she showcases on her blog is terrific family faire (Wife, mother, well known party host that she is).  But her family faire is just a bit ... well, more.  An occasional exotic foreign dish tossed in, but mostly dishes that you can imagine serving to a family any night of the week.  Just prepared a special way, made with an unexpected ingredient or just something to add variety.  Nothing pretentious or over the top show off cheffy food, but always approachable dishes that you would be proud to serve.  As a home cook, she is top notch indeed.


GRAB MY BUTTON
<a href="http://erecipecards.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x322/eRecipCards/Blog%20Buttons/eRecipeCardlogo.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

She also is my Queen of Badges.  On occasion, she will post a blog with information on how information that just makes you a better blogger.  Like her (to me) MUST READ post on how to create your own blog badge,  It is fast and easy (well, about the tenth time you do it, it gets fast and easy).  But Heather will "talk you through it", and if you spend 10-20 minutes, you too can have a professional looking blog badge.  Complete with a "grab my Button" header.  CLICK HERE to see heather's "How to make a Button/Badge HTML/Javascript" post.

It will also show you how to add badges (Like the eRecipeCards.com Badge to your blog.

Heather has a delicious appetite for making her own cheeses, an odd fixation on highlighting other bloggers "tortilla soup", Is working on an AMAZING series (along with several other talented bloggers) highlighting the contributions of 50 Women Game-Changers (in Food).

Heather, you were there for me when I had a crisis of confidence and questioned my blogging efforts.  You encouraged me to work through it by word and example.  I am and always will be chasing your progressively building skills and I am a better blogger because I read you.

But the day I made these buns, I was a better baker because i found the post you submitted to eRecipecards.com!

Don't you love the square look to these?  Don't you love the toppings (one of the few changes I made to Heather's recipe).

And if you were serving Sloppy Joe's (as Heather suggested), or a moist Chicken Salad Sandwich (that was going to sit in a cooler during a drive through  half of Kansas and a big part of Nebraska before it was going to be eaten), you would love the most unique part of this recipe...  The buns hold up!

The dough is FANTASTIC to work with, no forms or pans needed.  It forms out flat, allowing you to use a cutter to get round shapes (or if you carefully select a more solid shaped cookie cutters or hand formed, you could make fish shaped buns for tuna fish.... HMMMM... I am getting inspired again).  I just put mine out in a rectangular shape and sliced away with a large pizza cutter.

And, as I said, the bread was PERFECT for this.  No soggy buns, no difficult to handle sandwich.

JUST IDEAL.

Now, my time at the internet cafe is almost up.  I am going to direct you to Heather's original post, where she advises you to "CHECK OUT HER BUNS, Square, Gorgeous and Substantial".  Just click on the blue letters.  I followed her directions to the letter, except I changed the toppings just a bit.  I added a 4 equal part mix of
Coarse ground Sea Salt
Garlic Flakes
Black Sesame Seeds and White Sesame Seeds

Other than that simple change, Heathers' recipe and directions were flawless!

And Heather's photos are also ALWAYS top notch.  Lots to learn about food styling and photography from her.  That's her original photograph from her blog post of this recipe (also a link to her page... go ahead, click it!).

And everyone else, take a jump over to "GirliChef", take a look through her blog and tell her "Hi" from me.

And for a quick look at what she blogs, click on the logo link image to the right.  You will see all the eRecipeCards that Heather has submitted to eRecipeCards.com.  You can add her recipes to your eRecipeBox (once you have a free to set up account).

See how useful the site is and how easy it is to find new favorite bloggers!

These posts continue to highlight bloggers and recipes that I have found on  "eRecipeCards.com"...