Possibly The Best and Easiest Homemade Hamburger Buns

This buns were pretty easy and quick to make, and taste deliciously soft, just like eating cotton candy. Since I am not really good at making hamburger, I actually serve this buns as a snack, eating them plain and with jams. My favorite is red jalapeno pepper jam, and a soft goat cheese. I know it sounds a bit odd, but I like the taste of those two combo. Anyway, I made this buns this morning, got the recipe from Sara who is the host of this month BBB. Thanks Sara, glad you chose the theme that was not only quick and easy to make, but also delicious. 

* Sara's recipe uses 4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast. I used 2 tsp SAF-instant yeast, the only yeast I  have in hand. I also like using this yeast, since it doesn't require to dissolve it first with liquid. In other words, you can mix it directly into dry ingredients.

** Instead of brushing the buns, I actually spray the buns using a clean spray bottle filled with about 2 tbs of milk.

*** If you want to shape your buns into squares like what Sara did on hers, please visit her blog for the instruction.

Hamburger Buns

Recipe adapted from Sara's Hamburger Buns

makes 12

4 cups (625 g) all purposed flour

2  tsp SAF instant yeast* see my note above

5 tbs sugar

1 tbs kosher salt

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) milk

1 large egg

8 tbs (125 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Sesame seeds for topping, optional

additional 1 -2 tbs milk for brushing 

In a bowl, combine milk and egg together. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl fitted with dough hook attachment, add flour, SAF yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix with wooden spoon just to incorporate the ingredients. Make a well in the center.  Pour milk-egg mixture  into the well. Knead on low speed for about a minute. increase the speed to medium, knead for 3 minutes, add butter in 4 addition, kneading well in each addition before you adding the next. Continue to knead until you have a soft, and elastic dough, about 3 more minutes. Turn off the machine. Form the dough into ball,  transfer to a lightly oiled container. Cover, and let  rest until double in volume, about an hour. 

Lay a pieces of parchment paper on a baking sheet. 

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Turn the dough onto a kitchen counter top. Divide into 12 equal pieces, working with one piece of dough at a time, form into a round bun**. See this video on how to shape a bun. Place the round in a baking sheet. Repeat. Cover the baking sheet with clean kitchen towel. Let it rest at room temperature (draft free) for 30 minutes. 

Brush, (or spray),*** each round with milk, sprinkle with sesame seeds. bake in the middle oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Also sharing my beautiful and delicious Hamburger Buns to Susan for her YeastSpotting event.

46

Yogurt-Olive Oil Cake With Farmer's Market Stone Fruits

The easiest cake you've ever made even for those who claim that they can not bake. But, is not that the only thing that this cake has to offer. Beside of being easy, it is very moist, not cloyingly sweet, and the addition of summer stone fruits give it just a tad of tanginess, and making more pleasant to eat.

Yogurt-Olive Oil Cake With Farmer's Market Stone Fruits

Recipe adapted from Ju's Yogurt Cake (With Blueberry Sauce

makes 1 loaf 

280 g all-purposed flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

250 ml nonfat Greek yogurt (I used TJ's)

135 ml good olive oil (not extra virgin)

170 g sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pluot, 1 peach, 3 small apricots, cut into sections

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with butter, line the bottom and the side with parchment paper, grease the paper as well. Set aside

Sift all-purposed flour, baking powder, and salt onto a bowl. Set aside.

Using a hand whisk, mix yogurt and oil until well combine. Set aside.

Beat sugar and eggs using mixer until triple in volume, add vanilla extract, beat another 10 seconds, just to combine. Turn off the machine. Add flour to the bowl, fold using rubber spatula. Add yogurt mixture, fold gently. Pour the batter onto prepared pan. Arrange fruit sections on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 - 10 minutes, lift off the paper, and transfer it onto cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.