Cheese Burger Buns

By pknaub

Soft, golden buns, with the merest hint cheese, are perfect for burgers (of course), or any kind of sandwich, from tuna salad to Italian cold cuts to grilled Portobellos.

Read our blog about these cheese buns, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.


Volume
Ounces
Grams

Ingredients

• 3/4 3/4 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• 4 4 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1 1 large egg
• 3 1/2 3 1/2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 2 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 1/3 3/4 cup Vermont cheese powder OR 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or the finely grated cheese of your choice
• 3/4 to 1 1/4 3/4 to 1 1/4 1/4 teaspoons salt*
• 1 1 1 teaspoon onion powder, optional but good
• 2 1/2 2 1/2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• butter for brushing on top
• 3/4 1 1/4 salt if you use cheese powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt if you use grated fresh cheese
• Directions
• 1 1) To to make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead them — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, somewhat tacky dough.
• 2 2) to to 60 to 70 a lightly greased bowl or other container large enough to allow it to at least double in bulk, cover, and let it rise for about 60 to 70 minutes, till it's just about doubled.
• 3 3) to 8 the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into 8 pieces.
• 4 4) to 3" each piece into a smooth ball, and place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten the balls to about 3" diameter.
• 5 5) 1 to 350°F. buns and let them rise till they've expanded nicely, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 6 6) 6) Brush each bun with melted butter.
• 7 7) 18 Bake the buns till they're a light, golden brown, about 18 minutes.
• 8 8) to Remove the buns from the oven, and brush them with butter again. Place them on a rack to cool.
• 8 8 big buns.
• Recipe summary
• Tips from our bakers

Preparation

Step 1

1) To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead them — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, somewhat tacky dough.
2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or other container large enough to allow it to at least double in bulk, cover, and let it rise for about 60 to 70 minutes, till it's just about doubled.
3) Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into 8 pieces.
4) Round each piece into a smooth ball, and place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten the balls to about 3" diameter.
5) Cover the buns and let them rise till they've expanded nicely, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
6) Brush each bun with melted butter.
7) Bake the buns till they're a light, golden brown, about 18 minutes.
8) Remove the buns from the oven, and brush them with butter again. Place them on a rack to cool.
Yield: 8 big buns.
Recipe summary
Hands-on time: 10 mins. to 15 mins. Baking time: 17 mins. to 20 mins. Total time: 2 hrs 27 mins. to 2 hrs 55 mins. Yield: 8 buns
Tips from our bakers
◦Using cheese powder in these buns will give them a lovely, smooth, golden crust. Using freshly grated cheese will make the crust appear speckled, due to the fat in the cheese and how it browns. For the prettiest crust, use cheese powder. Cabot makes cheese powder; look for it in your supermarket, if you don't want to purchase cheese powder at kingarthurflour.com.
◦When making yeast rolls or bread, let the dough rise to the point the recipe says it should, e.g., "Let the dough rise till it's doubled in bulk." Rising times are only a guide; there are so many variables in yeast baking that it's impossible to say that bread dough will ALWAYS double in bulk in a specific amount of time.