BEAUTIFUL BURGER BUNS

By efriend

Ingredients

• BUNS
• 170 to 227 g lukewarm water*
• 28 g butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 418 g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 50 g sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate); and something in between the rest of the time.
• TOPPING
• 43 g melted butter

Details

Adapted from kingarthurflour.com

Preparation

Step 1

Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough.
Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk.
Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy.
Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter.
Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust.
Cool the buns on a rack.
Yield: 8 large buns.