Homemade burger buns is one of those things that I never thought I’d make at home when I first started blogging (like pita bread). It just wasn’t on my radar at all. I know I have readers who are reading this post and thinking “yea right, I’m gonna make hamburger buns??” I know some of you are even still too scared to give yeast a try but I promise its not as daunting as it seems! As my experience in the kitchen and comfort with food experiments grows, I continue to branch out more and more. And homemade buns are totally worth the effort which honestly isn’t all that much since you’re most just waiting for the bread to rise!

These are perfection when it comes to homemade buns. They’re mildy sweet & buttery, and homemade-bread-heavy but still light and fluffy! The flavor is good but not too overpowering so you can still enjoy your burger. I was thrilled to yield successful results with this recipe. Its grilling season and the fourth of july is just around the corner so go ahead and give these a try!

Light Brioche Burger Buns
Yields: 8 buns

3 Tbsp warm milk
2 tsps active dry yeast
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Sesame seeds (optional)

In a glass measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, beat one egg in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Using a dough scraper, stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg until a dough forms. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter and knead, scooping dough up, slapping it on counter and turning it, until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. The dough will be on the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get. Try to leave them tackier than you would a round loaf.

Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, approximately one hour (may take longer).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper, divide dough into 8 equal parts & gently roll each into a ball. Arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.

Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.  Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from the New York Times, as seen on Smitten Kitchen

Pita bread. Its one of those things when I started blogging that I never imagined I’d make myself. But now its one of those things I can’t imagine ever buying again! Homemade bread is always better than store bought, but seriously — fresh, piping hot pita bread can’t be beat! The directions say let cool?? Yea, that’s a suggestion not a requirement. Burning your mouth on hot out of the oven pita bread is worth it

Seriously though the thing I love best about Pita bread is that the dough is ridiculously easy to throw together, and personal favorite part is that they’re done in under 5 minutes! I’m impatient. Regular bread, however delicious, takes forever! Pita bread provides more instant gratification which is good for those of us who are impatient

These make great pizza crusts as well! Follow the freezer tip and pull a couple out when you’re hungry for pizza, top them off with your favorite fresh pizza toppings and bake for ~15 minutes at 375°F and you’ve got a delicious quick dinner. You can even freeze them preassembled and simply bake them straight out of the freezer! One of our favorite quick and easy weeknight dinners!

Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Yields: 8 (6 inch) pita loaves

1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 Tbsp honey
1 1/4 cups warm water (105–115°F)
1 1/2 cups bread flour or high-gluten flour, plus additional for kneading
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
Cornmeal for sprinkling baking sheets

Combine yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl. Stir and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (Discard if mixture doesn’t foam. Start over with new yeast.)

While yeast mixture stands, stir wheat flour and bread flour together in another bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup flour mixture into yeast mixture until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Stir in oil, salt, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and remaining 2 1/2 cups flour mixture until a dough forms.

Knead dough on a floured surface; working in just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and cut into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer round a baking sheet lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Repeat process for remaining 7 pieces, arranging each round on baking sheets. Loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Set oven rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 500°F.

Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack. Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 2-3 minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake an additional minute. Cool pitas on a cooling rack 2 minutes, then stack and wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to keep pitas warm. Repeat with remaining pitas. Serve warm.

Freezer Tip: Pitas can be baked 1 week ahead and cooled completely, then frozen, wrapped well in foil in a sealed plastic bag. Thaw before reheating, wrapped in foil, 10 to 12 minutes in a 350°F oven.

Source: Adapted from Gourmet, May 2003

Homemade bread. Its truly one of the most amazingly delicious foods that exists. I mean seriously, hot bread straight from the oven slathered with butter… its heaven. I’m sure I’m not the only impatient one when it comes to eating freshly baked bread (see photo below – can you see that steam?? haha.) I let the bread cool and took some more photos, but we’re keepin’ it real here. I have no patience to wait on delicious food. I was so ready to hurry and eat some fresh bread!

I first saw this recipe on Erin’s Food Files (p.s. – have you seen Erin’s blog? its great! go check it out). But as I frequently do, I went back to the original recipe from Gourmet and made some modifications of my own. This recipe will not disappoint. Its heavy and hearty and just all around delicious.The original recipe calls for a mix of wheat flour and all purpose. Like Erin, I’ve had great experiences using all wheat flour, so I also opted to use white wheat flour and omit the all purpose. If you’d like a lighter, airier bread. Go with the original recommendation of 3 cups wheat + 2 cups all purpose.

It will yield two loaves… don’t even think about cutting the recipe in half. You’ll eat them both! You can always freeze one loaf if you want, but since you’re putting in the effort to make bread anyway, you might as well get two loaves out of it! Definitely give this one a try!

Oatmeal Wheat Bread
Yields: 2 Loaves

2 cups milk
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking) plus additional for topping if desired
1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/3 cup mild honey
1 Tbsp molasses
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus additional for buttering pans
5 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
Vegetable oil for oiling bowl

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (optional)
Special equipment: 2 (8- by 4-inch) loaf pans

Heat milk in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling, then remove pan from heat and stir in oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooled to warm.

Stir together water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon honey in a small bowl; let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Stir yeast mixture, melted butter, molasses and remaining honey into cooled oatmeal.

Combine ingredients in stand mixer with wooden spoon, then knead with bread hook 5-7 minutes.Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel; let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly butter loaf pans. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf, then place 1 loaf in each buttered pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. If desired, lightly brush tops of loaves with some of egg wash and sprinkle with oats. Bake until bread is golden, 35-40 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove bread from pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

Bread keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature, 4 days.

Source: Adapted from Gourmet, October 2005

I’ve been making this pumpkin chocolate chip bread for a couple years now. Its delicious. Hubby doesn’t share my great love of all things pumpkin so I typically take out a loaf of this bread all by myself. It’s not a problem

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

The instructions for homemade cinnamon rolls have always intimidated me. Not that I couldn’t do them cause I’ve made plenty of things with yeast. But the instructions are always so dang lengthy that I felt like it would take a lifetime to make. Well it wasn’t a lifetime but not something I’d whip up all the time. They were worth the effort though and really not that bad! The in-laws all got a taste of them too and raved as well. You really can’t go wrong with homemade cinnamon rolls!

Cinnamon Rolls

3/4 c light brown sugar, packed
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
flour for counter
1 Tbsp butter, melted plus extra for the pan

For the dough:
3/4 c buttermilk, warm (~ 110 degrees)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 envelope rapid-rise yeast
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt

For the icing:
3 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp milk
1 c confectioners’ sugar

For the dough: Whisk the buttermilk, butter and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup. Mix 4 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.

Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (If after 5 minutes, more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom).

Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth round ball, about 1 minute. Place the dough in a light oiled bowl and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

To make the buns: Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves together in a small bowl. Set aside. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a 12×16 inch rectangle with the long side facing you. Brush the dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the dough leaving a 3/4 inch border along the top edge. Press on the filling to adhere it to the dough.

Roll the dough into a tight cylinder (lengthwise) and pinch the seam close. Roll the cylinder over so that it is seam-side down. Gently stretch the cylinder until it is 18-inches in length with an even diameter. Pat the ends of the cylinder to even them.

Slice the cylinder into 12 evenly sized rolls using a serrated knife. Arrange the rolls cut-side down in a greased 9×13 metal baking dish and wrap tightly in greased plastic wrap. If preparing in advance, stop here and refrigerated rolls for up to 16 hours (when ready to continue, remove from fridge and bring to room temperature and proceed).

Let rise in a warm place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat preheat oven to 350°. Bake until rolls are golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes.

Flip the rolls out onto a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk the cream cheese and buttermilk together in a large bowl until thick and smooth. Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the mixture and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. Flip the rolls upright and using a large spoon, drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. Serve warm.

Source: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, 2006.

This time it was another new challenge… Danish Braid. The guidelines this time around required that we use the basic dough recipe and do the apple filling and/or a filling of our choice made from scratch. I made the apple filling for one large danish braids and did a cream cheese filling for the rest of the dough (hubby’s favorite kind of danishes) and made a bunch of smaller danishes.

The apple Danish braid was amazing. So delicious! It’d be great for a weekend brunch. It was pretty time consuming so not something I’d make again frequently but I’ll definitely give it a whirl again! And next time I’ll remember to put sugar in my cream cheese filling

A special thanks to Kelly of Sass & Veracity, and Ben of What’s Cookin’? for hosting this month’s edition of Daring Bakers. Be sure to checkout the Daring Bakers Blogroll to see what my fellow bloggers created this month!

Danish Dough

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 – 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Source: The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard

Buttermilk Cornbread

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 c buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1 c unbleached all purpose flour
2/3 c white sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Whisk in buttermilk, then eggs. Mix all remaining ingredients in large bowl. Stir in buttermilk mixture. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake corn bread until edges are lightly browned and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2001

I’ve never made bread from scratch before and I’ve been dying to make some, especially now that I have my Kitchen Aid mixer to assist with the work. I started digging through all my cookbooks on the prowl for a recipe and finally landed on this one. Ina’s honey white bread… can’t go wrong with Ina! She said it was foolproof, so I figured it was a good recipe to start with. And she was right, it came out wonderfully. It was a nice heavier bread. It was delicious and a keeper! Oh and it was perfect for toast topped with a little more honey!

Honey White Bread

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm whole milk (110 degrees)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
2 extra-large egg yolks
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Place warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add yeast and sugar; stir and allow them to dissolve for 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, and honey. Mix on medium speed until blended. Add the egg yolks, 3 cups of flour and the salt. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low speed, add 2 more cups of flour. Raise the speed to medium and slowly add just enough of the remaining flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with butter, put the dough in the bowl, then turn it over so the top is lightly buttered. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in volume.

Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans with butter. Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a loaf shape and place each in a prepared pan. Cover again with the damp towel and allow to rise again for an hour, until doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. When the dough is ready, brush the tops with egg white and bake for 40-45 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped. Turn them out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Source: Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter, 2006.

Tonight we had a green chile festival of our own. We had green chile sausages, green chile cornbread & pinto beans (also flavored with green chiles!). The cornbread was a new creation. I usually make a jalapeno cornbread (and I’ve actually lost the recipe), so I had to come up with a new creation. I modified my sweet cornbread recipe to make this and it came out great. A little bit of kick but not really spicy, with that wonderful green chile flavor. It would be great with soups/stews! Yum!

Green Chile Cornbread

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2-3 roasted mild green chiles, diced (or 2 4 oz cans diced green chiles)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced white onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13″ dish. Combine milk & cornmeal in a bowl. Stir. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar & baking powder. Add cornmeal mixture and remaining ingredients. Stir well. Pour batter into baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.