If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that my recent lab efforts have been dedicated to baking my own breads, pizzas, and buns. How can you possibly have a “perfect burger” without it?

One of the more frustrating things about restaurant burgers is that many of them do not pay attention to the bun. Imagine putting all of that time and effort to create the perfect blend of beef, cheese and spices, just to ruin it with a cheap store bought bun. Wow, that really is a depressing thought…

So I started my research into bread making by studying YouTube videos of Jim Lahey, Peter Reinhart, Nancy Silverton, and Chad Robertson. Their passion for bread is infectious. After successfully using Lahey’s “No Knead” method, I was hooked on being able to make bread. Was it perfect? No, but it was bread out of my oven and it tasted better than most of the supermarket bread I have eaten.

With that success under my belt, the next step was to tackle making hamburger buns. With the help of my favorite new book, Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day I was able to make the basic white buns and a white sandwich loaf. I know that white bread is not “artisan”, but for many people a soft white bun is “perfect!” In any case, don’t these buns look great?

I can honestly say that these hamburger buns were pretty good and will act as a platform for developing the right bun for the perfect burger. I am going to play around with Reinhart’s recipe a bit to see if can make the bun more to my taste. I am thinking maybe I would add whole wheat flour or playing with the hydration level. Once I have worked out those tweaks, I will post the recipe. Until then, enjoy the loaf I made using the same dough I used for the buns.