Beautiful Burger Buns

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups (420g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (198g) water, lukewarm

2 tablespoons (28g) butter, at room temperature

1 large egg

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons table salt

1 tablespoon (9g) instant yeast

3 tablespoons (43g) butter, melted; divided

1 large egg white, whisked with 2 tablespoons cold water*

sesame seeds, or the seeds of your choice

Directions

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.

To make the dough: 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 until it's nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours.

To shape the buns: Gently deflate the dough and divide it into eight pieces (about 100g each); to make smaller or larger buns see "tips," below. Shape each piece into a ball.

Flatten each dough ball with the palm of your hand until it's about 3" in diameter.

Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy, about an hour. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.

To add the butter glaze: Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter. To make seeded buns, brush the egg white/water mixture right over the melted butter; it'll make the seeds adhere. Sprinkle buns with the seeds of your choice.

To bake the buns: Bake the buns 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. If you've made seeded buns, apply the melted butter carefully, to avoid brushing the seeds off the buns.

Cool the buns on a rack before slicing in half, horizontally. Use as a base for burgers (beef or plant-based) or any favorite sandwich filling.

Storage information: Store leftover buns, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bun (99g)
• Calories: 250
• Total Fat: 4g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 30mg
• Sodium: 370mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 45g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Total Sugars: 7g
• Protein: 8g