Potato Hamburger Buns

Potato Hamburger Buns

Sometimes there is nothing like a nice juicy burger to satisfy a craving and for us it's not just a summertime thing; it's a year-round, oh-I-need-a-burger thing, and we must give in to it for nothing else satisfies when the craving strikes.

Growing up, our burger buns were two slices of white bread that would soak up all the hamburger grease and became a goopy white mass that would drip in sheets between your fingers as you tried to eat your sandwich.  Who knew?  We thought it was supposed to be like that.  

So fast forward through the years; the designer bread for hamburgers was discovered and consumed many times over but never did I stop to think I could make them at home. Until one day I had discovered a very popular recipe from a well-known baking site and it was a disappointment.  The roll just could not, in my opinion, hold up to a truly juicy hamburger.  Good for chicken salad.  Good for luncheon meat.  Not good for hamburgers.

More time goes by and I didn't seen anything that even tempted me to try, that is, until I saw this recipe on Smells Like Home.  I was immediately intrigued.  Potatoes add moistness and a kind of body to bread, helps to make bread stay fresher longer.  I jumped on it and I'm glad I did.  

These buns are beautiful and hearty.  They stayed fresh for several days and yes!  They hold up to a juicy hamburger.  These look like a lot of work, and I suppose they are a little work.  But if you want to impress for a special occasion, these are totally worth the effort.

Potato Hamburger Buns

1 pound potatoes, peeled, rinsed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about two large potatoes, maybe a third for good measure)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ¼ cups bread flour
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs (1 for the bun batter and 1 for the glaze)
5 tablespoons of reserved potato water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (nice but totally optional)

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a knife or fork, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer 5 tablespoons of the potato water to a tiny bowl and reserve the liquid.  Drain the remaining  liquid in the saucepan and return the potatoes to the hot saucepan. Shake the potatoes over low heat to remove the surface moisture, about 1 minute.  Turn off heat.

Mash (or rice) the potatoes until very smooth. Measure out 1 cup of potatoes, add to a medium bowl and mix in the butter until melted. Keep the potatoes warm.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the warm potatoes and mix with your impeccably clean hands until combined.

Mix in 1 egg and the reserved potato water with the dough hook attachment and continue to mix on low speed until the dough is soft and a little sticky, about 8-10 minutes. The dough should still be warm.  Remove the dough and shape into a ball.

Lightly grease the mixer bowl and return the dough to the bowl, turning the dough in the bowl to coat it lightly in the oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until almost doubled in volume, about 30-40 minutes. Very warm kitchens will require less time.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into an 8-inch square.  Cut the square into 9 equal pieces; separate the pieces and cover them loosely with plastic wrap or clean lint-free kitchen towel to prevent a skin from forming on the top.

Working with one square at a time, roll the dough rounds into a tight balls and return them to the work surface under the wrap; allow them to rest for 15 minutes.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Firmly press each dough round into a 3 ½-inch disk, pushing out large pockets of air from the dough. Line the disks up on the baking sheets and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Allow the dough to proof at room temperature until almost doubled in size, another 30-40 minutes. While the dough proofs, preheat the oven to 425° F with the racks in the two center positions of the oven.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining egg with a tablespoon of water. Lightly brush the tops of the dough rounds with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through the time from top to bottom and front to back, until the buns are a deep golden brown. Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool for 5 minutes then transfer the buns to the racks to cool completely before slicing.

Hamburger Plate

COOK'S NOTE: The original recipe says to put these on two sheets, but I was able fit the it all on one sheet by staggering them.