It may be considered un-American, but hamburgers just aren’t something I lust after. However, sweeten the pot with homemade cheesy hamburger buns and throw in an all-American holiday like Independence Day, and I can wave my flag and chow down a deluxe burger like everyone else!
| Cheesy Hamburger Buns | Print |
- 2¼ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup powdered nondairy creamer
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- 6-7 cups bread flour
- 2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- Egg wash (1 egg, mixed well with 1 tablespoon water)
- In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast into the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, butter, creamer, salt, egg, and 5 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth.
- Slowly add just enough remaining flour to form a soft dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl.
- Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (Or, if using a stand mixer, knead with a dough hook for approximately 5 minutes.)
- Add 1½ cups of the shredded cheese to the dough and mix until combined.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch down.
- Working with half of the dough at a time, roll the dough out fairly thin - somewhere between ¼-inch and ½-inch.
- Cut the buns using a large round cutter, floured well. Make sure the cutter is a little bigger than the size you want, because the dough is elastic, and the shapes will shrink back a bit after you cut them.
- Set each shape on a cookie sheet, at least 1" apart. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until they're almost doubled - about an hour.
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- Brush the buns with egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake until light golden brown - about 12 minutes.
- Cool on a rack. Slice and serve!
If the recipe looks familiar, that’s because I used my Perfect Dinner Rolls recipe as a base, and added an egg and some extra sharp cheddar cheese. Oh, and I cut the dough out instead of shaping it. And gave it an egg wash with a sprinkle of cheese. Other than that, it’s just the same!
The ingredient that I hate to use in this recipe is powdered non-dairy creamer (I try not to look at the ingredient label) but believe me, it really does make a difference. It acts as a dough conditioner and makes a very soft, light bun.
Cutting out the hamburgers. I used a 3 1/2″ cutter – 4″ would have been better.
I was a little more generous with the cheese when I topped the buns; it’s my favorite part – crispy and a little tangy. You may want to experiment with other flavorful cheeses like romano, asiago, or parmesan. Sprinkle on a little garlic or onion powder if you wish. They’re your buns – gussy them up however you like! And if someone tells you you have nice buns, just smile…because it’s true!
Look so delicious! Definitely going to make for the next group BBQ. Powdered coffee creamer?? Do you mean such as Coffeemate-type?
Thanks, Liz. Yes, Coffeemate (though I used the cheap knockoff.)
OK, first of all, not a burger lover? Didn’t know anyone existed who wasn’t a burger lover. Second, you have me so confused with the coffee creamer. Really? Or did you write this whole post just to punk me?
If I’m really hungry, a burger tastes good. But it’s not something I crave. Not like chocolate or beef stroganoff! And yes, I’m afraid you really do need to use the creamer. They’ll be okay without it, but not quite as fluffy. Sad but true.