Classic Cheeseburger with homemade Bread Buns!

After a recipe for a classic cheeseburger? I have you covered and I'll even show you how to make your own delicious bread buns.

Hi friends! I hope you are all having an amazing start to the weekend. Have I got the perfect weekend burger for you, simple classic flavours and the bread is ahhhhmazing.

Onto the recipe:

In a mixing bowl combine 3/4 cup water, 8g instant yeast, 3/4 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup canola oil, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup castor or superfine sugar, and 5 & 3/4 cups of bread flour but only add half of the flour at this stage. Mix the ingredients together until it forms a thick batter.

Add the remaining flour along with 2 & 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt to the mixing bowl and fold the ingredients together until combined.

Scrap the dough out of the bowl and place on the bench. The dough will be sticky but do not add any flour to the work surface while kneading. Knead for 4 minutes to incorporate the ingredients and develop the gluten. After 4 minutes of kneading, the dough will be strong enough to start stretching and folding.

Stretch and fold the dough for 6 – 8 minutes or until the dough become smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly sticky at the end of the kneading process.

Lightly spray a clean mixing bowl with canola oil.

Form the dough into a ball and place into the oiled bowl. Turn the dough over in the oil to lightly coat the dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 1 hour at room temperature The dough will grow 1 times the original size.
Uncover the bowl and turn the dough onto a lightly oiled work surface. Knead the dough again for 1 minute and shape into a ball once more. Place the folded dough back into the bowl, again spray it with oil.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave for another hour at room temperature. The dough will grow 1-½ times the original size. After 1 hour. Uncover the bowl and turn the dough onto a lightly oiled work surface. Deflate the dough lightly with your hands.

Using a knife divide the dough into 12 pieces each weighing 125 grams. Shape each piece into a tight round ball, place on a lightly oiled surface and lightly coat the tops with oil, and loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap. Rest the pieces of dough at room temperature for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, uncover the rounded dough and lightly sprinkle the tops with flour.

Reshape each bun into a tight round by twisting it on top of your thumb while pushing it through your other thumb and index finger. Place 6 buns on to a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Now 'proof' the buns for 1 & 1/2 hours before baking. This will give you that fluffy soft bun texture.

Preheat the oven to 190C or 375. Now get a 1/2 cup water and using a pastry brush lightly brush each bun with water. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove the buns from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Just to compare to the most recognisable cheeseburger in the world...

For the burger I’m using a 80/20 split of beef and fat. Shape the beef patties (you will need enough for 6, so around 1kg or 2 pounds) using a burger press or by hand, flatten out to about 1/2 cm thick and make sure the patty is almost an inch wide than the bun as it will shrink while cooking.

For the onions, I’m using 2 tablespoons of dried onion flakes and rehydrating them in 2 tablesooons of water. Mix and leave aside for 10 minutes.

Into a hot dry pan add your beef patty, you want to cook this hot and fast while getting a great sear, cook each side for 1 and 1/2 minutes. Season just one side with salt and pepper.

Now to assemble, toast the buns on both sides and lat flat on the work surface.

Add 4 drops of yellow mustard. 5 drops of ketchup, top with 1 teaspoon of onion, 1 pickle and finally add american cheese and beef patty.

Serve immediately!

Have a great weekend,

Rob