Homemade Sandwich Buns

It's been about a year since I've been making my own buns.  I have to warn you, once you start, it's hard to stop.  They are so good, they make store bought ones like Pepperidge Farm taste like saw dust.  I plan out my menus every week and for the nights when I want to have burgers or chicken salad (anything requiring a bun),  I have to plan it for a night where I know that day I will have time to make the buns because I kind of refuse to buy store bought ones, unless it's an emergency.

I was going to post this on the blog on Friday, with it being Memorial Day weekend and all, kind of the official start to the grilling season.  But, life with 5 kids does not always present the opportunity to sit and type.  It ended up being a busy weekend, with our pool being opened for the season and I raced a 5K.  So, here it is Tuesday and I am finally writing about the rolls I've been meaning to write about for over a year.

I wish I had the courage to try to make my own rolls when I lived in Japan.  Since a burger is not a customary food in Japan, it is very hard to find buns.  We used to have a running joke, "how many stores do you need to go to to make a burger?".  When I found buns, they were in packs of four, and I used to buy them ALL and freeze them until we needed them.  These rolls put those rolls to shame!  Friends in Japan, make these, they will not disappoint.

Light Brioche Buns:


Oven:  350'

3 TBSP warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 tsp yeast
2 1/2 TBSP sugar
2 eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter
optional:  sesame seeds, dried onions (for garnish on tops)

1) In large glass measuring cup or bowl, combine warm milk, water, yeast, and sugar.  Set aside for five minutes until foamy.

2) In bowl of mixer, combine flours and salt.   Using dough hook, cut in butter, until dough forms small clumps.  (you can also do this by hand and cut the butter in with a fork or pastry blender).  If using mixer, keep dough hook on, slowly blend in the yeast mixture and 1 beaten egg.  Keep mixing until dough comes together, it will be slightly sticky.  Knead for about 8 minutes until smooth, it is okay for dough to be slightly sticky, otherwise the buns will be tough.

3) Grease a large bowl, place the dough ball in it, cover it, and let it sit until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

4) Punch dough down, cut in 8 equal pieces for large buns or as I like to do, cut in two pieces, and from the first piece, cut it into 4 pieces, roll them into a ball gently, and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  For the second piece, cut into 8 pieces and gently roll into balls.  This will make slider rolls, which are great for small kids.

5) Cover the buns loosely, and let rise 1-2 more hours until doubled in size.

6) Beat the last egg.  Brush it on the tops of the buns.  Sprinkle the tops with desired garnish, or leave plain, your choice.  Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes ( I rotated the pan 180' half way through). The tops will turn golden brown.  Let cool before serving.

Source:  Smitten Kitchen

(So, I always have people asking me how I do it, here's my quick version of how these buns happened:
12:30-Make batter in kitchen aid, while it's mixing, finish feeding baby lunch- put dough in bowl to rise, finish dishes, put baby in for nap, do laundry, come back at 2:00, form rolls, set aside to rise, get baby, go get kids from school, 3:45-preheat oven, cook buns while dinner is cooking and kids are doing homework or playing outside. 6:00 eat dinner- it's all good)

They made this dinner extra special, more to come on this party in your mouth soon:

I know somebody who really likes these buns:

American Sandwich Bread

Have you ever had homemade bread?  It's hard to go back to store bought, once you've had homemade.  Ever since I was a kid, I have been exposed to homemade bread.  Growing up with five brothers and sisters, money was tight in our house.  My dad used to make homemade bread- imagine making six school lunches everyday!  He used to make double or triple batches and freeze the extra loaves.  There is nothing like having a sandwich on fresh bread or a fresh piece of homemade toast!

I figured it would be appropriate to post this bread recipe today, on my dad's birthday.  I'd have to say my dad is my original inspiration to get in the kitchen and start making things homemade.  He and my mom made so many things from scratch when I was growing up (even home grown chicken)- I didn't appreciate it then, but I sure do now.  With all the chemicals and preservatives in food today, I know that homemade is a way for me to watch what my kids are taking in. For the most part, all my siblings and I are very healthy, and I attribute part of that to the lack of prepackaged food we ate growing up.

This is not my dad's recipe that he usually uses, but I figured I'd post it as a birthday present for him to try.  I don't know that I would have had the belief in myself to actually make a loaf of bread, had I never seen him doing it so often when I was growing up.  Recently, he told me he started making it again because he noticed how store bought bread took weeks to go moldy, whereas homemade takes about 4 days- which is good because you know it's not full of preservatives, etc.  I would like to thank him for inspiring me to cook for my family and for caring enough about us growing up to make us bread for our lunches, even if our sandwiches were 2 inches thick!

If you're worried about carbs and what your kids are putting in their mouths, at least if you make it from home, you know that it's better than what's in that plastic bag at the grocery store.  I encourage you to try to make a loaf today, it's easy, I promise!

Happy Birthday Dad!

American Sandwich Bread:

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp salt (I used kosher)
1 cup cold buttermilk (you can make your own w/ 1 tsp vinegar to 1 cup milk)
1/3 cup boiling water
2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 packet)
3 TBSP honey
2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

1) Put 3 1/2 cups flour and the salt in bowl of mixer, fitted with dough hook.

2) Melt butter, combine with yeast, honey, boiling water, and buttermilk in a large measuring cup- mix.

3) Slowly pour liquid mixture into flour mixture.  When all liquid has been added, increase speed to medium.   If the dough appears too sticky, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup flour.  Continue kneading on medium for 8 minutes.  The dough should be soft and not sticking to the sides of the bowl.  It will be slightly sticking to the bottom of the bowl, that is ok.

4) Oil a medium bowl, put the dough into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm area to rise until doubled in size, about 50-60 minutes.

5) Punch dough down, press into a rectangle about 9 inches wide.  Slowly roll into a tight cylinder and press the seam closed.  Grease a loaf pan and place the cylinder of dough into the pan, seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap again and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 20-30 minutes.

6) Preheat oven to 350'.  Place an empty cake pan on the bottom of the oven, pour 2 cups boiling water in the pan.  This will give moisture to the crust while the bread is baking.  Bake the bread 40-50 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center gives a reading of 195'.

7) Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan, set loaf on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Source:  Baking Illustrated
Slice it up

Gather your supplies:

Make a sandwich!

Note:  I do not solely make homemade bread, but if I have the time, I do.  When you have little ones like this, it's hard not to want to give them the good stuff!

Busy Cooking: Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread

The kids are back in school for the first time in two weeks- are you looking for something to do with all your free time?  Me neither!  But, this bread is so delicious, it's hard to resist making a couple loaves during the day.   How nice would it be for the kids to walk in the door to the smell of fresh baked cinnamon bread?  I used to love walking in the door from school to the smell of a nice hot snack.

Now that winter is upon us, snow days aren't far off.  This bread makes delicious french toast, which is perfect to serve for breakfast on those days off.  Want to know a secret?  You can make the french toast ahead of time, let it cool to room temp, freeze it in ziploc bags, and have it already to serve on those mornings you just don't have time to whip up a hot breakfast (for them or you).  You just pop the slices right into the toaster from the freezer and you are good to go.  My toaster is Japanese, so I keep it on the lowest power and one (sometimes two pushes down) is good.

Another awesome thing about this bread is that you can take it out of the oven, cool it to room temp, slice it, and then freeze it.  It goes from freezer to toaster as normal toast, then you don't have to worry about eating the whole loaf in two days before it starts to get stale.  If you're a busy mom like me, something like this is priceless- delicious hot cinnamon toast for breakfast (everyday!!).

Good bye pepperidge farm, hello homemade!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread:


Oven: 350'

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup warm whole milk (I admit, I used 1%)
3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted, cooled
2 egg yolks
3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 packet)
1 1/2 tsp salt

1) Mix sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in small bowl.  Set 2 TBSP aside in small bowl for topping later.

2) In another bowl, whisk together milk, egg yolks, and melted butter.

3) In bowl of mixer, mix 3 1/2 cup flour, yeast, salt, and 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar mixture together with dough hook.  With mixer on low, add in milk mixture and mix about 2 minutes, until dough comes together.

4) Increase speed to medium-low and knead for about 8 minutes.  Dough should be smooth and elastic. If dough is sticky, add additional flour 2 TBSP at a time until dough is smooth.  It may appear to be sticking to the bottom, but should clear the sides of the bowl.

5) Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

6) Place dough on lightly floured counter.  Press into a 20x8 inch rectangle, with the short side facing you.  Spray the dough lightly with water (I got a pastry brush, dipped it in water, and flicked the water onto the dough until is was just moist).  Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top, leaving a 1/2 inch border all the way around the rectangle. Spray or flick water lightly on to the top of the cinnamon sugar, so it is very lightly moistened.

7) Roll the dough with your hands on the short side, into a tight cylinder (the tighter it is, the less likely you will see gaps in the swirl when you cut the bread).  Pinch the seam closed with your fingers.

8) Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.  Place the dough seam down into the pan.  I usually keep the pan on the counter and use it as a measuring guide when forming the dough into the cylinder.

9) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size 45-75 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350.

10) Lightly brush the top of the dough with some melted butter and sprinkle the 2 TBSP cinnamon sugar you had set aside on top now.  Bake 40-60 minutes.  If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature of 190' indicates a perfectly cooked loaf.

11) Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes, remove loaf from pan, and let cool on a wire rack.

Source:  America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

This would go great with a nice cup of hot cocoa!