Bryan and I have a bread machine. We love our bread machine. We love it so much that just about everywhere we go, we tell people that we love our bread machine and brag about everything we've made with it. Last weekend we went to another couple's house for dinner and by the time we left I'm pretty sure we'd convinced them that they needed one, too.
We've made some really delightful bread in our bread machine, including a delightful rosemary-olive oil loaf that's always a crowd-pleaser. (It sparked the conversation that led the aforementioned couple to ponder a bread machine of their own.) Here's the thing about the bread machine that surprised even me, though: you can make more than just bread with it. Pizza crust? Check. Bagels? Oh yeah. Naan? You betcha.
All that stuff is great (and it really was great) but the one carb-y creation we've made that has completely blown my mind was so ordinary that it hadn't even occurred to me that we could make it in the bread machine until one mildly lazy Sunday when I thought, what about hamburger buns? I'm sure you're all, "Well, 'what about hamburger buns,' Meghan?" and I'm going to tell you what about hamburger buns.
They're incredible.
This is where I would post a picture of our hamburger buns on a baking sheet, fresh out of the oven with golden brown tops, or sitting on a plate with a gloriously grilled burger on top, but every time we've eaten them they've been gone so fast I haven't gotten a chance. Seriously, they're just that good.
After mulling it over for awhile, I've come to the inevitable conclusion that bread machine buns - or at least buns you make yourself - are so amazing because they aren't filled with corn syrup and bizarre, twenty-syllable chemicals. The recipe we use calls for flour, milk, sugar, an egg, butter (just a wee bit!), yeast and salt. That's it. No fillers, no ridiculousness - just bread.
The other reason these buns are amazing is that they're soft, but substantial. If you buy a bun at the store it's either so soft that it's falling apart halfway through a sandwich, or so crusty that you have a hard time biting through it without losing a tooth. These are the perfect texture. And the flavor? Slightly sweet, yeasty, delicious. The reason for this, I am sure, is relatively scientific: the bread machine kneads the dough so much better than either Bryan or I ever could.
If you have a bread machine, try making these buns this weekend! I guarantee you wont' be disappointed. If you don't have a bread machine, well... either you can run out and get one immediately, or give me a call and I'll make you dinner sometime.*
I guarantee my (hamburger) buns do not disappoint.
*Seriously, ask my friends... cooking for people is basically my favorite thing to do EVER.
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