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.
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!