Ready to make a better burger? We have tips for the meat, but don’t forget the bun

It’s grill season, and with that comes an opportunity to step up your burger game.

We could talk about a multitude of ways to make a better burger, such as using locally sourced, high-quality beef for your grind, or using a ratio of chuck-brisket-short rib to make the perfect patty, or even a reverse sear and sous vide cooking with an immersion circulator to hit the perfect temperature.

But no, I want to talk to you about something more elemental: buns.

Okay, okay, before we talk about buns, here are a few quick burger tips I have picked up through my years of professional cooking:

▪ Use good quality beef (local, grass-fed, with a good fat-to-lean ratio).

▪ Don’t season the burger mixture but rather season the patty aggressively right before cooking.

▪ Push a divot into the middle of the patty to prevent the patty from turning into a meatball.

▪ Let the burger rest for a few minutes after it comes off the heat and before you put it on the bun.

People focus on the meat — understandably — but the bun is just as important to the overall burger experience, as are the condiments you choose. You don’t want to degrade your glorious patty by serving it on a subpar bun. The flavor and texture of the bun should complement those meat and condiment choices and overall elevate the gastronomic experience.

The bun is the vehicle in which the burger travels from the plate to your mouth. Wouldn’t you rather have your burger drive a fancy luxury car or an old beater? Thought so.

Here is a simple recipe for a burger bun that will live up to the rest of your highfalutin burger technique and will impress your family and friends alike.

Also, these buns are perfect for pulled pork sandwiches.

Not into meat? These buns are veggie burger friendly.

Burger Buns

Yield: 16 Burger buns

Ingredients

600 grams all-purpose flour

450 grams whole milk

45 grams honey

30 grams butter, unsalted, soft

25 grams salt

10 grams active dry yeast

2 grams baking powder

1 gram baking soda

2 eggs

Egg wash

1 egg, whisked

¼ cup water, cold

Directions:

▪ Whisk together the milk, honey and yeast and heat in the mixer bowl to 105 degrees, set aside for 10 minutes (This will give the yeast time to eat some of the sugar from the honey and activate)

▪ In a mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients together

▪ Add the dry mixture to the milk mixture and with the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed until the dough starts to come together

▪ Add the eggs and butter and continue to mix on medium speed

▪ Mix dough for about 10 minutes, until it passes the “windowpane test” (for those who don’t want to Google it: take a golf ball-sized piece of dough and stretch it until you can somewhat see through the dough without it breaking apart)

▪ Form the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap

▪ Proof the dough for 1 hour at 80 degrees to 90 degrees (I use my oven with the light on)

▪ Punch down the dough and fold it back into a ball and proof again for 1 hour

▪ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

▪ Weigh the dough and divide into 16 equal portions

▪ Roll the portions into balls (if needed, watch a YouTube video for shaping help) and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet

▪ Sprinkle the buns with a little flour and cover with plastic wrap

▪ Let proof until doubled in size (about 30 minutes at room temperature)

▪ Make an egg wash and then brush the buns carefully so as to not deflate them

▪ Bake until golden brown and the internal temperature is 200 degrees

▪ Cool on a wire rack

▪ Feast on the spoils of your toils

Once cooled, these buns freeze well in ZipLock bags.

Dan Lindberg has worked in restaurant kitchens for more than 20 years, most recently as executive chef at Foulmouthed Brewing in Portland, Maine.

This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 10:24 AM.