Soft Hamburger Buns ($0.09 each)

$0.09 each          66% savings          save $13.44 yearly

Oh, these buns...

Before I go any further, I need to let you in on a little secret about these soft, pillow-y, orbs of happy-belly goodness. Laugh all you want... it's late, and my brain is fuzzy... must be a wrackspurt around... (That'll make no sense unless you're into Harry Potter.)

Ready? Here's the secret:

These buns are far too easy to make. Seriously...
Easy-peasy.
A no-brainer.
A piece of cake.
A walk in the park.
A cinch.

Trust me when I say, "You can do this!!"

Not only do they come together with almost no thought, they taste incredible: slightly chewy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth soft on the inside. The first time I made them, I was sold. I'll never need another hamburger bun recipe as long as I live.

My husband and I like our hamburger buns toasted with sesame seeds on top. Our children, however, do not... they like the plain-jane variety. So, instead of buying two different packages of buns, I can easily customize this recipe to meet the different tastes of my family. Toppings are obviously not limited to sesame seeds. You can get creative with cheese, dried onions, garlic, etc.

These buns pair perfectly with burgers, sloppy joes, pulled pork or chicken. They are also great eaten plain (just ask my mischievous bun-sneaking children.)

Using whole wheat flour gives these buns an added nutritional boost, and they still remain soft and amazingly delicious. They cost a fraction of the store-bought equivalent, and don't have any added preservatives, or un-pronouncable ingredients.

You're gonna love 'em!

Soft Hamburger Buns 
Printable Version

(Note: Recipe adapted from All Recipes (Sally). As with most of my "bread-type" recipes, I incorporate whole wheat flour that I grind at home. These buns are great with all-purpose, half-and-half, or all whole wheat. The ones in the photos above are half all-purpose and half whole white wheat flour.)

*Makes one dozen

INGREDIENTS
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or just over 4 cups whole wheat flour)
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 beaten egg

DIRECTIONS
Warm the milk, water, and butter in the microwave to the temp. of a warm bath (NOT hot). Stir until butter melts completely.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix in the milk mixture, then add the egg. Dough should be only slightly sticky. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes).

Divide the dough into 12 balls, and place them on a large, greased baking sheet. Lightly press down on the top of each ball of dough, so that the top is more flat than rounded. They will puff up more during rising and baking. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Cover with a dishtowel, and let rise 30-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown on top. Serve as desired, and store for 3-5 days on the counter, or 4-6 months in the freezer.

~ Savings ~

Cost Breakdown:
1 gallon milk - $3.62 = 256 T = $0.012/T = $0.192
1 lb butter - $2.50 = 32 T = $0.078/T = $0.313
25 lb. flour - $7.20 = 94.5 C = $0.077/C = $0.347
25 lb. sugar -$13.94 = 945 T = $0.015/T = $0.030
26 oz. salt -  $0.44 = 48 T = $0.004/T = $0.002
2 lb. yeast - $4.68 = 48 T = $0.098/T =$0.082
1 dozen eggs - $1.79 = $0.15/egg = $0.15 
Total Recipe Cost = $1.12
Cost per Bun = $0.09

The Contender:
Nature's Own Hamburger Buns (8 ct.) = $2.24
Price Per Bun = $0.28

Savings:
66%

"Over a year" scenario:
Make Soft Hamburger Buns 6 times = $6.72
Buy equivalent Nature's Own Hamburger Buns (8 ct.) = $20.16

*Money Saved = $13.44