Now that spring is definitely here it’s time to think about picnics and fun food. And a slider, one of my favorites, is fun to both prepare and consume. First of all, sliders are just stinkin’ cute! Now I don’t usually go for “cute” food, but even those of you with a cynical bent have to admit that sliders are nothing if they aren’t cute! And when they taste great too, well that’s just all the better. And although Mr. C. and I don’t usually go out for happy hour (we live on an island and the local restaurants aren’t exactly notorious for being outstanding “happy hour” purveyors), we have had occasion to sample a couple of sliders that are just out of this world.
So I thought I would share two of my favorites with you over the next couple of days. And in my humble opinion, the filling of a perfect slider isn’t worth its weight in ground meat without a perfect bun. And I know, some of you think a perfect bun isn’t all that necessary. Well, too bad. It’s my blog and I am not going to leave the rest of you searching for slider buns at your local grocery store! Because, undoubtedly you will find what I did when I was in a hurry recently and decided to purchase buns rather than prepare my own. For some ungodly reason, grocery stores charge an exorbitant price for slider buns that are fully half the size of regular hamburger buns. Now, I may not be a math genius, but I know when I am being hoodwinked! Let’s see, half the ingredients, twice the price. What about this equation just does not compute? And that’s if your grocery store even deigns to carry slider buns in the first place! Now granted, the slider buns I have purchased (not from my local grocery store, I assure you) have been really good. Pricey, but good. Not as wonderful as homemade of course, but tasty none-the-less.
So next time you get a hankering for a truly fabulous slider, remember this recipe. The buns are inexpensive to make and terribly easy to prepare. If you have yet to tackle yeast bread, this recipe would be a good place to start. And because it’s just the size of your cutter that determines how small or large your buns eventually become, you can use this same recipe for regular sized burger buns too. Of course there is the old adage that “the larger the buns you consume, the larger your own buns become”, so I think personally, I’d better stick to the smaller cutter. Wish me luck on that one!
- 1 c. warm water
- 1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast
- ¼ c. sugar
- 1 ¼ tsp. salt
- 4 T. butter, room temperature, divided
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 3 ½ c. flour (or more)
- vegetable oil
Combine warm water, yeast, sugar, salt, 2 tablespoons butter, and egg in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes to *proof. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Pour a very small amount of oil over the dough, form a large ball with your hands, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel, and let rise for 1-2 hours or until nearly doubled in bulk. Punch down and divide in half. Shape each half into a rough disk. Roll dough to about 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thickness. Cut out with a 1 1/2- to 3-inch cutter, depending on whether you want slider buns or regular sized hamburger buns. Repeat with the remaining dough. You will end up with quite a bit of left over dough. Combine it into a ball and let the ball rest for about 20 minutes. Roll out again and make as many more buns as possible. Arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet about 2 to 3 inches apart. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter; brush each bun. This will give them a soft, golden crust. Bake the buns in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown. Cool on rack. Split and use with any of your favorite fillings.
Proof: After 5 or 10 minutes, the yeast should begin to form a creamy foam on the surface of the water. If there is no foam or any apparent action in the bowl, the yeast is dead. Time to start over with a new packet of yeast.