Given that flour costs a dollar a pound - or less - why do those horrible industrial hamburger buns, which are nothing but flour and air, cost so much?
Here is my latest favourite recipe. It has everything I want: the size is just right, the texture is light, and the taste is bland, so as not to overcome what's inside.
And last but not least, the quantity is just right for kneading in my rather small and not very powerful Hamilton Beach food processor.
The recipe is adapted from Paul Hollywood's Floury Baps recipe.
INGREDIENTS
375 g unbleached, all-purpose flour
2-1/4 tsp instant yeast
1-1/4 tsp salt
30 g sugar
30 g butter, cut into smallish cubes
250 ml (1 cup) cold water
INSTRUCTIONS
Place dry ingredients into food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade, and process a few seconds to mix.
Add butter, process to small crumbs.
Pour water (cold!) through feed tube while running, then continue mixing until all is mixed and a cohesive ball forms around the blade.
Transfer to counter, knead a minute or two until nice and smooth.
Transfer to lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave an hour or so, until double in bulk.
Transfer to counter, cut into 8 pieces and shape each into a ball.
Move the balls to a floured surface and leave 10 minutes, to relax the dough.
One ball at a time, flatten with rolling pin on a floured surface, and transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment.
Turn oven on to 220 C or 450 F, with the rack in the middle.
Sprinkle with flour, cover and leave about 45 minutes, or until about double in size.
Bake 10 minutes, turn pan around, and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until nice and brown. If you have a thermometer, it should register 205-210 degrees C.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
