My Sandwich Buns
There are some recipes that I have been making for so long, I almost don’t even need to use them when I’m cooking/baking.
They’re just so ingrained in my head, that I have a basic formula I gollow, then the rest is mostly just go on what ‘feels’ right for them, and vibes.
Today’s recipe is one of those.
It’s based upon a crescent roll recipe that I first saw in a magazine that also happened to be the very first yeast bread dough that I ever made. When I was first starting out cooking (11 + years now), yeast bread was one of those things that used to scare me and that I thought I would never be able to get right.
But even as nervous as I was at the time, this crescent roll recipe seemed easy enough to follow, so I gave it a try.
They turned out so great that from then on, you could say that I was hooked on making yeast bread.
For a while, I stuck to the base recipe because that was what I was comfortable with.
But eventually, I started to experiment with it to see if it would be possible to make the dough into something other than just small crescents.
If you know me, you know I love sandwiches. The only thing that improves on a great piece of meat to me is slapping it between two pieces of bread. But for me, the bread itself has to measure up to the protein. And unless they’re artisan-style, most store-bought sliced breads don’t do that for me. These days, I really do prefer to just make my own.
I started experimenting with this dough about 5 or 6 years ago, seeing what else I could do with it besides just crescents.
It’s a basic and forgiving enough recipe to where I was able to dinner/slider rolls with them for a while, then gradually move on to other experiments that I liked even better–these sandwich buns are where we eventually ended up.
The dough for these buns is enriched, meaning it contains butter, milk and eggs that give it a soft, chewy and pillowy texture inside, and a golden brown crust on the outside. The flavor is enhanced by the addition of dried herbs and black pepper. As I indicate in the recipe, it’s also very easy to swap in some whole wheat flour into the dough to give an extra hearty/chewy flavor and texture.
I make these sandwich buns all the time, whether for cold cuts, steak/chicken, or even for breakfast sandwiches. They’re DIVINE when sliced in half and toasted, maintaining their structure even when you have extra moist/wet meat or toppings piled on top of them. They also keep VERY well in the refrigerator.
Give them a try yourself an find out why the’ve become a staple in my kitchen 😉
My Sandwich Buns
Recipe Adapted from a Previous Recipe on Cooking is My Sport
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon plus 2/3 cup sugar, divided
- 1 cup warm water (110°to 115°)
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
- 1 cup warm milk (110°to 115°)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons black pepper
- 8 cups all purpose flour (you may not need to use it all; Sometimes I will even swap in a cup of whole wheat flour to this dough with really great results, but feel free to just use all white all purpose flour if you prefer)
- 1-2 tablespoons dried herbs of your choice
Directions
In a medium size bowl, combine the warm water and milk. Sprinkle the yeast on top, then 1 tablespoon of the sugar on top of that.
Allow to sit until proofed and frothy, about 10 minutes.
Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl, then add the butter in chunks, the remaining sugar, the salt, pepper, eggs, dried herbs and 4 cups of the flour.
Use the dough hook on a standing mixer, the bread hooks on a handheld mixer, or a large fork to combine. Add as much of the flour as necessary to make a smooth, pliable dough.
Knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Line two large sheet pans with wire racks and line the wire racks with parchment paper, then set aside.
Punch dough down and turn it out onto the lightly floured surface.
Roll the dough out to a large rectangle, about 26 x 18. Starting from the bottom of the long side, roll the dough into a tight, large log. Cut it in half. Cut the halves into half, so that you have four logs. Cut the four logs into 3-4 individual buns each. (this is all depends on how big you want the buns to be.)
Turn each bun up onto a flat side. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down to spread each roll into a flattish bun. Place bun on rack lined sheet pans.
Cover buns with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise for about 35-40 minutes, until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350F.
When buns are finished rising, bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and inner temp reads at 190F.
Sharing at Fiesta Friday #550, co-hosted by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.
so cute!
Thank you !
Homemade sandwich buns are the best! This recipe looks like it will create the perfect buns for any sandwich. Thanks for sharing and for joining Fiesta Friday party! We hope to see you again.
Thanks Jhuls!