Hamburger Buns

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the milk and butter. Add the yeast and stir until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the milk mixture and knead until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl, oil the inside of the bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Lightly grease the wells of an all-purpose pan. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each portion into a ball, then, using the heel of your hand, flatten each ball into a 3-inch (7.5-cm) disk about 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick. Transfer the dough disks to each prepared well, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).

Remove the plastic wrap from the pan. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until the buns are golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a bun registers 190°F (88°C), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the rack 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. Transfer the buns to a wire rack and let cool completely. Split in half and use as desired. Makes 6 rolls.

Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen