Homemade Hamburger Buns

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I'm not much of a rebel. I stop before turning right on red. I stay between the lines in coloring books. And I walk on the right side of the sidewalk.

But every time I make something that I formerly thought I had to buy because I couldn't make an "as good or better" substitute... well... I get a little thrill of "sticking it to the man."

These homemade hamburger buns give me that thrill. And yes, they're definitely better than their chemical-laden counterparts.

No chemicals, fillers, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup. Just bready goodness that freezes well, holds up to even the juiciest of burgers, and stands back to let the burger stand out.

They're not the "wow" of the hoisin-glazed chicken. But they don't have the gluey gooey texture of megamart white breaddom, either. And that's stickin' it to the man.

Homemade Hamburger Buns
Recipe from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.

Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts.  Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

What are your "stickin' it to the man" recipes?