Garlic Chipotle Parmesan Hamburger Buns for "the Project"

Shhhhhh...


This is a secret.


And the payoff for this secret is going to be at least 2 months away.  Sorry.


And "the Project" that is the secret is going to involve me redoing a great number of recipes.  Sorry.


I know you have seen these before, I know I should be working on new skills and new recipes.  But, for the purposes of  "the Project", I am going to be trying to recreate the best of my island cooking adventures.


But actually, part of any cooks evolution is to be able to not just improve a recipe, but also to be able to  replicate a success.  That is essentially "the Project".  What I do with the replicants is the secret. 


So, sit back, come back daily for the next few weeks and hopefully you will enjoy some of the best.  If you get bored, just plan to come back and visit in a few weeks and you will see the payoff.


So, I am going to start the project with a recipe that I make at least every other week.  I have enjoyed learning to make bread.  I have many successful artisan bread loafs under my belt.  A few of those I have made a second time, but for the most part, one loaf and move on to something new.  Not true with these.  these are the work horses, the pack mules of my island eating.  Everything from the lowly Peanut butter and jelly to the more complicated Philly Steak and Cheese - Well, not really a traditional Cheesesteak, but a Pretty Darn Good Sandwich!  When I have a sandwich, more often than not... I am eating it on a Garlic Chipotle Parmesan Hamburger Buns.


The recipe is my adaptation of the wildly successful MOOMIE BUNS.  Go ahead and google them.  Hundreds of thousands of links show up.  For a reason, easy (incredibly easy), fast (for a yeast bread, about 2 1/2 hours) and best of all, they are right every time!


Here's the original recipe...

� 1 c water 
� 2 tbsp butter or margarine 
� 1 egg 
� 3 1/4 c. flour 
� 1/4 c. sugar 
� 1 tsp salt 
� 3 tsp instant yeast 

� Place all ingredients in your bread machine. Select dough. Allow to run cycle.  

� Dump out onto lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 pieces. With each piece, slap into a bun shape. Usually 4 or 5 slaps will do it. Place on greased cookie sheets or your bun pans, cover; rise about 30 to 40 minutes. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes til golden. Cool on wire racks. 

The recipe above is the "classic" Moomie recipe (I believe, as it is the one I see reprinted most of the time). The site I found that might be the original Moomie site (clouded in mystery, it is rumored she raises goats, so I like this legend and chose not to delve deeper... But I am digressing again).

Master Baker that I am, I made a few changes...

OK, the above is the recipe for a bread machine.  You use the machine to mix and knead, the dough only.  You still need to bake the buns in an oven.


I am without a bread machine here in paradise, but the kneading is easy.  Just toss all of the ingredients into a ziplock bag and mix.  Continue to mix for about 5 minutes.  Then dump on the counter, add more flour if needed as you manually knead the bread.  It is nearly impossible to over knead by hand, but put in at least 7-8 minutes up to 15.  Then proceed to the cutting and shaping phase.


But Moomie, as smart as she (I assume she, but who knows?  By this point, she is cloaked in mystery), as smart as she is, she doesn't talk about making them EXTRA pretty.  That is where my contribution of the Garlic, Chipotle and Parmesan cheese becomes a part of the legend...

Just after the shaping of the buns, and before they are allowed to rise for 30-40 minutes, do an egg wash.  Very simple, beat an egg, take a brush and add a thin coat of egg.  This allows the toppings to stick as the buns bake.  Without the egg wash, the cheese and spice will melt in and stick, but the garlic will fall off as you eat the sandwich.


Adding the chipotle spice will have an additional benefit.  It adds that deep rich reddish/brown color to the buns.


Also at this stage, you could decide to make hot dog buns, or larger sandwich roll size.


To make a hotdog bun, during the shaping stage, flatten 1/8th of the dough like you would a pizza.  Form a disk.  The width of the disk will be the length of the roll.

And just roll up...

And top, then allow that second rise of 30-40 minutes...

Works gret as a hot dog/sausage bun, but if you want to make a man size sandwich, just double the amount of dough.  You will only get 4 of these rolls, instead of 8 buns, but just make more... Flour is cheap.


And these are worth it...

This is the same sandwich... just different size buns!

Sorry for the repeat.  Last time you hear me talk about my buns.  


Promise.


I gotta go, the horses need to be taken for a swim.

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