This is the most forgiving bread recipe that I have ever come across. I was looking for a dough that I could use for sandwiches and the one below seemed as though it would be perfect; the author mentions that the buns stand up to sloppy Joes so I assumed that sandwich fillings would be a cinch.
I am an experienced baker - it is one of my favorite kitchen tasks because I find it incredibly relaxing - and I would recommend this recipe for first time bakers because it can take whatever you throw at it and will still make turn out the most satisfying results. A nice yielding crust and a fluffy inside that soaks up mayonnaise or hamburger juices.
The first time I made it I was a bit distracted and didn't read the recipe through so I overheated the milk and killed what I once saw referred to in a '70s cookbook as "the yeast beasties". I suspected that I had done this but tried a first rise anyway. Nothing happened but I was loathe to abandon my work and thought it might be worth a shot to proof some yeast in a little water, knead it into the dough and see if it would then rise. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and an hour later I had beautiful puffy dough that tasted delicious in the final product.
The second time I made it I discovered that I had forgotten to buy eggs so, since I couldn't see the point of the egg in the dough anyway, I added two heaping tablespoons of yogurt instead. Again, gorgeous buns (no pun intended). I also decided not to heat the milk because I thought that was a pointless endeavor and halved the sugar as well. This did not affect the end result in any way. Instead of 3 different rises, I combined them for one long second rise. Still fine. Last but not least, you can used a stand mixer for this or knead it by hand. I have attempted to describe both methods below.
So, first time bakers, approach these with no fear. Experienced bakers, this will definitely become a baking staple since the dough can be used as dinner rolls as well as sandwich/hamburger/hotdog buns depending on how you form them.
(Makes 8 sandwich buns, 16 dinner rolls or 10 hotdog buns)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 Tbsps sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsps Greek yogurt
2 Tbsps butter
2 1/4 cups white flour (some additional for flouring the board)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsps active dry yeast
2 Tbsps softened butter
Melt the 2 first tablespoons of butter in a pan.
In the stand mixer bowl (regular bowl is fine if doing this by hand), combine the milk, sugar, salt, Greek yogurt, melted butter and yeast. Stir well to combine.
Add the whole wheat flour and beat until combined using the dough hook attachment. If making this by hand, use your hands to combine into a dough. Add the regular flour and repeat.
Beat with the dough hook attachment at medium speed until the dough forms a ball around the hook rather than sticking to the sides. If doing this by hand, once you have formed a cohesive dough in the bowl, tip it out onto a floured board and start kneading! It will take a few minutes but all of the sudden your dough will go from being a floury, heavy mess to a shiny, silky dough. In both cases, once you have achieved the desired result, pour 1 teaspoon of oil into the bowl in which you made the dough, flip it once so that the dough is lightly oiled on all sides and cover with a damp tea towel. Place it in a draft free place (I usually use the unllit oven) and leave to rise for an hour or so. It will adapt to your schedule. You can also get it this far and put it in the fridge overnight with no problem. Just make sure that it is covered with a damp teatowel at all times.
When you are done with your first rise on your terms, tip the dough onto a floured board and punch it down. Shape the dough into your desired bun shape and place on a parchment line baking sheet. Cover with the damp towel and allow to rise again for 2 hours.
Towards the end of this rise, preheat the oven to 350.
Before placing the buns in the oven, smear them with a bit of the softened butter as illustrated above. Cook for 12-18 minutes depending on the size of your rolls and the accuracy of your oven temperature.
Allow to cool. Split in half and stuuf with the filling of your choice. I first used these on a "fried" chicken sandwich but I am pretty sure that you will find a myriad of other uses for them as well.
Inspiration recipe here.
