Bringing A Whole New Meaning to the Phrase "Bun In The Oven"

It’s true. I’m pregnant.

Err. Was pregnant.

Remember all my talk about how much I hated yeast? It was all a cover. For the torrid love affair we were having.
Ever since I first successfully used it to make pizza dough, we’ve been going at it everywhere. The kitchen table, the countertops, the floor. No inch of my kitchen has gone unturned (sorry Sophie, but it’s better you find out sooner rather than later – but don’t worry, I always clean up afterwards).

I’ve been kind-of busy lately, though, what with exams and schoolwork and everything so I told the yeast we were going to have to take a break for a while. At least until the next HBinFive bread braid.

But then on Wednesday night, who comes knocking at my door for a booty call? None other than a package of Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast. So one thing led to another. We got caught up in the heat of the moment. SOMEONE forgot to use protection. And so before I knew it, with the shortest gestational period known to the human race (4 to 5 hours) these light brioche burger buns were born.

But now the s*** really starts to hit the fan. Because here I am, an unwed mother with many years of medical/graduate school left to go. Now burdened with not ONE, not TWO, but EIGHT burger buns to raise.

So did I give them up for adoption? Ship them off to my mother (she would be in “young grandmother” heaven)? Drop out of medical school to become a stay-at-home mom?

Nope.

I did the next best thing. I ate them.

Call it bad mothering, but it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time.
I saw this recipe of light brioche burger buns on Smitten Kitchen way back when I made the whole wheat pumpkin pie brioche. And it was love at first sight. Ironically, it was also love at first bite. I warn you though that once you make these, no other burger bun will ever compare. So be careful.

Light Brioche Burger Buns
Makes 8, adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 oz milk (3 tbsp)
1 package active dry yeast
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs, separated
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp butter

1. In a glass measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, beat one egg.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg until a dough forms. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter and knead, scooping dough up, slapping it on counter and turning it, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be on the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get. Try to leave them tackier than you would a round loaf.

3. Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, one to two hours. This took me about an hour and fifteen minutes.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Or not, I didn’t and they turned out fine.) Divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for one to two hours. (I went for a run and when I came back these were ready to go…about another hour and fifteen minutes).

5. Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Now a fabulous burger bun like this calls for a fabulous burger. Back before Thanksgiving I had bought a log of cranberry goat cheese from Trader Joe’s. And I needed something to do with it. I thought about incorporating it into a pasta dish, or just making some grilled cheese. But then I thought, what goes better with cranberries than turkey? And what would be better on a burger bun than, well, a burger?

So I adapted this recipe for Thanksgiving burgers that I had seen on A Year In The Kitchen a LONG time ago. And while it doesn’t really taste like Thanksgiving, it does taste delicious with the cranberry goat cheese. The only thing that would make it better would be if I added a layer of stuffing. And some gravy. But that might be vaguely excessive, don’t you think?

Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers
Serves 4, adapted from A Year In The Kitchen

1 1/3 lb lean ground turkey
1 red onion, diced into small pieces
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
4 oz cranberry goat cheese (or if you can’t find cranberry goat cheese, just top with goat cheese and cranberry sauce)

1. Mix all of the ingredients together from turkey through poultry seasoning. Form into four patties.

2. Preheat your grill or George Foreman if you are like me and don’t have a grill. Cook until done.

3. Eat on a delicious brioche hamburger bun topped with 1 oz of cranberry goat cheese. Or more. To taste.

I am submitting this to Deb for Souper Sundays. This has also been Yeastspotted!