GOLDEN BURGER BUNS

Recipe tested and photo: Rosemary Briggs
Burger night just got an upgrade. There is absolutely nothing like the smell of fresh bread baking in the kitchen. Tonight, we are skipping the store-bought buns and making these ultra-soft, golden burger buns from scratch. They are fluffy, cheesy, and ready to hold the ultimate burger.

• 1 ⅔ cups warm milk
• 100 g melted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoon yeast
• 4 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten, for the egg wash
• 1 cup grated cheese, plus extra slices for the tops, optional
• In a bowl, combine the warm milk, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes until it’s nice and bubbly (bloomed).
• Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture.
• Knead by hand for 10 minutes (or 5 minutes if using a stand mixer).
• If you’re making cheesy rolls, knead the 1 cup of grated cheese into the dough now.
• Cover and leave the dough in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size.
• Punch the dough down and divide it into 8 equal portions.
• Roll them into smooth balls and place them on a greased baking tray.
  Let them rest and double in size again.
• Brush the tops with the beaten egg and add that extra slice of cheese if you’re feeling fancy.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes until golden brown.
• Baking Tip:
• Make sure the milk is warm to the touch, not hot! If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast and the buns won’t get that beautiful, fluffy rise.