The Perfect Burger

Summertime is perfect for outdoor eating and frolicking. Cool sippy drinks, pool parties, and BBQs galore! Celebrate the summer with this recipe we made for  Mr. Bear’s birthday last week! If you have the time, make the homemade burger buns. They’re soft, rich, and smell just ah-mazing! They’ll take regular burgers just over the top. Period.

You can make the patty filling ahead of time and stick it in the fridge while the rolls rise. Then as the rolls are baking in the oven, shape and grill the burger patties. Perfect for an outdoor weekend get together. Yum!

The Perfect Hamburger
1 lb ground sirloin
2 TB finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 or 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
4 slices cheddar or Swiss cheese (optional)
Hamburger buns, store-bought or homemade, recipe follows
Sliced tomato for serving
Sliced onion, for serving
Torn lettuce for serving
Sliced dill pickle for serving
Ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard or other condiments of your choice for serving

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, mix together the beef, yellow onion, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Form the mixture into 4 patties, each 3⁄4 inch thick.

Grill the hamburgers directly over medium-high heat, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Check for doneness by cutting into a hamburger near the center or testing with an instant-read thermometer. No pink should show on the inside, and the internal temperature should register at least 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. If making cheeseburgers, place a slice of cheese on top of each hamburger during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

During the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking, toast the hamburger buns, cut side down, on the grill. Serve the hamburgers on the buns with tomato, white onion, lettuce, dill pickle and condiments.
Serves 4.

Light Brioche Burger Buns
courtesy Smitten Kitchen
3 tbsp. warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 tsp yeast
2½ TB 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, optional
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.