Thursday, March 29, 2012

Homemade Onion and Cheese Buns!

 Anyone who knows me or has been following this blog, knows that I THRIVE on the challenge of doing my best to make the majority of everything my family eats from SCRATCH!  

I'm so excited that I finally perfected making Homemade Buns and 
WOW, they are so chewy and yummy and we will definitely not be purchasing store bought buns again, if we can help it.
 If you were to ask me what my favorite gourmet bread or bagel is, it is hands down, Onion and Cheese.
When my Ethan Kip asked for Salmon Burgers for his birthday dinner, I decided to try making homemade buns. 
So, I took my favorite French Bread Recipe and then added in dried minced onions to the dough and then shaped the dough into large rolls, topped them with a yummy cheese mixture of grated Parmesan and Asiago Cheese and WOW, they truly taste better than any bun you could purchase at any gourmet bakery.

AND the ingredients for the basic dough are less than $1.00 to make these.  
Here is a breakdown of the cost:
6 cups of flour--.42 (7 cents per cup of flour)
2 Tbsp. yeast-- .17
3 Tbsp. Sugar-- .21
2 tsp. salt-- .06
1 Tbsp. oil-- .12
........................................
Total-- 98 cents for the dough
(add in grated cheese for the top and you probably have another .75)

I always purchase a few blocks of gourmet cheese each month when we do our grocery shopping so we can have yummy cheese to put on top of pasta dishes, or in Huevos Rancheros and salads.  
It really is economical 
 to purchase cheese this way because when you grate it up, 
you have A LOT of cheese to use.
Homemade Onion and Cheese Buns
Mix and set aside until bubbly:
½ cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp yeast

Mix the following together in a mixer:
1 Tbsp Olive oil
3 Tbsp. Sugar
2 tsp salt
2 cups HOT tap water
1 Tbsp. Dried Onion Flakes

Add yeast mixture to above ingredients, mix well.
Add 2 cups unbleached white flour. (this will be lumpy).
Add 3-4 more cups unbleached white flour until you have soft dough...it should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (I add in 3 cups of flour and then add in more flour in 1/4 cup intervals until you have a nice soft dough)
Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl and let rise for one hour.  
Punch down every 20 minutes.

Punch down and then divide into 12 pieces
Shape into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet and let rise 30 minutes. 
Slash top of each dough ball with a serrated knife and brush with beaten egg white.
Top with grated Parmesan & Asiago Cheese (or whatever cheese you would like)
Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown (35 minutes)
Cool on baking rack and ENJOY having gourmet buns to use for burgers and sandwiches!
 Now you have one more "mad skill" you can add to your life that is SO yummy and most of all EASY to make,
better than anything that you could purchase at the store 
and you know exactly what is going in the dough for ingredients...no preservatives, or chemicals.  
Just basic food storage ingredients!
Enjoy impressing your family today, with amazing, delicious buns!

5 comments:

Alene said...

These look so delicious!!! With it being Conference Weekend, I might have to try them... and while I'm at it.. I think maybe the orange rolls for breakfast. I will call this weekend, Kimmie Weekend!!!
We will also be having a Mexican Food Feast on Sunday, so I will be making the red chile on Saturday. I will send you some of the sauce early next week! I hope you enjoy it!

LKP said...

hey! i HAVE that same Christmas towel!!!!! it's stored in a tote for the next few months, but seriously, we're twinners! i have the coordinating hotpad & finger towel too. do you have that those as well? pretty sure they were a gift from my MIL. but now i really feel like part of the cool kids club! ::hugs::

JENNIFRO said...

These look wonderful!! I love the step by step photo tutorial.

Kate said...

When you brought these over with the Meal you prepared for us when my hubby had surgery they were so yummy! Going to try to make them this sat for the Beck funeral since they asked me to do rolls for pulled pork sandwiches. I hope they taste as good as yours..I don't have any fancy cheese like you use. Thanks for sharing!

Kate said...

When you brought these over with the Meal you prepared for us when my hubby had surgery they were so yummy! Going to try to make them this sat for the Beck funeral since they asked me to do rolls for pulled pork sandwiches. I hope they taste as good as yours..I don't have any fancy cheese like you use. Thanks for sharing!