Sloppy Joes with Homemade Hamburger Buns

Sloppy Joes. So simple. I'm not talking about opening a can of Manwich, or using a package of Schilling. Making your own. Homemade! For years, I resorted to the can or package. Every time I made them, I thought, this is okay, but it would be so much better homemade. I mean, how difficult could it be to make a good Sloppy Joe concoction of my own? I pulled up a few recipes, messed a round a little, and came up with the attached. They were yummy, and served on a fresh bakery roll, even better. Then I came across this recipe for Homemade Hamburger Buns. It was meant to be.

Buns. Funny word. Favorite bun expressions from Grant: "Home of the big bun"  said whenever I say the word "bun" or whenever we buy a burger or sandwich with a big bun; "Nice buns" "Wonder buns" and "Get your buns over here". "Nice buns" referring jokingly to my buns, bc they are, FLAT. Is this too much information?

You'll love these buns. And the Sloppy Joes too.

Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

water 1/4 to 1/2 cup to thin sauce, if needed

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain off any grease. Add chopped onion, red pepper and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until onion is softened. Add tomato paste, sauce, Worcestershire and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat. If mixture is too thick, thin with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Serve with hamburger buns, top with cheese, if desired.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

1 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For glazing buns:

1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon cold water
sesame seeds (optional)

Using a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar into the water and leave for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix well, knead until smooth. If using food processor, use dough hook, mix until dough is soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add a little flour if dough is sticky. Let dough sit in bowl, covered until doubled in size, about 1- 1 1/2 hour. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 5 pieces and shape into a ball. Flatten each dough ball to about a 1 1/2 inch thickness. Place the buns on a greased baking sheet, let rise again for 30 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Glaze the buns with egg yolk and water mixture (if desired), then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns in lower half of oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. Slice buns when cooled, serve with hamburgers or sloppy joe mixture.

Tips:

-I wasn't crazy about the look of the glaze. I prefer a floured matte finish to the top of my buns. Uh, my hamburger buns.

-In the future,if I wanted a shiny bun, I would use a whole egg, or maybe just an egg white to glaze the top of the buns, and forget about the yolk/water mixture.

Tweet

Pin It