We are big fans of burgers. I mean, what’s not to like? A deliciously seasoned patty (veggie or meat based) and your choice of any topping you like. It’s no wonder that burgers have made their way onto so many menus and are a staple of cook-outs. However, we find that biting into a traditional burger often has the end result of all the condiments squirting out the back of the bun and onto your hands or plate. So, we decided to play around with the idea of baking our burger in an encapsulating bun.
Since this was our first attempt, there are a few kinks we plan to work out in the future…the main one being that the bottom of the buns got soggy while baking. We plan to try a few other techniques in our next few attempts, and here are a few our our proposed countermeasures if you’d like to play around with any.
- Baking on a grate so anything that drips is not in contact with the bottom of the bun during cooking
- Sealing the bread with a quick sear on a hot surface
- Using an egg wash on the seams to seal them better since the egg will cook before juices start to run
- Building the burgers upside down from how I did in the pictures and leaving the seams on top
We don’t yet know what will work best, but we will certainly find out through future trial and error! Anyway, our first attempt was made with turkey burgers, caramelized onions and mushrooms, and gruyere cheese, but don’t be limited by our choices…you can use any type of patty and toppings or condiments in your burger pouch. Just make sure any meat ingredients are browned first to ensure even cooking.
We served these burgers with Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw and Homemade Pickles!
Time: 2 Hours (most of which is dough rise time)
Ingredients:
- For the Bun (makes enough for 8)
- 2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 Cup of Warm Water
- 2 Teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Teaspoon of Salt
- 1 Teaspoon of Sugar
- Optional: Egg and Sesame or Poppy Seeds
- For the Filling
- Your burger patties of choice (we used ground turkey mixed with some salt, onion powder, and paprika)
- Your desired toppings (we used caramelized onions, mushrooms, and Gruyere cheese)
- Your preferred condiments (we didn’t use any, but I’d think BBQ sauce, or whole grain dijon would be great)
Method:
- Make your dough
- Mix your yeast and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a regular bowl if making by hand). Then, slowly add your water, and let sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast forms a bit of a foamy layer on top of the water.
- Add in about half of your flour, and mix to combine. Then, add in the rest of your flour, and knead for 8-10 minutes until your dough forms and is tacky but not sticky.
- Spray a little oil into a deep bowl, and place your dough ball in the bowl, and cover it with some plastic cling wrap. Let sit for an hour until it doubles in size.
- While the dough rises, focus on the fillings
- Make your patties, and brown them on both sides in a hot pan. Set aside.
- Cut and caramelize your veggies or other toppings, and set aside
- Cut your cheese
- Assemble
- Cut your dough into 8 equal parts, and roll each into a ball.
- Working one at a time on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to flatten each ball into a large pliable circle.
- Place your patty in the middle of your dough, and then add your other ingredients on top.
- Fold your dough overtop as though you’re gift-wrapping a cylindrical object, and press the folds together.
- Let all your burgers rise for another 15-20 minutes under a tea towel. While this is happening, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, and prep your baking pan with foil to catch any drippings and make cleanup easier. We suggest sprinkling some cornmeal down on the foil too to make extrication easier later.
- Optional: At the end of your second rise time, give each bun an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.
- Place your pan in the oven for about 25 minutes. At this time, the bread shell should be done, and the meat should be cooked through. Test one of the burgers with a meat thermometer, and make sure it is (requisite temperatures will vary by meat choice).
- Remove from the oven, and let sit for about 5 minutes.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
