My husband enjoys these meat buns that I make so I thought I would share with you how I make them.
The first thing I do is make a basic bread dough. I have my bread dough recipe and directions posted on this website under cooking from scratch but I will post the recipe here.
I make homemade bread, buns and rolls all the time so bread dough is something that I whip up easily. The more we make it the easier it gets. Since last September and I had some serious health issues I lost some upper body strength and with encouragement from my daughter I gave in and started using a bread machine to simply knead the dough for me. This was a bit of a defeat to stop kneading the dough but after I had gone out and bought a loaf of bread for the first time in years I decided the bread machine would be better so we could still have homemade bread.
I put my ingredients into the bread machine pan and let it do the kneading then I remove it and take over from there. When it comes out of the bread machine it has had it's first rise so then I shape it into whatever I am making and let it rise again in a warm area for about 45 minutes. Then I bake my bread, rolls, buns etc in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. This recipe below will make bread, rolls, buns (hotdog, hamburger, hogies rolls or most anything you want to make).
This recipe is for one loaf of bread or rolls, buns etc.
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil (I use light or medium olive oil for my bread dough)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
2/3 cup of warm water (105 degrees)
1/2 teaspoon salt
This can be made by hand or in the bread machine on dough cycle.
Make up the dough and let it go through the first rise. Then press down and shape into a log and divide the dough.
For the meat ingredients
Ground pork, beef or whatever meat you choose 1/2 pound will make 8 buns.
Onions
Shredded cheese
Mustard
Any seasoning you prefer and can even splash a tad bit of balsamic vinegar while browning the meat and onions.
For the dough recipe posted above I made these meat buns on the left and a very small loaf of bread on the right because I did not need more than eight meat buns. This photo is when I set them in the oven to rise for 45 minutes. The pan on the right is my smallest loaf pan I have.
I cut 2/3 of the dough and used for meat buns to make 8 buns and the remaining for a small loaf of bread.
I start by chopping some onion, this is about half a medium size onion.
What I do is brown some ground pork or ground beef, whatever you like and even ground chicken or turkey can be used. But brown the meat and when it is almost done add the onions and season as you like. You can also add garlic but remember to add the garlic last as it can become bitter if you burn the garlic.
Then set aside the cooked meat and onions to cool.
So here we have our cooked meat and onions, shredded cheddar cheese, mustard and our dough that has risen one time.
Pat out one of the dough pieces...
Put about this much of the cooked meat and onions...
Put some cheese and a dab of mustard on top...
Then stretch the dough over the meat and cheese. I could not take pictures and do this but try and keep the bottom from stretching too thin. I gently lift and pull one side then the other then the other + forming the cross shape then put the in between places. It may be a bit fiddly the first time to make these but then it will be easier next time.
Place in a pan like this and place in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes. I use my oven with the light on normally.
Bake for about 25 minutes and if the bread starts browning before the cooking time us up then place foil over the top and continue baking.
This is what it looks like after being baked.
We like these made with ground pork and they do not stay around long. These are also good to pack in a lunch box. Wrap them separately with wax paper, the mustard is already inside so there is no need for condiments.
Grandma Donna
