Homemade Sandwich Buns

Sometimes I'll read a recipe from one of the many vintage cookbooks I have and wonder if it's really going to come out as great as the book says. Such was the case of these sandwich buns.

Saturday wasn't looking to be a great day to be outside, slipping and sliding on the ice that covered pretty much everything wasn't my idea of a fun time, so by the afternoon I was ready to tackle some sort of project in the kitchen.

And these buns were it! As I said, I had my doubts, what with so many new, trendy, gluten free, organic, chic, hip...(well, I guess you get the idea) bread recipes out there on the internet why would I want to make an older recipe? Ok, I have no real answer for that! Maybe it's just simply nostalgia.

But getting back to these buns. They were easy to make, using my dough hook to knead, and they made a perfect bun for sandwiches. Plus they have an extra layer of flavor with the grated swiss cheese and minced onion in them. Just a subtle layer of flavor, enough that you barely know it's there.

If you have some time, although more time is spent waiting for the dough to rise, I urge you to give these a try. I'll be making them again in a day or two...they were a big hit at our house!

Blend the flour, wheat germ, sugar, salt and dry yeast in a mixer bowl.

Saute the minced onion in butter til tender but not browned.

Add the yogurt ( I used sour cream) and water and stir, then heat the mixture til very warm, nearly 120F.

Add the warm liquid to the yeast mixture and blend together with a rubber spatula.

Mix on low speed in the beginning, then increase the speed to medium and beat 2 minutes.

Then add the egg, 1/2 cup additional flour and shredded cheese.

Beat on high speed 2 minutes.

Then, by hand, stir in more flour, one half cup at a time til it makes a soft dough. I only used 1 1/4 cups total.

Knead with your dough hook til smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Sorry...if you don't have a dough hook, you'll have to turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand:(

Place the dough into a clean greased bowl and turn the dough to grease top.

Cover and let rise one hour( mine took about 1 1/2 hours) or til double in size.

Keep it in a warm place. I kept mine in the oven ( off, of course!).

Punch down and divide into 12 pieces.

Smooth into round shapes and place on a greased baking sheet, spacing well apart. Flatten each ball slightly, cover and let rise again for an hour or til doubled.

Bake for about 15 minutes or til they look slightly golden.

Homemade Sandwich Buns (from Food Editors Favorites, Treasured Recipes)

Makes a dozen buns

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced

1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

1/2 cup water

3 to 3 1/2 cups AP flour, divided

1 tbsp. toasted wheat germ

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 pachage active dry yeast

1 egg, room temp.

1 cup shredded natural Swiss cheese

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1. Melt butter and saute onion in a small pan til tender but not browned.

2. Add yogurt(or sour cream) and water; blend well and heat til very warm, nearly 120F.

3. Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the flour, toasted wheat germ, sugar, salt and dry yeast into a mixing bowl.

4. Add warm liquid to dry ingredients and blend quickly with a spatula.

5. Mix on low speed to blend, then increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.

6. Add the egg, 1/2 cup additional flour and shreded cheese and beat on high 2 minutes.

7. By hand, stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.

8. Knead the dough, using a dough hook, for 8 to 10 minutes, til smooth and elastic. (I used a total of 1 1/4 cups flour). If you don't have a dough hook then you've got to knead the old fashioned way...by hand. Think of the workout!

9. Place the dough into a clean greased bowl and turn the dough to grease the top. Cover and let rise one hour or til doubled in size ( Mine took 1 1/2 hours).

10. Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces. Smooth into ball shapes and place on greased baking sheet with space around each. Flatten each ball slightly to make bun shapes. Cover loosely and let rise again about one hour or til doubled.

11. Preheat oven to 375. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. (Mine took a little more than 15 minutes.)

Note: If you like sesame seeds, brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with the seeds before baking.