Potato Burger Buns
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Mashed potato and potato cooking water go straight into the dough, giving these buns a soft, slightly tight crumb and a tender crust that stays that way for a day or two. Two short rises and a hot oven turn nine squares of dough into deep golden rolls built for holding a burger together.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Boil the potatoes. Put the potato pieces in a medium saucepan and add water just to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
- 2
Mash and dry the potato. Scoop out 75 ml of the potato water into a bowl to cool; drain the potatoes. Return them to the pan over low heat and shake for about 1 minute until any surface moisture has gone. Process through a ricer or food mill, or mash well. Weigh 227 g of very firmly packed mashed potato into a bowl and stir in the butter until melted; reserve any extra potato for another use.
- 3
Mix the dough. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the warm potato mixture and mix in with your hands until combined (some large lumps are fine). Add the egg and the reserved potato water, then knead with the dough hook on low speed until the dough is soft and slightly sticky, 8-10 minutes.
- 4
First rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased container. Cover tightly and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, 30-40 minutes.
- 5
Divide and round. Turn the dough out and pat it gently into an even 20 cm square, dusting with flour only if it's too sticky to handle. Cut into 9 pieces (3 rows by 3). Working one piece at a time and keeping the rest covered, shape each into a smooth, taut round by cupping your hand loosely around it and moving it in small circles on the unfloured counter. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
- 6
Shape and second rise. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, press each round firmly into a 9 cm disk, pushing out any large air pockets. Arrange on the sheets, cover loosely and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, 30-40 minutes. Toward the end, heat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan) with racks in the middle and upper-middle positions.
- 7
Bake. Brush the buns gently with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake until deep golden brown, 15-18 minutes, rotating the sheets and switching their positions halfway through. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move the buns to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Storage
Best the day they're baked. Store airtight at room temperature for a day or two, or freeze and thaw before using; split and toast to refresh.
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 3.1 g protein per 100 kcal, about 13% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
- Low sugars: 2.1 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 85 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
1.4 g per serving
2.8 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 5.6 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- potato ricer or food mill (or potato masher)
- stand mixer with dough hook
- bench knife or chef's knife
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- parchment paper
- plastic wrap
- pastry brush
- wire racks
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 208 kcal |
| Protein | 6.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 35.3 g |
| of which sugars | 1.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 1.4 g |
| Fat | 4.4 g |
| of which saturates | 2 g |
| Fibre | 1.7 g |
| Salt | 0.68 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
