Mini- buns

[Chef Mike]

Every time I've tried to bake a mini hamburger bun- like for a Slider- they always dome up and look like little balls, or dinner rolls.

I've checked with a couple local bakeries that bake mini-buns, and they just little ball-like dinner rolls too.

Anybody have real experience with this?

Mike

[Chef Kaiser]

Hi,

do you want to look your bun flat like an so called english muffin for the famous egg benedictin?

let me know, as i am not sure of the shape you want.

regards

[thetincook]

You got to pan them closer together so the sides will touch each other after proofing and finally come together during the oven spring. This will get you the square look you are after. For a 1 or 2 oz roll, I figure that a spacing of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch should suit you right.

[Erik]

I used to a normal sized bun at work and the trick was, after they have been rounded and had time to rest, place a few additional pans on top of them to flatten them out. Let them rest like this a while, then finish proofing them and bake them. See if that helps?

[henry]

Just a suggestion, change your recipe to an angel biscuit, which contains yeast plus another leavener, like baking soda and/or powder.

They are are cross between a biscuit and a roll, don't rise much, you can cut them out with a biscuit cutter. I like to serve grilled pork tenderloin on these little sandwiches with a flavored mayonnaise. You can also add herbs or whatever to the dough. Sweet potato angel biscuits make attractive and good little sandwiches with ham at Easter (and a dijon/apricot sauce).

h.

[AprilB]

It was the usual french bread dough, measured to 5 oz each. Instead of rolling it into loafs after the first proofing, I'd scrunch it from around the edge towards the center making it into a flat disk. Then I'd cover it, let it proof again and right before baking it press it out to the edges of the hamburger roll pans. Egg wash it and bake.

It's not a soft bread dough, but I'm sure you can use the same technique on other recipes.

I really don't have a clue what they call the pan, but they look like large shallow muffin tins.

I don't know how big you want your buns, but they always ended up the correct domed kind of shape.

I did try a couple of experiments with some leftover dough as well and if you need them smaller you can try the technique only make sure you flatten the dough a LOT before you bake it.

April

[panini]

missed this one completely.
If you don't have the bun pans, I definately agree with Erik. Just put the sheetpans on as the dough is waking up and relaxed. If your dough is springy, leave 1 pan on for a while in the proofer,take precautioms so it won't stick.
let us know which way you went?
Good question
pan