As it was National Burger Day on Tuesday I decided to whip up some Mexican bean burgers to celebrate, complete with homemade brioche burger buns. I had never made burger buns before, nor had I made brioche but, I thought why not go all out and give these buns from The Clever Carrot blog a go. After mixing the ingredients together and forming the dough I felt rather alarmed at how tacky and wet the dough was and as I pulled the dough out onto the work surface it clung to my hands like chewing gum. I thought that something must have gone wrong but, decided to stick with it and trust that prior to baking, brioche was supposed to be a bit of a sticky mess. Well, you never know right? I mean I'm sure Megan Fox doesn't wake up looking completely stunning and flawless before she slaps on the make-up, right? No, you're right, she definitely does. I however, am not so fortunate but, pop on the old make-up and I start to look at least fairly decent so, I held out hope that after cooking, my buns would do the same. Since baking, I have now discovered that brioche dough does tend to be very tacky and wet due to the addition of eggs and extra liquid so do not be alarmed, you're just in for a treat when these moist buns come out of the oven!
I let the dough rise, shaped it as best I could into some round-ish buns, brushed over an egg wash, popped them in the oven and crossed my fingers. Miraculously, as I pulled open the oven door twenty minutes later, I was greeted with the sight of these gorgeous, glossy buns. My eyes widened and I licked my lips as the tantalizing aroma of fresh bread filled the air. I couldn't stop myself from tearing into a little bronze bundle and smothering it with butter; as soft as a cloud and beautifully sweet with every glorious bite.
After, managing to restrain myself from devouring the other seven buns I eventually used them to encase my mexican bean burgers (recipe taken from delicious magazine) and topped each burger with a luxurious, golden blanket of creamy, smoked cheddar and a scattering of crispy spring onions. With the addition of a squirt of zingy, sweet chilli sauce and a hefty dollop of chunky guacamole, it is safe to say that national burger day was very much appreciated in our household and these mexican bean burgers were very much enjoyed!
Did you tuck into any tasty burgers to celebrate National Burger Day?
Recipe
Makes 8 burgers.
- For the Brioche Burger Buns-
- 250ml warm water
- 3 tbsp. warm milk
- 7g dried yeast
- 2 1/2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 410g strong white bread flour
- 45g plain flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- For the Bean Burgers-
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 6 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. Cajun spice
- 3 x 400g tins mixed beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- Small handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
- Juice of ½ lime
- 150g feta, crumbled
- For the Burger Toppings-
- Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Applewood Smoked Cheddar
- Fried Spring onions
- Guacamole
- (My favourite homemade Guacamole recipe-1 medium ripe tomato, 1 avocado (very ripe), the juice of 1/2 a lime, small handful of coriander (chopped), 1/2 a small red onion (finely chopped) and 1/2 a red chilli (deseeded and finely chopped).
- Method
- 1. First, prepare the brioche burger buns. In a glass jug, combine the warm water, warm milk, yeast and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat 1 egg.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine together the flours, salt and butter and mix the ingredients together until the butter is the size of crumbs. Stir in the yeast mixture and beaten egg. Run the mixer on medium-low for about 10 minutes, until a dough forms.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl (the dough will be wet and sticky). Cover the bowl with lightly greased cling film or a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it is doubled in size, about 1- 1 1/2 hours.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper, and using a dough scraper or knife divide the dough into 8 equal parts. If you have a scale each piece can be weighed to make sure they are all the same size.
5. To shape the dough into balls, gently flatten each piece like a pancake. Pull up each side pinching it together in the center. Repeat until the ball is sealed. Flip the ball over (seam side down) and move to an un-floured part of your board (it's easier to roll this way). Place your palm over the top and gently roll into a smooth ball. Transfer to the lined baking sheet, placing them 2 to 3 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the buns rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until puffy and slightly risen.
6. Now, beat the remaining egg with a splash of water and gently brush the egg wash over each bun once they are done with the second rise. Before the bread goes into the oven add a shallow baking pan to the oven floor containing about 125ml water as this will create steam during the cooking process and help to keep the bread nice and moist. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Once the burger buns are out of the oven you can start making the bean burgers. Begin by heating 1 tbsp. olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and spring onion, season and fry over a gentle heat until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic, chilli and Cajun spice, then fry for 2-3 minutes. Tip into a bowl, add the mixed beans and roughly mash before leaving to cool slightly. (note. I had to use mixed beans in tomato sauce as that was all I could find but I just poured them into a sieve and rinsed them under a tap to get rid of the sauce).
8. Now, add the egg, breadcrumbs, coriander and lime juice. Season, then mix well to combine. Gently stir in the crumbled feta. Wet your hands slightly, then shape into 8 large burgers. Place on a lightly greased tray and chill them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. (note. if you don't want to make 8 burgers you can always half the recipe or place the burgers you don't want to use on a lined baking sheet and open-freeze them until solid, then pack into a plastic container, seal and freeze for up to 3 months.)
9. To cook the chilled burgers, preheat the grill to medium. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the burgers and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Top each with a slice of smoked cheese, then transfer to the grill for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and melted. Serve in toasted brioche buns lined with guacamole and sweet chilli sauce and scattered with fried spring onions.
(note. if you would also like to make your own guacamole then you can find the recipe I like to use here.)
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