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Hamburger baps

I am all for breads with a crunchy crust and am a great advocate of those, but there is also a certain beauty in a soft doughy roll that squidges when lightly pressed. So I embarked on a journey for a soft(ish) roll and found the best way to get one was to use plain flour. If these are cooked for too long, a firm top will result; but if cooked for just the right amount of time, the top will stay soft and squidgy. These baps are great with the salmon and sweet potato fish cakes, or even the lamb and mint burgers. When time permits, I double the ingredients and then pop half the baps into the freezer for another day.

Makes 5 baps (V)

525g plain flour

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp soft light brown sugar

1 x 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast

150ml warm milk, plus extra for brushing

125–150ml warm water

Sesame seeds

Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk and enough water to make a soft dough. The softer the dough, the better because it will mean the buns will have a really nice rise. Knead the dough for a good 10 minutes if doing by hand and 5 minutes if using a mixer fitted with a dough attachment. To test when the dough is ready, form the dough into a ball so that it has a nice tight top, then using a floured finger, prod it into the dough – if it springs back all the way, then it is ready. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions. Mine weighed 170g each, but this will depend on how much water you have used. Take one portion and shape it into a ball. I like to pull the sides down of the ball down and under so that the top of the bread becomes tight. This makes the bread look really nice when it is cooked.

Now place a dough ball on a baking tray and squash it down a little to flatten it slightly. Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing the dough balls on the tray fairly spaced apart because they will spread during baking. Once all the dough balls are formed, cover them with oiled clingfilm so that it is loose but airtight. I normally have to use several pieces of clingfilm to cover them sufficiently. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough balls have almost doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Once the dough balls have risen, carefully remove the clingfilm and brush all over with the extra milk. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Spray some water into the oven to create a steamy atmosphere. I usually spray 8–10 squirts with a spray gun, then place the baps into the oven. Bake for about 30–35 minutes, or until the baps are golden brown, firm and sound hollow when they are tapped on the bottom. The cooking time will vary according to how much liquid the baps have in them and how long they have been left to rise for.

Once the hamburger baps are cooked, remove them from the oven and leave to cool. These baps are great for burgers, or they can be transformed into iced buns by topping them with icing sugar mixed with a little water.