Homemade Burger Buns

Boca Burger on a homeade bun

I'm a label reader. And into healthy living, despite my unstoppable attraction to chocolates and lattes. Lately, reading the label of bread on the store shelves is like a trip back to high school chemistry class.

No thanks.

But making bread the old-fashioned way, especially during the busy month of December isn't practical in my house.

Unless I want to go without sleep.

All the coffee and chocolates in the world won't help a woman who doesn't get enough sleep. Just ask my husband.

Many years ago, I received a bread machine as a gift. For the next ten years, it took up residence in the closet, which meant it seldom saw the light of day. I mean, let's be honest. It isn't the easiest thing to haul out, especially when stored under teetering stacks of unused paper plates and cups from birthdays gone by. But this year, I made a decision to give it a new home - on the kitchen counter.

(Yes, out of the box...)

And, do you know what? It's getting use. An added bonus? Freshly baked bread is a great way to add scent to the home! And this week's bread? Burger buns! The recipe, from About.com, is originally intended for hotdogs, but the beauty of making your own dough is that you choose the ultimate shape. (In our case, it's burger-sized.) We ended up with 12 buns. The ones we did not use, we cut in half and froze for another day. (Boca Burgers are a go-to lunch in my home.)

These are likely denser than the fluffy, air-infused ones we are all accustomed to. But, I promise, you will recognize every ingredient, and chemistry class flashbacks aren't part of the process.

Try them! They are so easy - and better than bagged!