Rick’s Ultimate Hamburger
Rick and Bill are always on the hunt for the best hamburger. I have tried many recipes and discovered that the ultimate best burger ever is so very simple.
Ingredients
The Ultimate Homemade Bun
- 3 TBS honey raw, local honey is best
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp yeast
- 3 cups flour
- 6 TBS dry milk
- 1 tsp salt Kosher or sea salt is best
- 3 TBS butter melted
The Ultimate Hamburger
- 2 lb 80/20 ground chuck
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 8 slices cheese
Instructions
The Ultimate Homemade Bun
- Lightly grease a large bowl to use for rising the dough.
- Mix 1 TBS honey with warm water. Add yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Place 2 cups flour, the powdered milk, and the salt in a large bowl. Blend until well mixed. If using your stand mixer, turn to speed 2.
- Add 2 Tbsp honey and the water/yeast mixture. Add the melted butter. (If mixing by hand, mix well.)
- Add 1 cup flour ½ cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. (You may not end up using all the flour.)
- Knead with the stand mixer for 2 minutes, or knead by hand for 10 minutes.
- Once the dough becomes smooth and elastic, put it into the greased bowl. Turn it once and cover with a light towel. Let it sit in a warm spot until it doubles in size. It will take about an hour.
- Punch the dough down. Separate it into eight equal pieces and roll them into balls. Lightly press them flat. Place them on a greased cookie sheet and let rise about thirty minutes, then turn the oven on and let them continue to rise as the oven preheats.
- Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 25 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the pan and immediately place on a cooling rack. Slice in half and serve with the Ultimate Hamburger. Top with your favorite toppings.
The Ultimate Hamburger
- Use ground beef with a low fat content—ground chuck at 80/20 or 70/30. Take ¼ pound (4 ounces) of meat and form it into a ball. Line a small plate with waxed paper. Place the ball in the center and top with another piece of waxed paper. Using another plate, press the beef into a patty. This will compress it and help it hold together.
- Season each side with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high heat in an iron skillet until your desired temperature:Medium-rare: 130° to 135° F (55° to 57° C)Medium: 140° to 145° F (60° to 63° C)Medium-well: 150° to 155° F (65° to 68° C)
- Just before you’re ready to remove the burger from the pan, top it with a slice or two of cheese. I love Swiss cheese or sharp cheddar. Mix them up!
- Serve with the Ultimate Hamburger Bun and top with your favorite burger toppings.
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