This being the 4th of July weekend, I’m sure that there’ll be barbecues blazing from sea to shining sea. I’m equally sure that more than a few of them will be grilling up burgers and dogs for at least one meal during the long weekend. I know mine will. To that end, I’ve got a “no-knead” recipe that may come in handy, courtesy of the King Arthur Flour Co. website. Originally intended to make hamburger buns, I’ve found that it can be used for hot dog buns just as easily and with equally good results. Mix up a double batch of dough and make both kinds of buns; they’re well worth the effort.
Since we’re on the subject of bread, I thought I’d share a second recipe similar to one that I found last year. It’s another recipe for no-knead bread, only this dough is used to make loaves and not buns. More importantly, you make enough dough for 3 to 4 loaves, baking one loaf at a time, as needed. The remaining dough is kept in the refrigerator where the longer it sits, the better it tastes. Unfortunately, I copied the recipe, pictures and all, but not the name of the website that supplied it. Within the portion I copied, however, the website’s author did make mention of his/her source, the book “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes” by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François. As luck would have it, there’s a recipe for no-knead bread on the King Arthur website and it, too, credits the Hertzberg/François book. So, since I cannot properly credit my source, I’ll send you to King Arthur for their version. I’ve used both recipes with equally good results.
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No Knead Hamburger Buns Recipe
Coming soon: the giardiniera pictured above!
This recipe will yield 6 hamburger buns or, with a little shaping, you can get 6 brat or 8 hot dog buns. Although they’ll keep for a couple of days in a sealed bag, they are best when used the day they’re baked.
King Arthur’s No-Knead Cheese Burger Buns
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No-Knead Bread Loaves Recipe
This recipe will yield 3 – 4 loaves, depending upon their size. You mix up a batch of dough and, after its first rise, store it in the fridge. Later, when you want to bake some bread, you literally grab a handful of dough, shape it, let it rise for an hour, and bake it. Make a batch of dough on the weekend and you can have freshly baked bread throughout the following week. It really is that simple.
King Arthur’s No-Knead Crispy White Bread
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Notes
- Before anyone questions my sanity for baking bread in the middle of Summer, I sometimes have sleepless nights due to insomnia. If that’s the case, like now, I take some of the refrigerated dough out, let it rise for an hour, and bake it. I’ll have a fresh loaf of bread cooling and it won’t even be 7:00 am.
- If you’re interested, the Hertzberg/François book may be purchased here. If you wish to visit its companion blog, click here.
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from the Bartolini kitchens 
I think we have that cookbook. (My wife tends to get cookbooks at work, so yes I know that’s funny to say.) This looks great. I love King Arthur too. I use store bought white, but anything else is King Arthur. You have to have bread even in the summer.
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What impresses me most about King Arthur is that they’ll guarantee a recipe and, as a result, I check out their website frequently. I agree about needing bread in the Summer and the refrigerator recipe is well-suited for the Dog Days. Have a batch of dough in the fridge and you can bake your bread in the morning before the Sun really heats things up.
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Another fine post, Not familiar with King Arthur, I will check it out. For summer baking, I am considering a inexpensive range with the propane adapter kit and puting it on a rolling platform in the garage. Bake in the heat of the day without steaming up the house!
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Thanks, Dave, for stopping by. Your range in the garage idea reminds me of an old stove in the basement of our old two-flat. When I was very young, it was used by the women on those exceptionally hot days, much like I assume you’ll use yours. The more things change …
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Bread baking is totally not a seasonal item in my home; I will make an exception in the summer for turning on the oven to bake bread! While I do have the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes, I have not yet tried the no knead bread! I love the concept and am so glad to see you’ve tested it out here along with King Arthur. I was once told that King Arthur Flour recipes work best by using their flour and using other flours do not turn out as well. Have you ever found that to be true?
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The refrigerated no-knead bread recipe in that book is the basis for the King Arthur recipe. I’ve followed both recipes and gotten good results. I think the key to bread baking — not that I’m an accomplished baker, by any means — is to pick a flour and stick with it, eventually learning its “temperament.” Zia, for example, has used the same, relatively common, all purpose flour for decades and gets great results. It’s the old,”If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
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I love baking fresh bread. I have never tried making my own hamburger and hot dog buns though. I love that this recipe is no knead…makes it super easy! 🙂
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This is easy, Christina, and they sell pans for both types of buns but I just don’t need another bread pan to store. I’ll go free-form and hope for the best.
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Hmm, so you’re saying that the next time insomnia hits I should reward myself with baked goods. You, John, are brilliant! lol 😀
I do like the ability to pinch off bits of dough and bake little loaflets as I like though. Thanks for sharing!
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I’m doing that right now! Seriously. I’ve got a loaf of Easter Bread on the rise. It won’t be oven-bound for another 2 hours. 🙂
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