Smash Burgers! With Homemade Brioche Buns
What makes a smashed burger special? The burger is smashed flat and added to the hot griddle while still cold. The shock of the heat on the fat in the burger causes the burger to caramelize and creates unbelievable flavor and seals so much of the delicious juice inside.
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You'll want everything ready to put the burger together correctly: the bun, the sauce, the cheese - all of it. The burger cooks fast and tastes best when it's fresh off of the grill.
When I was a child, we'd come to town on Saturday to the old cafe in Hollis, Oklahoma and that aroma coming off the flat top grill just takes me right back.
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Homemade Brioche Buns
Y'all know I don't get full on fancy that often, but I'll make an exception for this. It's surprisingly easy to make a homemade brioche bun if you start early enough.
Begin by Proofing the Yeast
Warm water, half and half, yeast, and sugar all mixed together will proof in ten minutes. While the yeast mixture proofs, start putting together the dry ingredients.
Tip: Sugar helps yeast proof faster.
Brioche Bun Dough Uses Soft Butter
When you make pie crust, often you cut cold butter into the flour & baking soda. That's not what I want you to do here. Instead, get a softened butter and mix it well into the flour until there are no more clumps of butter hanging around.
Once the dry ingredients are mixed well with the butter, make a well in the center and add a slightly beaten egg. Pour the proofed yeast mixture into the dough and mix well. When the dough gets a little shaggy, put some flour on your hands and squeeze and knead until you have a firm, slightly tacky dough ball.
Brioche Bun Dough - Knead, Rise, Punch
Make a dough ball and knead for five minutes or so. If you're using a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead for five minutes or so at speed 2.
We're going to let this dough rise twice. First, grease a medium sized bowl. Place dough inside and let rest for 90 minutes. It should have risen to the very top of the bowl.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into six equal pieces that are like a disc with the dome in the center. Cover with greased saran wrap and set aside for another 45 minutes.
These buns will double in size. Egg wash the top, sprinkle sesame seeds or anything else you want on top of the bun, and bake. When done, let them cool on a wire rack.
Special Sauce
This sauce is simple. Grate onion and jalapeno into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise and mustard. Mix well - trust me this stuff is amazing. Keep it cool until time to spread on the buns.
Grilling the Smash Burger
Divide a pound of 80/20 beef into four balls. Keep them cold so the sear will caramelize the outside of the burger.
Place on the hot griddle and take a piece of wax paper - place it over the burger patty and SMASH - add Original Seasoning. Flip and do the same on the other side.
Tip: Use wax paper over the burger to prevent the burger meat from sticking to the smasher.
Top the burger with cheese special sauce, lettuce, tomato, and anything else you favor. This burger is a meal in and of itself! You'll be stuffed.
