Barbeque (also known as “BBQ”) season is right around the corner.  A traditional American BBQ can take place in your backyard, balcony, camping trip or just about anywhere you can set up a grill.  This initiation into summer has been around for far longer than anyone can remember, and with any long standing tradition, there are certain staple items that are expected to be present at every char-grilled gathering.

The most common items that come to mind when thinking of summertime BBQ are always hamburgers and hotdogs.  The idea of hamburgers and hotdogs, to some, has become quite boring.  With the advent of television channels geared towards food, food competitions, food reality shows, and the resurgence of the fabled thirty minute cooking show, we are progressively becoming a nation of “Foodies.”

Foodies are many things, but usually they are people who pay close attention to the ingredients in food, expect more than the traditional, and consider different elements of eating, including how texture can either make or break a dish that is served.  Foodies want things kicked up a notch!  They dare to use their own smokers to make painstakingly longwinded yet savory BBQ, or put twists on the norm like adding seafood to the menu, and using grills to make pizza. The days of your mother’s ambrosia salad are potentially on the way out.  But despite all these exciting changes to our culinary appetites, there are some traditions that die hard.  The potentially boring and dull cheeseburger will never be written off, but with the idea of kicking things up a notch, new twists have been introduced to keep the tradition alive and as exciting as ever. 

Current day cheeseburger recipes have a variety of twists and changes. The experimentation has tackled all the different elements of a cheeseburger. They include the use of exotic cheeses, changing up the protein by using a variety of freshly ground meats, fresh garden picked tomatoes and lettuce, homemade pickled condiments, and more.

An area we would like to focus on, and something we actually have some experience with is the very important bookends to any great cheeseburger, the bun. A great bun can greatly enhance the overall enjoyment of a cheeseburger. However, the bun is the most common piece of a BBQ masterpiece that is overlooked.  In our opinion, there is no better option for your hamburgers and hotdog buns than a freshly made and baked brioche roll. The brioche bun is a nice touch to change up the potential doldrums of a traditional BBQ meal.  Structurally, it contains the right amount of thickness and gusto to hold up to your juicy cheeseburger. Yet, brioche buns still bring a balanced richness and flavor to complement the most sophisticated of burgers.   

It could soon become a product that you will not be able to make enough of as foodies everywhere are looking for that finishing touch to their gourmet cheeseburgers!

Below is a great recipe your bakers can refer to when making Brioche Buns.

Method:  Blitz Mixing Method.  Place all the ingredients in a spiral or planetary mixer except the butter.  Mix on low speed for 4 minutes and high speed for 4 minutes to fully develop the gluten.  Slowly start adding the soft butter in 1/4 increments.  After butter is fully incorporated make sure the dough has proper gluten development.  Place dough on a tray or in bin and retard in a cooler overnight (approx. 40? F).  The next day you can shape the cold dough to either burger buns or hot dog rolls and let proof for approximately 1.5 hours.  Egg wash and bake at 350? F until desired color is achieved (typically 10-15 min).

About Erika Record Baking Equipment:

Erika Record is the leading manufacturer and distributor of retail/commercial baking equipment. For over 20 years, we have provided our customers with both excellent equipment and outstanding customer service. Our products include: bagel/bread/roll slicers, bread and roll systems, cake slicers, cookie presses, depositors, divider/rounders, mixers, sheeters/makeup tables, ovens, and more! For more information give us a call at: 973-614-8500 or visit: http://www.erikarecord.com.