Fluffy Homemade Hamburger, Hotdog, or Brat Buns

The Frugal Girl
Makes: 24 hamburger buns
32 hotdog or brat buns

Ingredients:

7 cups all purpose flour
4.5 teaspoons (2 pkgs.) active dry yeast
3 cups milk
1/2 cup butter (cut into pieces) or vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar or honey
3 teaspoons salt
2 eggs

Instructions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 cups of flour with the yeast.

In a separate bowl, combine milk, butter, sugar, and salt, and heat to 120°F. 

Add hot liquids to flour/yeast mixture and beat for 2 minutes. 

Add eggs and mix to combine. Add enough additional flour to make a soft dough. 

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes. 

Place dough in bowl, cover with wet tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for one hour, or until doubled in size.

Hamburger buns:
Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 24 pieces. 

Shape each into a ball and flatten.
These become huge, so make the balls of dough very flat. If you make them touch, they will rise up, not out. Place on greased baking sheets.

Hotdog or Brat Buns:
Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 32 pieces.
Shape each into a long, skinny tube. Make longer and skinnier than you want the finished bun to be so it will rise to the correct size. Place on greased baking sheets with one side touching another bun and the other side not touching anything (this creates a soft side);

Cover baking sheets or place into oven with a bowl of hot water below. 

Let rise 30-60 minutes or until doubled in size. Remove rising buns from the oven and preheat oven to 350° F. 

Bake buns for 13-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.