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Sliders — the beef and the buns!

Sliders – my idea of a perfect hamburger. Eat just one for a light meal or try several, varying the flavor components (we’ve provided two variations below). But the real secret is a good, soft bun that perfectly fits the beef patty. I found the “perfect” bun recipe (and slider recipe, too) at King Arthur’s website. Of course, I made a few changes along the way but have to give them the credit for these great recipes.
Regular Slider, Mushroom & Swiss, and Cheddar-Bacon sliders are kept warm in a chafing dish.

Beef Sliders      Makes 2 ½ to 3 dozen
2 to 2 1/2 lb. lean (81%) ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard
  1. Combine all ingredients.
  2. Flatten mixture in a large jelly roll type cookie sheet until it’s ½” thick.
  3. Use a 2″ round biscuit cutter to cut patties; the burgers will be flattened as the cook causing them to increase in size so they fit their custom-made buns. Burger patties can be made ahead and refrigerated at this point.
  4. When ready to grill— Preheat griddle to 350°. Place patties on the griddle and grill 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Variations:
Cheddar-Bacon Sliders — add ⅓ slice of fried bacon + a slice of Cheddar to each burger.


Mushroom-Swiss Sliders — add a teaspoon of sautéed mushrooms and a slice of Swiss to each burger.
Barry sautés the mushrooms for the Mushroom-Swiss Burgers.
Slider Buns      Makes 30 to 36
3/4 to 1 cup water heated to 120° — For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate); and something in between the rest of the time.
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 large egg
3 ½ cups+ all-purpose
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
                       
Toppings
3 tablespoons melted butter
Sesame seeds, optional
  1. Add all ingredients and mix in a Kitchen-Aid mixer.
  2. Once mixed, change to the dough hook and knead until dough is smooth and not sticky, adding more flour as needed. 
  3. Add dough to a bowl that has been drizzled with vegetable oil, turn and then cover with a towel; let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk. (For a faster rise, add to a warm oven set on low (about 190°).
  4. Gently deflate the dough, divide it in half. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it out into a large round, about ¼ to ½” thick.
  5. Using a 2” round cutter, cut approximately 15 to 18 sliders. Even if you do a really good job, you’ll end up with about 20% of the dough being scrap. You can let dough scraps relax for 15 minutes and then roll and cut it again; or you can simply shape it however you like.
  6. Place buns on a lightly greased or parchment or silicon-lined baking sheet; space them fairly close together — you don’t want them to rise and crowd one another; but baking buns close together helps them stay soft – and a slider bun should be soft.
  7. Cover and let rise about an hour. They won’t get very puffy, and that’s OK; you don’t want tall dinner rolls, you want relatively squat slider buns.
  8. Preheat oven to 375°.
  9. Brush the buns with the melted butter and top with sesame seeds if desired.
  10. Bake the buns for 9 or 10 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown.
  11. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
Recipes without photos . . .
Beef Sliders      Makes 2 ½ to 3 dozen
2 to 2 1/2 lb. lean (81%) ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard
  1. Combine all ingredients.
  2. Flatten mixture in a large jelly roll type cookie sheet until it’s ½” thick.
  3. Use a 2″ round biscuit cutter to cut patties; the burgers will be flattened as the cook causing them to increase in size so they fit their custom-made buns. Burger patties can be made ahead and refrigerated at this point.
  4. When ready to grill— Preheat griddle to 350°. Place patties on the griddle and grill 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Variations:
Cheddar-Bacon Sliders — add ⅓ slice of fried bacon + a slice of Cheddar to each burger.
Mushroom-Swiss Sliders — add a teaspoon of sautéed mushrooms and a slice of Swiss to each burger.

Slider Buns      Makes 30 to 36
3/4 to 1 cup water heated to 120° — For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate); and something in between the rest of the time.
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 large egg
3 ½ cups+ all-purpose
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
                       
Toppings
3 tablespoons melted butter
Sesame seeds, optional
  1. Add all ingredients and mix in a Kitchen-Aid mixer.
  2. Once mixed, change to the dough hook and knead until dough is smooth and not sticky, adding more flour as needed. 
  3. Add dough to a bowl that has been drizzled with vegetable oil, turn and then cover with a towel; let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk. (For a faster rise, add to a warm oven set on low (about 190°).
  4. Gently deflate the dough, divide it in half. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it out into a large round, about ¼ to ½” thick.
  5. Using a 2” round cutter, cut approximately 15 to 18 sliders. Even if you do a really good job, you’ll end up with about 20% of the dough being scrap. You can let dough scraps relax for 15 minutes and roll and cut it again; or you can simply shape it however you like.
  6. Place buns on a lightly greased or parchment or silicon-lined baking sheet; space them fairly close together — you don’t want them to rise and crowd one another; but baking buns close together helps them stay soft – and a slider bun should be soft.
  7. Cover and let rise about an hour. They won’t get very puffy, and that’s OK; you don’t want tall dinner rolls, you want relatively squat slider buns.
  8. Preheat oven to 375°.
  9. Brush the buns with the melted butter and top with sesame seeds if desired.
  10. Bake the buns for 9 or 10 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown.
  11. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

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