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 Add all ingredients and mix in a Kitchen-Aid mixer. Once mixed, change to the dough hook and knead until dough is smooth and not sticky, adding more flour as needed.  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°). 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. 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. 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. 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. Preheat oven to 375°. Brush the buns with the melted butter and top with sesame seeds if desired. Bake the buns for 9 or 10 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. 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 Combine all ingredients. Flatten mixture in a large jelly roll type cookie sheet until it’s ½” thick. 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. 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 Add all ingredients and mix in a Kitchen-Aid mixer. Once mixed, change to the dough hook and knead until dough is smooth and not sticky, adding more flour as needed.  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°). 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. 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. 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. 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. Preheat oven to 375°. Brush the buns with the melted butter and top with sesame seeds if desired. Bake the buns for 9 or 10 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.