"Hamburgers, please!"

My son loves beef, especially steak and hamburgers, but I usually do only one beef dish per week. He specifically requested burgers for tonight, so this afternoon I made some kaiser rolls to use as buns. I have tried many different basic roll recipes and have found that some are too sweet, some fall apart easily, some literally disintigrate as you try to bite into the sandwich, and some are too heavy or flat to make a good base. Kaiser rolls are simple and fit the bill perfectly. These are soft, tender, and mild flavored with a not-too-crispy crust, and they hold up to even the drippiest of toppings well. I make them in the summer often for hamburgers, veggie burgers, and also as a wonderful accompaniment to grilled peppers, onions, brats, and whole grain mustard.

Usually we'll serve a steamed vegetable or salad with a burger, but both children asked for fries tonight, so I decided this would be a kind of slower fast-food substitution meal. I cut up potatoes and spread them on an oiled cookie sheet, spritz with more oil, season, and bake. Even as a guise for junk food, this is still a pretty healthy dinner. An added bonus: my kids won't bug me for Happy Meals (well, for another few weeks, at least, and then I can just repeat with another burger night)!

Homemade Kaiser Rolls

Combine and set aside until foamy, about 5 min:

1 cup, plus 2 tbsp very warm water

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

2 tsp sugar

In a large mixing bowl, place:

2 cups whole wheat white flour

2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (King Arthur gives the best results)

scant 2 tsp salt

3 tbsp softened unsalted butter

1 1/2 eggs, beaten (save the other 1/2 for brushing later)

Pour the proofed yeast mixture into the flour. Stir, mix, and knead by hand or mixer until you have a smooth sturdy, elastic dough. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Shape into 8-10 buns; circles for burgers or snake shapes for brats. Score the tops with a sharp knife. Brush with the reserved beaten egg and sprinkle with poppyseeds. Cover and let rise 40 min-1 hour.

After the buns have risen for about 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Bake rolls 15 minutes, until golden on top. Remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack and cool completely.

Makes 8 large buns (or 10 average size).