Video:Tips for Buying Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

Transcript:Tips for Buying Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

Hi, I'm Krystyna Rittichier with About.com, and today I'll give you some tips for buying hamburger and hot dog buns. Hamburger and hot dog buns come in many favors, so if you're interested in spicing up a simple meal, you have many options.

Consider Thickness of Hamburger Buns

While you're choosing buns there are several factors to consider. The consistency of your bun can give you a heartier or a lighter twist on the meat. Think about the texture of your bun. Also consider the quantity of bread you're choosing. The main purpose of a bun is to hold the meat and condiments. Choose a larger or heavier bun if you're going to have more meat and condiments, and choose a smaller, fluffier bun if you want the meat to speak for itself.

Determining Size and Quantity of Buns

When choosing hamburger buns, determine how large your cooked patties will be, rather than estimating with raw meat. Regular hamburger will often shrink up to 50 percent. Leaner beef will shrink less because there is less fat content. Also, cooking at lower temp will cause less shrinkage.

When you're deciding how many buns to buy, a good rule of thumb is to buy one and a half buns per guest. If you're going to toast the buns, you can always buy extra and freeze what you don't use. One fun way to toast the buns is to place them directly on the grill.

Hot Dog Bun Varieties

Hot dog bun varieties include the simple white bun, whole wheat buns, and the Chicago-style poppy seed bun. You can also buy the New England-style bun, which has cut bread on the sides, so you can add butter and toast them. Another fun option is to use biscuit dough to form giant pigs in a blanket.

Hamburger Bun Varieties

Hamburgers have even more options to choose from. You can choose plain white, whole wheat, multi-grain, or organic hamburger buns. You can also buy sourdough, potato bread buns, and Hawaiian hamburger rolls. Buns with toppings include sesame seed, poppy seed and the onion roll. For more unique hamburger buns, you can make mini hamburgers using Hawaiian rolls for buns. You can make patty melts, which use toasted rye bread, sourdough bread, or even Texas toast-style bread.

Some people use pita bread spread with condiments instead of buns. There are even simple recipes online to make your own gourmet hamburger buns. The possibilities are endless, so shop around to find a bun that best suits the theme of your meal.

Thanks for watching. For more information, visit us online at food.About.com.