Vegetarian Sloppy Joes!

I have never had a sloppy joe before.  Phil suggested making them after I bought some soyrizo yesterday.  Came home, made some quick hamburger buns and sauteed the soyrizo with chopped onion, spices and homemade tomato sauce.  Slopped it on a fresh from the oven bun and drooled.  Sloppy Joe, my hero!

Quick Buns

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons SAF instant yeast (or use a packet of instant yeast)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons applesauce (or egg)
• 2 tablespooons butter (or vegan substitute or olive oil works)
• 2.5 teaspoons salt
• 3.5-4.5 cups AP flour
• sesame seeds (optional for burger bun topping)

To Do:

1. Heat water and milk until it hits about 115F (or when you touch it, it’s pretty warm – I highly recommend buying a thermometer if you like baking bread).
2. Place yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook (or a large bowl if you’re mixing it by hand or put in a food processor) and pour the milk/water mixture on top.  Let it sit for a few minutes and bubble – combine the flour and salt while you’re waiting and melt the butter.
3. Put applesauce (or egg) and butter into the bowl and start mixing.  Add the flour mixture slowly and keep kneading.  Add more flour as necessary – different temperature/humidity can cause you to use more or less.  The dough should start crawling up the hook and be easy to handle – not too sticky, but not bone dry.  Add more flour, if necessary to reach this consistency.  If you’re using a food processor, add some of the flour to the milk/yeast/applesauce/butter mixture and process slowly.  Add the rest of the flour through the tube until a ball forms.  Follow the same not to sticky advice from above.
4. If making using standard rising times, place ball of dough in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth.  Let it rise in a warm place until doubled.  Punch down dough, shape into balls (egg wash and cover with sesame seeds if you want pretty buns), cover and let rise again.  See when you want to bake.

SUPER FAST RISE: Now we’re going to do some crazy stuff to get the buns in the oven quickly – can only be done if you have a microwave.

1. Heat your microwave up for 30 seconds with nothing inside of it.
2. Place dough ball in an oiled, microwavable safe bowl and cover with a very wet cotton kitchen towel.  Then cover with another cotton towel and place in the microwave.  Heat for 25 seconds and let the bowl sit in the microwave for 5 minutes.  Microwave again for 20 seconds and let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Take dough out, cut into pieces and shape into balls.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes.

BAKE BUNS:

1. When you want to bake!  Preheat the oven to 400F and bake buns for about 10-12 minutes.  Let cool for a bit and eat.
2. The number of buns depends on how big you make the balls.  Smaller buns = more buns.  I made 6 LARGE buns.