Slider Buns

What's a girl to do when she is tasked with making food that's sort of against her way of life?  When the chicken she is making calls for a packet or ranch dressing mix and a bottle of buffalo sauce?  Well of course she can complain bitterly, and lament about the state of food in America.  And then she can suck it up, shred some chicken, and make her own slider rolls, so that at least something feels whole and real!

Look, I went to McDonald's for dinner the other night, so I am not a health nut or anything and I won't post pictures on Facebook of my homemade almond milk and gasp if you eat Ramen noodles (who the hell doesn't?).  We all know people like that, and it's annoying.  But I like to eat healthy, and I feel better when I do; I legitimately was in the fetal position after an Egg McMuffin and a hash brown.  Okay fine it was two hash browns.  Jeez.

But seriously, I do try to make most of the foods that I eat, and I mostly "shop the perimeter" of the grocery store.  And it does pain me to use anything like a box mix (not allowed in my home) or a flavor packet - and yet I was ripping open a ranch dressing packet for the buffalo chicken sliders.  It made me feel uncomfortable but, as I said in my last post, it was a big hit.  I made myself feel a bit better by making these slider rolls from scratch.  That was my plan all along ever since I decided to make the chicken!

As far as breads go, these guys are simple, and really delicious.  They're soft and a tiny bit sweet, and a little denser than regular rolls to hold up to whatever glorious filling you are putting inside them.  However, they can certainly double as a dinner roll for a vegetarian who is refusing to touch buffalo chicken!

Recipe:

slider buns
from Your Home Based Mom
makes 18 slider buns

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

Instructions:

1) Place dry ingredients in the mixer bowl.  Combine.

2) Heat milk in a pan over medium heat.  When it begins to simmer, add in shortening until melted.  Set aside to cool slightly.

3) Add warm milk to remaining ingredients in a stand mixer with a dough hook.  Mix on low until dough comes away from sides of the bowl and forms a ball, about 1 minute.

4) Increase speed to medium and mix until dough is smooth and springy, about 4 minutes.

5) Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for about one hour.

6) Punch down and form dough into 18 pieces.  Shape each piece into a round bun.  Slightly flatten each bun and place on an engrossed baking sheet.  Allow buns to rise about 30 - 40 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

7) Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool and serve.