If you follow me on Instagram then you’ll know that last year I catered an event with one theme. Black. I made black foods of all kinds, dips, crackers, mini burgers etc. And now is the perfect time to share my all-natural coloured, squid ink black burger buns! I originally wasn’t sure that anyone would really want the recipes for any of these. What with them looking a little bit eepy-creepy. But, although it may not look like it, I never serve up a recipe that isn’t delicious and I think you’ll love these homemade burger buns as much as I do. Plus, they’re brioche style hamburger buns, which is possibly the best type of burger bun you can get. I love the texture of brioche rolls and these black buns take them to the next level.
What makes the burger buns black?
For these squid ink black burger buns I have, of course, used squid ink (or cuttlefish ink) for the all-natural colouring. What I love about squid ink, is that it’s extremely heat-stable. Meaning, you won’t find yourself disappointed after baking with some, lacklustre, odd-looking ‘grey’-ish buns. For a Vegan alternative, I have seen activated charcoal burger buns. However, as activated charcoal (i.e. coconut and bamboo charcoal) is used to rid your body of toxins from poison, it can also wreak havoc on your gut as it binds to the healthy vitamins and minerals in your food and gut too. There’s a lot more too it than that, and I don’t know enough about it medically to be an expert on the matter. However, it’s definitely something I feel the need to note before suggesting anyone use these items in their home baking. Also, that’s not to say that I’ve never used it within a recipe or that you should never have any yourself. I’d just be wary with how much you consume and how often. Especially these days as it seems there are new charcoal products being brought out monthly – from charcoal ice-cream to toothpaste, etc.
What does Squid Ink taste like?
Squid ink does have a fishy/salty ‘tastes like the sea’ thing going on – unsurprisingly. However, within these bread rolls it’s definitely not massively noticeable. Really, all it adds is a little extra saltiness to the rolls. PLUS, when using the buns for flavourful burgers, relishes and cheese etc. you’re unlikely to taste the squid ink.
How to make the all-natural black ink squid burger buns
To make the black burger buns, the process is basically the same as any brioche bun recipe (with the same, pillow-y, delicious results!). Plus, there’s absolutely no need for a bread machine or anything fancy, other than a stand mixer with a dough hook.
The first thing you need to do is mix the milk, water, squid ink and yeast together. Leave this to stand for 10 minutes at room temperature until it begins to foam. This takes around ten minutes as the yeast is activating.
In a mixer bowl add the bread flour, salt and star anise powder. Mix till thoroughly combined.
Next, using the stand mixer on its lowest setting with a dough hook, incorporate an egg and the squid ink mixture.
In intervals of around 20g at a time, add 100g butter to the dough while mixing on medium, until a shiny, smooth dough has formed.
Leave it mixing until a dough is formed. The dough hook will also knead the dough for you.
Grease a large bowl with butter and place your dough into the bowl as it’s now time to let the dough rise.
Cover the bowl with a cheesecloth (alternatively, plastic wrap or foil if that’s all you have, to hand) and leave in a warm place with 1.5 hours. In this time the dough should double in size.
Once your dough has proved, weigh and divide the dough into 12-15 pieces, depending on the size of buns you want.
Now, shape these into balls (you can be as precise or ‘loose’ with these as you want).
Place them on a lined baking tray, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place again for around half an hour.
Note* The dough balls I made vary in weight from 30-70g as I prefer smaller, cuter buns and was experimenting with sizes.
It’s now time to create the egg wash; Mix the remaining egg with a little bit of water or milk to brush over the buns. I use whole beaten eggs, however, you can use the egg white alone as we don’t really need any ‘golden brown’ effect for these black buns.
Next step, bake the buns.
Sprinkle the buns with black sesame seeds, a mixture of black & white or even some hemp seeds.
Then bake the buns in a pre-heated oven at 200ºC degrees for around 15 minutes. I’d suggest checking on them at around 10 minutes, especially when making mini buns. Once cooked, leave to cool on a cooling rack. These are then ready to be eaten. I love to have one warm with butter- delicious!
How to store the black brioche buns
I have to admit, I’ve usually only made these buns when they are being used on the same day so I’ve never fully tested how long the buns will last. As with many fresh-baked breads, I always advise 2-3 days maximum though for optimal freshness. Brioche buns can also be frozen for up to two months. To do this, place the rolls in a single layer, in an airtight bag. This will stop the bread from getting freezer burn. You can also individually wrap the buns, before placing them in the bag. This will not only stop them from sticking together but I’ve also read that this can retain moisture in the bread.
If you give this black burger bun recipe a go then leave your comments below. Also, I love seeing your recreations so feel free to tag me @AlphaFoodie.
