Grilled Buns on Father’s Day

Father’s Day is the day where everything good in life happens on the grill. While you are making burgers, kebabs or brats, you can also slide your Dutch oven in next to them and bake up some fresh buns. I made these with the olive oil dough from Artisan Bread in 5, but you can use any of the doughs from our books. The only adjustments you may need to make is the temperature in which you cook them. The key to successful grill baking is knowing your grill and how it heats up. The best way I have found is to use the built in thermometer, but if your grill doesn’t have one, you will just have to keep a close eye on the buns, as you flip those burgers, and they will come out just great!

This post also appeared on the Weekend Baking Posts I do for the Cooking Channel Blog. Enjoy!

On baking day, prepare a 4-quart Dutch oven or other flame proof baking dish (The one I used is a Emile Henry Flame Top Round Oven, which can withstand direct heat on the grill, despite being made of ceramic.) by covering the bottom with a pillow of foil.  It should be about 1-inch thick, this will insulate the dough from the intense heat of the grill and prevent the bottom of your rolls from burning.

Add a smooth layer of foil on top of the pillow and sprinkle it generously with cornmeal. This will prevent the rolls from sticking to the foil and adds a lovely flavor and texture to the rolls.

Uncover the refrigerated dough and sprinkle the surface with flour. Pull up and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece of dough using a pair of kitchen shears. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerate for baking at another time.

Divide the 2-pounds of dough into 10 equal pieces. Dust each piece with more flour. Create smooth balls of dough by gently pulling the sides down around to the bottom, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.  While shaping, most of the dusting flour will fall off. The bottom of the rolls may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten out during resting and baking. Shaping the rolls this way should take no more than 20 seconds each.

Place the dough balls on the cornmeal covered foil.

 

Cover the Dutch oven and allow them to rest for about 40 minutes. The dough may not rise much during this time.

After the 40 minute rest, place the covered Dutch oven on the cold grill and turn it on to Medium heat. Close the grill lid and bake for about 30 minutes.

The grill should reach 450°F. You will need to adjust the heat depending on your grill’s thermometer. If you are using a charcoal grill you will want to light the coals, let the flame die down and then place the Dutch oven on the grill. Charcoal is a little harder to regulate so you will need to keep a close eye on the rolls.

After about 30 minutes of baking the rolls with the cover on the pot, you will take it off and continue to bake the rolls, with the grill lid closed, until they are golden brown.

For more grilling recipes and techniques visit:

Grilled pizza

In a Dutch Oven

Pumpernickel done on the grill

Rustic fruit tart on the gas grill

Brioche on a grill

Bread on a Coleman stove while camping

Kohlrabi Greens Pizza right on the grates

Fruit pizza on the grill baked with the stone

Grilled flatbread

Whole wheat pita on gas grill, on a stone

Limpa, in a cloche, on the grill

 

40 thoughts to “Grilled Buns on Father’s Day”

  1. hi i just bought your 2nd book – Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day and i was working with the master dough on page 53 but my dough are very very wet and i do follow all the ingredient and measurement except vital wheat gluten.
    is that the reason why the dough are too wet? also where can i find the vital wheat gluten? i try albertsons and ralphs market but can’t find it.
    thank you
    judy

    1. Hi Judy,

      The vital wheat gluten is the key to the dough having the right consistency. You can add more flour (bread flour or even just all-purpose) to the dough you have to get the right consistency, but the issue is how long it will store in the refrigerator. Without the vital wheat gluten you will find the bread too dense after just a couple of days. You can find vital wheat gluten on the internet if it is not available locally.

      Here is what the dough should look like when you are done adding flour: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/03/08/new-video-shaping-the-ball-from-a-very-wet-dough

      Thank you, Zoë

  2. I am having a hell of a time getting decent sandwich bread. Every time I make it, my loaf only gets about 3-6 inches high. I am using a 4×8 bread pan. I have tried several of the styles in the first book with the same results. My boule turns out nice. Any suggestions?

  3. I was actually able to find vital wheat gluten at my local Walmart, so I think it’s becoming easier to find/more common , at least in the midwest US.

    1. Hi Denise,

      Neither of us have ever tried this, but would be so curious to know if you have any luck with it. Please, let us know if you give it a try in the crockpot!

      Thanks, Zoë

  4. In “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day”, page 109, the introduction refers to “. . . blending crunchy cracked wheat with white whole wheat and traditional whole wheat. . .”, however the recipe lists white whole wheat, unbleached all-purpose flour, and cracked whole wheat. Did you intend the unbleached all-purpose to be traditional whole wheat as ref’d in the intro? Thanks!

    1. Hi Kathy,

      That was a mistake that we just didn’t catch in the editing. We originally had a mix and then decided we liked the simple version with just the white whole wheat, but forgot to remove the reference in the opening. You can still blend the two, but it is just an extra ingredient to have on hand.

      Thanks and sorry for the confusion, Zoë

  5. Hi,

    Just baked my first boule and my family devoured half of it as soon as it came out of the oven! Awesome!

    I decided to look for some dinner roll recipes and found this one. What is the drill if doing these rolls in an oven?

    Also, I was looking for a way to do those slightly sweet muffin-pan baked rolls served at a lot of restaurants as an appetizer…would the brioche dough work for this, and should I cover the muffin tin with foil to keep them soft?

    Also, does your Pumpernickel resemble sweet, Russian black bread?

    Think that’s all of them. Thanks, Holly

    1. Hi Jeff,

      We don’t sell our book personally. All sales are through national, local and internet book sellers, so you will have to keep an eye out at your favorite outlet and hopefully you will find a good Kindle pre-order price. I know the price of the paper version has been going down for the pre-orders.

      Thanks for the interest! Zoë

  6. The buns look perfect! I’ll try them tonight, and maybe some Pumpernickel, as I’ve never had it before. Thanks so much!

  7. I made olive oil dough from HBin5 yesterday specially to make Aloo Paratha…and I added dried fenugreek leaves and dried mint leaves as herbs to the dough. Also I added “ajwain” seeds which have similar aroma to oregano and also commonly used in Indian cooking.

    I have the stuffing for pototes ready….so eager to make Aloo parathas your style today! I am sure it will turn our super awesome!

    1. Hi Nia,

      It sounds outstanding! I now have a craving for it and will have to try your version with the peas.

      Enjoy, Zoë

  8. Also we make similar Paratha, for “Peas mixture” as well…..(Yes, I am from India)

    Its easy and nutritous.

    Just take frozen peas, thaw them and semi-crush them in food processor along with some green chillies and ginger. Then cook the mixture in a bit of oil in pan, add fresh cilanthro and fresh coconut, salt/sugar and curry masala as per taste.

    Then use as normal stuffing.

  9. Hi. I have a question about the second (healthy) books master recipe. It says to allow to rest 90 minutes before baking when refrigerated. Later in the book when shaping a baguette it says 40 minutes rest. Your first book was also a short rest. Is this an error? 90 minutes is a long time.

    1. Hi Jeff,

      It is a 90 minute rest for a boule shaped loaf with the HBin5 dough that is chilled. It will be a shorter rest for baguettes since they are not as thick.

      Does that answer your question? Zoë

  10. It does for the healthy recipe. Why does the same size loaf in the first book only required 40 minutes rise vs 90 for the HB?

    1. Hi Jeff,

      Whole grain doughs tend to be much denser than those made with all-purpose flour. The whole grain flours have less gluten structure and don’t trap the gas as efficiently. Letting the dough rest longer allows more gas to develop in the dough and create a lighter bread.

      Thanks, Zoë

  11. I was wondering if your new book will come as an e-book? I would like to have the option to purchase it as an e-book. I am looking forward to the new book. I have your other two. Thanks!

    I have been telling all of my friends about your books. They really like the bread I give them. I have made some great pizzas using your bread.

  12. Hi Zoe! I was given a Cloche covered baker from the King Arthur website… Im not sure how to use it yet.. I am wondering, can a person bake any bread in one? I just ordered two of your 5min day books and would like to be ready when they get here! Thanks!

  13. Could this method, buns in a dutch oven, work in a conventional oven as well as on a grill? Would you still put the dutch oven in a cold oven to start? (I usually bake my boules in a preheated dutch oven.)

    1. Sure, try it inside. In general, you can do this inside with a pre-heated Dutch, but the baking time will be shorter. That outdoor technique of cold start helps to prevent the bottom from scorching, but that’s not a problem inside. Jeff

  14. Zoe, I wrote over a month ago (what am I doing wrong?). Just wondering what to do with dough that has just sat in my refrigerator for a few months?

    1. Hi Teresa,

      You should probably start over if the dough has been in the refrigerator for a few months. If you freeze the dough it is fine to use after a length of time.

      Thanks, Zoë

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