I'm guessing it is the recipe that you are using.

Here is the recipe I have been using for hamburger buns. If you don't like the herbs leave them out.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Potato Rosemary Rolls
=====================
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/potatorosemaryrolls?destination=node%2F423

Potato Rosemary Rolls
Makes 18 small rolls or 12 hamburger sized buns
1 potato, cooked and mashed
1 lb (3 1/2 cups) bread or all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 - 1 cup water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon dried rosemary or 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage leaves

Cook the potato until soft, either by boiling or baking in the oven or microwave. For this batch I chopped up and boiled the potato. I then reserved a cup of the potato water to add to the loaf, figuring it had additional nutrients and starches that would help my loaf.

Mash the potato. Removing the skin prior to mashing is optional: if you are using tough skinned potatoes like russets I would suggest removing them, but with soft skinned potatoes such as yukon gold or red potatoes I typically leave them on. The chopped up skin add nice color and texture to your rolls.

Combine the flour, mashed potato, yeast, salt, pepper and herbs in a large bowl. Add 3/4 cups water and knead or mix for 5 to 10 minutes, adding more water or flour until a consistency you are comfortable working with is reached. I added close to a full cup of water and ended up with an extremely sticky dough that was difficult to work with. I was only able to shape the rolls by repeatedly dipping my fingers in flour. The end result was wonderful though.

(I encourage amateur bakers to push the limit of what they think they can handle, moisture-wise. More often than not you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results, though you can go too far and end up baking a pancake, which I've done more than once.)

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a moist towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, typically 60 to 90 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, gently degas it, and shape it. For rolls or buns you can weigh them if you like or just eyeball them. I cut racquetball sized chunks of dough (larger than golf balls, smaller than tennis balls) then rolled them into balls in my well-floured hands. I placed them on a baking sheet covered with parchment, placed the entire sheet in a plastic trash bag, and set it aside to rise for approximately an hour again.

While the dough rose, I preheated the oven to 375 degrees.

If you have a spritzer, spray the top of the rolls with water right before placing them in the oven. Place them in the center rack and bake them for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake them for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size. My large hamburger bun sized rolls took close to half an hour to bake. You'll know they are done when the bottom of the rolls is solid and slightly crispy. If you have a probe thermometer, check the temperature inside one of the rolls. When the internal temperature is approaching 200 degrees F, they are ready to pull out of the oven.

I agree it's likely the recipe. I have a few different recipes I use.
One is Honey Wheat Rolls Honey Wheat Rolls

and the other one isn't cooperating right now. LOL

I agree about the recipe. Like Ann, I use a recipe with potato. I think it's a texture thing that helps keep the rolls the right shape.

/tricia

Here's another recipe I've used. Soft Sandwich Buns

Shaping for me..I cut off a hunk, and then fold/pull the sides under all the way around, pulling them under helps smooth the tops and kinda gives the sides something to grab onto as it rises.

I also have a potato recipe I use. It used potato flakes. I'm just not where I can get to it to type it out.

Mostly I use a recipe much like Terri's...using milk, egg, sugar melted butter and flour...
But I have also used a simple French bread for buns and a whole wheat bread dough...
My recipe using 2 cups of liquid will makea dozen rolls.
So I divide the dough mass in half....then the half in half and then each piece in thirds.....make a ball and flatten...
Works for me!
Linda C

When I make buns, I make the dough, let it rise once, shape it and let it rise about 30 mins. Right before baking, I press my fingers into the buns and flatten them some. Otherwise they rise way too high.

Tracey

Thanks you all I knew the bread baking gurus here would help find the answer. The recipe I am using is almost exactly like Anns except no potato. So how big of a potato do I use? I have read and reread Tricias tutorial in the FAQ so many times I have most of it memorized. I think I have the basics down and am getting a good loaf of bread almost every time.

DH would eat hamburgers every night if he had his way. The problem is I cant get good H buns here in the valley so I have to buy them in Bakersfield and freeze them. Not only do they take up to much space in the freezer they have just about tripled in price and they arent that great to begin with.

Terri the whole wheat recipe sounds good. Ill give it a try next week as soon as my hand rests a bit. All the bread making is hurting my right hand for some reason. I have a Zo mini on my wish list at Amazon and think its time to place the order. I think it should be big enough for the 2 of us and I dont plan to bake in it just let it do the hard work for me.

Thanks again
Claudia

Claudia, I use my bread machine for dough. That is where my bread success lies. LOL I don't do as well when I have to hand knead and mix. I have trouble with my hands/thumb/carpal area, so the less I have to knead the easier it is on me.

I also use my bread machine for dough, but I use Grandma's old recipes, the newer recipes I find here, anything I like, because I just let the bread machine knead it and then shape and bake it myself.

I agree that it's probably the recipe that you're using. I find a softer dough, one that is more "slack" and runs a bit when you put it on the tray, is best for buns, or you get a really high dinner roll type of roll instead of a hamburger type "bun".

I've used Ann T's recipes without the herbs and I've used the one from the King Arthur flour website and I like them both but I like Ann T's a bit better I think.

Oh, and I add shredded cheddar sometimes, for a cheese bun, that's yummy too.

Annie

Claudia: I made AnnT's potato rolls for Thanksgiving. I used a 9 oz. potato. We have a scale. I had to fight the kids off them before dinner.

I also made Terri's wheat rolls. Because of kosher issues, I subbed out the milk and butter for water and oil, and the alterations didn't pass my muster. Still, they were demolished after the potato rolls (no dairy) were gone.

I am going to try AnnTs recipe next and see how I do with it although DH loves all the failures. They wouldnt work for hamburgers but make good dinner rolls.

Jessy I have a 1925 antiques butcher scale that not only will weigh the potato but will tell me how much to charge for it. I use it to weigh the flour now that I know its better than using a measuring cup and I can tell a difference in the dough.

Im going to get this right even if it means eating all the mistakes. Well maybe not all the mistakes I dont want to have to go shopping for new jeans. LOL

Claudia

Hmmm Jessy, could you try another "milk"? Say rice or almond? I do agree that the it needs the "creaminess"..but the butter...it's not enough to make that much difference..try subbing Walnut oil..it's my new fav oil for things that I previously used Canola for.