Western Burgers

This recipe is a favorite with our ranch manager Caleb Johnson. He and his wife Merileigh have three teenagers at home and they all love it when Merileigh serves these up for dinner.

Ingredients

Dough

• ¾ cup warm water
• ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
• ½ ounce active dry yeast (2 packets)
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 500 grams all-purpose flour (about 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (reserve 2 tablespoons for brushing at the end)

Filling

• 2 pounds Wellborn 2R Ground Beef
• ⅓ cup chopped onion
• 1 fresh diced jalapeño
• 2 to 3 ounces grated cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Place the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in the warm water and let it sit for five minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar and salt. Add the water mixture, the milk, and the melted butter and stir to thoroughly combine. Place a damp towel over the bowl and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, brown the meat and the onion & jalapeño in a skillet. Add the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
3. When the dough has risen, remove it to a well-floured surface and knead it until it is no longer sticky, adding flour as is necessary. This should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into the shape of a square of about 16” by 16”. Cut the rectangle into 16 square pieces of dough by cutting it into 4 columns, and then cutting each column into 4 equal pieces. Each square should be roughly about 4” by 4”. Roll each piece until it is slightly larger.
4. Place an equal scoop of the meat mixture on 8 of the squares. Cover each with another square of dough and pinch it around the edges to fully seal it. Place each burger onto a lightly buttered cookie sheet, separated by 2”. Set aside and allow the dough to rise again for 20 minutes, until the burgers are puffy and enlarged.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the burgers have finished rising again, place them in the oven and bake until they are golden, about 30 minutes. Brush the tops with a little melted butter.