Baking Tips from a Pastry Lover

Many people find themselves with leftover hamburger buns that simply end up getting tossed out with the trash. Instead of wasting them, you might want to consider making use of some of the following ideas.

Make Homemade Croutons

Grab a sharp kitchen knife and cut the buns into bite size pieces. Melt some butter in a bowl and add some spices that you like. Gently pour some of the seasoned butter over the bread pieces and toss. Once they are nicely coated, you can lay them out on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until they have a slight brown color and they are crunchy.

Create Pizza Buns

Lay the individual pieces of the buns on a baking sheet. Make sure that the inside of the buns are facing up. Spread some pizza sauce over the top of the buns. Add a variety of cheeses, pepperoni, sausage, seasoned ground meat, tomatoes, olives, onions, or anything else that you want to experiment with. Once they are prepped, you will want to bake them in the oven until the cheese has melted properly. This is a fun recipe to share with children, as they can create their own custom pizzas.

Use Them As A Science Experiment

If you have young children in the home, you could always use the leftover buns for a science experience to teach them about the growth of mold. Just make sure that the moldy bread is kept up and out of reach of the children and pets, as you do not want any of them to accidentally consume any of it.

Donate Them

If you do not have any interest in using the buns for yourself, you could always donate them to someone who could use them. Start with some friends and family. Ask them if they are in need of any leftover hamburger buns. If you do not personally know of anyone that can use them, you could always contact your local food banks, shelters, and soup kitchens. There is a good chance that they could put those buns to good use. Depending on the regulations of the place you will be donating them to, they may only accept full packages of buns that have not yet been opened.

With those ideas in mind, you should have a much easier time finding something to do with any leftover hamburger buns that you have after a big cookout or after a dinner of hamburgers at home. For more bread-related inspiration, talk to companies like Klosterman Baking Company.