Beautiful Burger Buns

from King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion (optional)

Combine all the ingredients and mix and knead them together- by hand or by mixer- until you've made a soft smooth dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it,and let rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place the buns on greased baking sheets, cover, and let rise 30 to 40 minutes, until they're quite puffy.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bake the buns for 12 to 15 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool them on a rack. Split and use for burgers or sandwiches. For burgers, butter the split sides and fry them, buttered side down, until they're golden brown and warmed through.