The Grills of Summer

As summer says goodbye, and Fall starts making that "let's just be friends" speech, it's time to think about one last grill. It's dipped down in the 40s at night this last week, so it was a "now or next summer" kind of moment.

First, I made some buns - well, not exactly buns.  I had no yeast, no eggs, and no milk, as my husband had been on the road on a long trip and I had used up what I had, and hadn't needed to make a trip to the store (or the fence to trade the neighbors some bread for eggs from their chickens).

I had flour, butter, and Kefir (fermented milk found in the yogurt aisle) and honey. These turned out great - sturdy enough for the burger, but with a texture that was tender and biscuit-like, soaking up all the burger juices. Plus, they took 5 minutes to get into the oven. The leftovers will be frozen to be a base for stew in the coming weeks

No yeast "Buncuits" (a cross between a biscuit and a hamburger bun)
In one bowl, mix:
3 and 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

In another bowl mix:
1 and 1/2 cups kefir (fermented milk drink) or plain yogurt

1 stick butter, softened until starting to melt 

3 Tablespoons wild honey

Combine wet and dry and stir until it holds together. Place on a floured board and knead 12-14 times, adding flour as necessary to keep it from being too sticky. This is more than you'd knead biscuits but LESS than bread. You don't want it so smooth and elastic that you have a hockey puck when you are done. Make six small balls out of the dough. Knead the dough in your hands, form it into a ball, and place it on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake in a 375°F preheated oven for 17-20 minutes. The top will NOT get brown, but the bottom will. Check for doneness with a toothpick.

 Then, it was time to light the briquettes.

 The rest, they say, is history.

Bison burger with Worcestershire and maple bacon seasoning, sharp cheddar, and garlic mayo on the tender "buncuit".  It was worth it.

ARE YOU GOING TO EAT THAT?