Meat Buns ~ Flashback Friday

It's 'Flashback Friday' and I am re-posting one of the first recipes I submitted to this blog...back on June 10, 2008.  It has also been one of our most viewed recipes and so I decided it was time to give it a bit of an update.  It is now re-formatted and has a new photo. The original photos appear in the collage at the bottom of the post.  Instructions for using instant yeast are also included.

There’s nothing quite like the meat perishky I recall from days gone by…a dainty meat-filled pastry. I have my mother-in-law's recipe but somehow couldn’t see myself rolling out all the dough and spending hours making tiny little pockets. So I adapted the recipe somewhat and came up with meat buns.  They are wonderful to have on-hand in the freezer and pull out for a quick lunch with pickles and cheese. 

Filling:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1. Brown ground beef over medium heat in large skillet…breaking up while cooking*.
2. Drain. Add onions and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Stir in onion soup mix and mushroom soup and heat through.
4. Allow mixture to cool completely (can be made ahead).

*Tip: Use a potato masher to break apart the meat as it is browning.

Dough:

• 2 Tablespoons yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 4 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)...optional
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• ½ cup oil
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 12 cups flour

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in lukewarm water. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine 4 cups water, potato flakes, sugar, salt, oil and margarine.  
3. Add beaten eggs.
4. Stir in softened yeast and beat in six cups of flour.
5. Continue to add flour until dough leaves sides of pan.
6. Knead until smooth and elastic.
7. Allow to rise until doubled in size.  
8. Then punch down and form meat buns. 
9. Pinch off balls of dough about the size of a small egg.
10. Flatten dough in the palm of your hand into about a 3-inch circle.
11. Place a spoonful of filling on the center.
12. Bring the edges of the dough up and around the filling and pinch together tightly to seal edges.
13. Place pinched side down on a greased baking sheet.
14. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place.
15. Bake at 375 degrees F. for about 20 minutes...or until golden.

Alternate method using instant yeast:

• 11 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons instant yeast
• 4 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup potato flakes...optional
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt 
• ½ cup oil
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 eggs, beaten

1. Combine instant yeast with 5 cups of flour.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine water, potato flakes, sugar, salt, oil and margarine.  
3. Add beaten eggs. 
4. Stir in the 5 cups of flour with added yeast. Mix well.
5. Continue to add flour until dough leaves sides of pan.
6. Knead until smooth and elastic.
7. Allow to rise until doubled in size.  
8. Then punch down and form meat buns...as in instructions above.

*One recipe of meat filling will not be enough to fill all the dough.  Use leftover dough to shape into regular dinner buns. 

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