Mini Steak and Cheese by Martha

As part of hors d'ouvres night, I made mini-steak and cheese sandwiches. It meant making my own little buns, but that was real easy and once the buns are made, you can top them with just about anything .... sliders, tuna burgers, etc. I just grilled a steak, sliced it thin, added some provolone and grilled onions. Here's the recipe for the buns:

1-3/4 c plus 2 Tbsp. bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried yeast
2/3 c warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1 tsp. honey or sugar

Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Sprinkle the salt around the raised edge of the flour. Pour the water with the oil and honey (or sugar) into the well and sprinkle the yeast over the liquid. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Draw the flour from the sides of the bowl with a spoon and mix to make a rough, sticky dough.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use the heel of one hand to gently push the dough away from you. At the same time, use your other hand to rotate the dough slightly toward you, guiding it around in a circle. Repeat kneading actions until the dough is smooth, shiney and elastic. About 10 minutes. Or once the dough has been mixed, place it in to the bowl of a heavy duty mixer with a dough hook. Set to low speed and let it knead for 10 minutes.

Put the dough in a clean, oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours. Deflate the dough by pressing down with the palm of your hand. The dough is now ready to be shaped.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Divide the dough into small walnut-sized pieces and shape into smooth rolls. Place on a floured baking sheet and press down gently to flatten the buns. Cover the a cloth and leave for about 20 minutes until doubled in size. Brush each bun with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

You can make the buns 3 days in advance, storing in an air tight container, or shape the buns and freeze. Bake frozen buns in preheated 400F oven for 20 minutes.