Hamburgers and buns. What should  I say? I hate those spongy commercial made things that you can get from the supermarkets. If possible I will avoid them. While ago I found a really simple a good hamburger bun recipe which I tried and modified to fit my taste. I have made couple of variations of the basic recipe. Last one was with carrots. It was really good and I got from those buns also some really yummy lunch breads for Kiddo’s school lunch.

This time I used Turmenic in the dough combined with poppy seeds.  Turmeric has a peppery, warm and bitter flavor and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger, and while it is best known as one of the ingredients used to make curry, it also gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow color.Turmeric has long been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both the Chinese and Indian systems of medicine. Turmeric was traditionally called “Indian saffron” because of its deep yellow-orange color and has been used throughout history as a condiment, healing remedy and textile dye. 

Here is a good article about benefits of Turmenic if you want read more about it !

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78

I made pulled beef to go with the Turmenic buns. Pulled beef was made with the same recipe as my pulled chicken is. I cooked shoulder piece about 20 hours in slow cooker. Result was really yummy. On side I served simple Cole Slaw and Potato-Asparagus salad. Sounds fancy but actually really simple stuff. Here is the recipe for the Turmenic Hamburger buns:

Makes 8 buns

• 1pack active-dry yeast
• 3 dl milk (whole, 2%, or skim) or water
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6dl spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 dl poppy seeds 
• 1 tablespoon curcuma ( this is lots,because I love the flavor and color of it. If you are not familiar with curcuma,I would suggest first trying with less. Curcuma tastes bit bitter.)

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), stir the yeast into the warm milk adding sugar into it too, and let it sit until dissolved.(I have noticed that if you will let dough “prove” this stage already a little it will result in fluffiest buns ever!)
2. In a separate bowl egg, oil, turmenic,poppy seeds,sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough.
3. Knead at low speed, or by hand against of the counter, for 10 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, feel slightly tacky, and spring back when poked. Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour.( I usually let the dough rise couple of times,it makes the dough even more lighter.Patience is the key here)
4. Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn out the risen dough on top. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into tight ball.
5. Transfer the balls to a baking sheet and let rise until they look puffy and hamburger-sized, roughly 30-40 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 225c° Melt the butter and brush it over the risen hamburger buns. This helps the tops to brown and keeps the crust soft. Bake the buns until golden, 15-18 minutes. Let the buns cool to room temperature before slicing and using. They are best if eaten within the next day or two, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.