Dough Burgers
When Larry and I were newlyweds and living in New Albany, we loved going to Latham’s for their yummy version of this delicious sandwich. Several other area cities also offer well-known versions of this unique burger. Tupelo’s Johnny’s Drive-In has the "Johnnieburger," and Corinth even has a festival named in honor of their dough burger, affectionately known as “The Slugburger.” Here in our own dear Pontotoc, we love the "Wonderburger" at Butcher Block!
Dough burgers supposedly originated during the Great Depression. Adding flour was a great way to stretch hamburger meat. While possibly born out of necessity, it has remained a part of the Southern diet due to its delectable taste. I’ve eaten my share of these burgers through the years. The best ones, of course, were the ones my momma made!
When I opened the fridge this morning, the pound of hamburger left from the 3-pound value pack of meat I bought for the meatloaf on Tuesday was staring me in the face. I knew I had to cook it, or freeze it. Then, as I opened the pantry for my morning cereal, I noticed a package of hamburger buns on the shelf, which were nearing their use by date. Inspiration struck! I ditched the planned meal and made dough burgers!
Dough Burgers
The key is to handle the meat gently.
This is plain and simple good eatin'!
1 pound ground beef
½ cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon Lawry’s season salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
dash of pepper
Gently crumble the ground beef into a bowl.
Add the flour and mix gently.
Add three tablespoons milk and mix gently. The mixture should be moist, but not gooey. You can add a bit more flour, if needed.
Form the meat into 4 patties and place on waxed paper. Cover with another piece of waxed paper.
Using a cutting board, press down on the patties gently and flatten them. The finished patties should
be thin and about the diameter of a saucer. They will shrink!
Fry in a bit of oil until brown and crispy, turning only once, if possible. Don't press them with the spatula. I cook mine in an electric skillet, as its size accommodates all 4 patties.
Remove from pan and top with cheese.
Pour grease from skillet, but don’t wipe.
Place buns in skillet, return to stove top and "toast" over medium heat.
Place burgers on buns; add toppings and condiments of choice.
Doughburgers is subject near and dear to my heart. Your prep instructions are excellent. The recipe passed down by my dad is a bit simpler; meat, flour and water, but even this simple version works well for me. Thanks for posting the measurements of the ingredients, as well, and thanks for the "down home" introduction for your followers.
ReplyDeleteConnie I just wanted to say that I found you through orgjunkie.com menu Mondays, and I'm sooo thankful that I did.
ReplyDeleteI just made these for dinner tonight and they were a HUGE hit. I've also made you're voodoo pasta and you're Banana Struesel Bread, so far and they've all been super yummy!!
Thank-you for taking the time to share you're recipes with us. Keep the WONDERFUL recipes coming and we'll continue to "Cook with Connie"!! :)
These are the best burgers aren't they! I've been making them for over 30 years and they are always a BIG HIT at my house. When I was carrying both of my children I craved these burgers..esp the ones from Phillips before I learned to make them. Thanks for sharing the Dough Burger with the world!!
ReplyDeleteWhen my children were teenagers, I started making dough burgers. I have taken a pound of hamburger meat and made 18 dough burgers. I use only milk, flour, salt and pepper. The more you add, the more burgers. All the kids loved them. I live near Johnnies' in Tupelo, and have never been able to copy their's exactly. Must be a guarded family secret. But I have found the more flour and milk (or water, if you perfer) you put, the taste is better.
ReplyDeletemy dad is from Pontotoc and he bought me doughburgers as a kid at the grocery store when we were in town. He is a pastor so we have lived all over the state but he made them for me sometimes also. I am looking forward to making them this weekend; now if i can just get the homemade corn dog recipe from my aunt my pontotoc child hood foods will be recreated. I love your site and can't wait to try several of the recipes
ReplyDeleteRobert Sprayberry
Gulfport, Ms
Thanks, Robert! So glad to hear from you! God bless ~ Connie
ReplyDeleteI remember dough burgers as a child from my dad. I lived in Pontotoc, MS. My dad had a resturant and his dad had a resturant called Prewitt's Cafe. This burger has been passed on through many generations. There is nothing like a dough burger. People who have never heard of it would think that it is awful. You have to try them.
ReplyDeleteI had "slugburgers" about a month or so ago while in MS. Thought they sounded strange but gave em a try. They were delicious. I went online to find a recipe & found yours. Thanks for putting it on so I know how to make them myself.
ReplyDeleteConnie, Thanks for sharing your "Dough Burger" recipe. I'm from Tupelo. My husband loves the burgers from Johnnie's Drive-In. He had me look for a recipe for Dough Burgers & I found yours. I'm going to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteThis is great! just like my nanny makes. I am so glad I found this site...all the recipes me and my sisters grew up on. thanks again!
ReplyDeleteCrums sandwich shop in Ripley MS has the best dough burgers. Very moist. That with a coca cola in a bottle is out of this world!
ReplyDeleteI'll remember to give Crums a try when in Ripley!
ReplyDeleteThe bottled Coke is icing on the cake!!!
Thanks ~ Connie
hi connie i'm from Tupelo an ate my way through dough burgers while i was pregnant.so glad to have the recipe as i don't get home much.thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy dad use to take my sister and I to get dough burgers in Booneviile, MS. and my mom use to fix them on Saturday night. They are some of the best comfort food around.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking for a recipe for "Lathams" burgers for years now! It's been a family tradition of mine when I went hone to my birthplace of New Albany, Ms to go there! Now I make them at hone for the big city folks! I do miss the atmosphere of the old alley restaurant, reading the signs on the wall and the bottle cokes! Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteConnie, been trying to come up with a recipe for a Latham's burger... now I don't have to experiment anymore! My husband is from the New Albany area, his brother lives in Ecru. I stumbled across your blog and love it' I have lived in the south most of my life, but since my mother was from England, I never really knew what southern food was until I married my husband. You have some great, easy homestyle recipes I can't wait to try. Thanks for the time and effort you have put into sharing your faith and food.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandfather(Carrolls Grill) was famous for his Flour burger in Wallace, NC. They were the best I've ever had. Crunchy and thin. I can remember seeing my Grandmother make the mixture in a large pot mixing it with her hand elbow deep. Then scoop out with an ice cream scoop when placing on the griddle. They used lard. Fresh onions . flour , water and hamburger. I wish I had the recipe. But you know, I don't think they had a precise one themselves.
ReplyDeleteI was introduced to the dough burger in Kingston, NC. when I was 14 and we were visiting our family and relatives during my father's yearly 30 days furlough from the Airforce. My father had grown up eating a lot of dough burgers and he loved them. As stated earlier it was a way to make hamburger meat go a lot further on a poor man's budget.
ReplyDeleteI used to go to a place in Booneville MS. It was called Weeks Burgers. I make them now but they aren’t like the weeks burgers I had there. I use 1 lb of hamburger meat, add Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and tiger seasoning.
ReplyDeleteAdd flour, and water, then mix well, don’t want sticky, I use a tablespoon and put them on a griddle. Cook till almost done then finish in a skillet with crisco shortening. I add cheese in the skillet. Brown my buns on the griddle, too with whatever you like on your cheeseburger.
I call them Dough burgers.
That should say top with whatever you like on your cheeseburger.
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