Bugsnax: Bunger

I am always thinking about Bugsnax and have been working through my list of ideas to recreate my favorites. I’m pretty sure if I were stuck on Snaxtooth Island, I wouldn’t be able to stop eating these little creatures. What can I say, I love trying new food! This game was my “Best Food in Game for 2020” so it makes sense that I want to eat them all up. It is only a matter of time until I make a whole army of Bugsnax in my house. I still have a lot of googly eyes left. Bunger is the most requested Bugsnak, so it was only a matter of time until I finally attempted this one. While making this little guy, I had Bunger’s voice in my head the whole weekend.

A lot of this one is having the patience to put it all together. The main focus of this recipe is going to be the buns and the burger itself. I knew going in I would not be making curly fries from scratch because that requires a special device which most people won’t have access to. Go ahead and pick up your favorite brand of curly fries and heat them up in the oven or use some from your favorite fast food joint. Also, as I mention in the recipe, it is completely fine to use fake googly eyes for this one rather than the candy ones since the eyes end up on the parchment paper. I found sticking the candy ones to be rather difficult in this situation. I’m really happy with how this burger recipe turned out overall. The combination of the spices in the bun itself and the lamb meat play so well together. This is a burger I will be making on the regular.

Buns Ingredients
Tangzhong
3 tbsp (30 g) bread flour
⅓ cup (78 g) milk

Dough
⅔ cup (153 g) milk, heated to 100°F
1 tbsp (11 g) active dry yeast
2 ¼ cups + 2 tbsp (348 g) bread flour
2 tsp (5 g) cricket flour
1 tsp (4 g) ground fennel seed
2 tsp (7 g) salt
2 tbsp (24 g) granulated sugar
1 egg
4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, softened

Egg wash
1 egg white
2 tbsp water

Start with the tangzhong by placing bread flour and milk in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and whisk until it comes together, about one minute. Set aside and allow to cool.

Combine the yeast and milk and let it rest for five minutes, allowing the yeast to become active. Combine the bread flour, cricket flour, fennel, salt, and sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer. Add the tangzhong, milk, and egg to the bowl and mix until it just comes together.

While the dough begins to knead, add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough for five minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add one tablespoon of flour at a time. If it is too dry, add one tablespoon of milk at a time.

Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for one hour or until it has doubled in size. Once doubled, punch down and knead. Prepare a baking sheet by placing parchment paper down.

Divide the dough into six equal portions. Shape into round balls and place on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat an oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk an egg and two tablespoons of water. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheet and brush each of the buns with egg wash. Place in the oven and bake for 16 to 19 minutes or until golden brown.

Burger Ingredients
2 lbs ground lamb
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ginger powder
salt
pepper
12 american cheese slices

Place the lamb, garlic powder, onion powder, and ginger powder in a bowl. Mix together until the spices are blended with the meat, but do not overwork. Divide into six equal portions and shape into patties slightly wider than the buns you are using. Generously season the patties with salt and pepper.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add two teaspoons of canola oil (or nonstick spray). Place the patty in the pan and cook each side for four minutes, or until cooked to your desired done-ness. Add two slices of American cheese on each patty, cover, and cook until it melts.

Assembly ingredients (per Burger)
1 bun
1 burger
5 pickle slices
1 tomato slice
mayo
mustard
ketchup

To assemble the burger, place the bottom bun on a plate. Generously spread mayo, mustard, and ketchup on the bottom of the bun to your liking. Place the burger on top, followed by the tomato slice, and finally the pickle slices. Place the bun on top.

Optional Ingredients to look like Bunger
6 curly fries, cooked
2 extra long fries, cooked
2 candy eyes, recipe here
1 piece of parchment paper

To get the look of Bunger, take the assembled burger and carefully wrap half with parchment paper.  To attach the eyes you can use sugar water but they might not stay on the parchment paper. This is the first Bugsnak that I would recommend using actual googly eyes and attaching it to the parchment paper with glue. Place the assembled Bunger base on a plate and decorate with some curly fries.

Print Recipe

Bunger

Ingredients

Buns

Tangzhong

• 3 tbsp (30 g) bread flour
• ⅓ cup (78 g) milk

Dough

• ⅔ cup (153 g) milk, heated to 100°F
• 1 tbsp (11 g) active dry yeast
• 2 ¼ cups + 2 tbsp (348 g) bread flour
• 2 tsp (5 g) cricket flour
• 1 tsp (4 g) ground fennel seed
• 2 tsp (7 g) salt
• 2 tbsp (24 g) granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, softened

Egg wash

• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp water

Burger

• 2 lb ground lamb
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• salt
• pepper
• 12 american cheese slices

Assembly per Burger

• 1 bun
• 1 burger
• 1 tomato slice
• 5 pickle slices
• mayo
• mustard
• ketchup

Optional to look like Bunger

• 6 curly fries cooked
• 2 extra long fries cooked
• 2 candy eyes recipe here
• 1 piece of parchment paper

Instructions

Buns

• Start with the tangzhong by placing bread flour and milk in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and whisk until it comes together, about one minute. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Combine the yeast and milk and let it rest for five minutes, allowing the yeast to become active. Combine the bread flour, cricket flour, fennel, salt, and sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer. Add the tangzhong, milk, and egg to the bowl and mix until it just comes together.
• While the dough begins to knead, add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough for five minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add one tablespoon of flour at a time. If it is too dry, add one tablespoon of milk at a time.
• Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for one hour or until it has doubled in size. Once doubled, punch down and knead. Prepare a baking sheet by placing parchment paper down.
• Divide the dough into six equal portions. Shape into round balls and place on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Preheat an oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk an egg and two tablespoons of water. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheet and brush each of the buns with egg wash. Place in the oven and bake for 16 to 19 minutes or until golden brown.

Burger

• Place the lamb, garlic powder, onion powder, and ginger powder in a bowl. Mix together until the spices are blended with the meat, but do not overwork. Divide into six equal portions and shape into patties slightly wider than the buns you are using. Generously season the patties with salt and pepper.
• Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add two teaspoons of canola oil (or nonstick spray). Place the patty in the pan and cook each side for four minutes, or until cooked to your desired done-ness. Add two slices of American cheese on each patty, cover, and cook until it melts.

Assembly

• To assemble the burger, place the bottom bun on a plate. Generously spread mayo, mustard, and ketchup on the bottom of the bun to your liking. Place the burger on top, followed by the tomato slice, and finally the pickle slices. Place the bun on top.

Optional to look like Bunger

• To get the look of Bunger, take the assembled burger and carefully wrap half with parchment paper. To attach the eyes you can use sugar water but they might not stay on the parchment paper. This is the first Bugsnak that I would recommend using actual googly eyes and attaching it to the parchment paper with glue. Place the assembled Bunger base on a plate and decorate with some curly fries.