My wife and I came down with a cold or flu (Covid tests were negative) after visiting our kids and grandkids weekend before last. Typical kid brings home germs from school situation. That meant easy, no effort dinners while we were feeling bad.
After using up quick stuff in the freezer, I made turkey-meat Sloppy Joes (no pics, recipe available upon request). I needed burger buns but was not feeling up to making
sawhorseray
recipe. Wife likes whole grain. Donned a mask and paid $7.50 for 8 buns at a local grocery just down the street. Felt robbed.
Flash forward a few days. Turkey burgers were next. Ate the last two gold-plated bandit buns and decided to make my own whole wheat buns for a fraction of the cost. We still had six burgers in the fridge. I adapted one of my bread recipes to make the buns. Total time involved from start to finish was a little under 4 hours. Total cost about $1.
After the initial rise, weighed and shaped for the second rise.
Second rise complete. Egg washed. Flax seeds and rolled oats added.
18 minute bake and fresh out of the oven.
No more mega-expensive store-bought buns. Thanks to
sawhorseray
for the inspiration!
Ray
Ray's Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Can be done, start to finish, in a morning or afternoon.
Makes six big buns, eight smaller buns.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
215g KA AP flour
210g KA Whole Wheat flour
10g milk powder
7-8g salt
6g granulated sugar (does not count as a dry ingredient for baker's math)
Liquid: 75% hydration = 325g which is
50g eggs
35g honey
10g lemon juice
230g water
5g active dry yeast
Topping ingredients:
1 egg
1 Tbs water
Flax seeds
Sunflower kernals or rolled oats
Makes 6‐8 buns, depending on how many needed.
Directions
Pre-bake prep.
-Set oven rack to medium level.
-Prep the outside bottom of the KitchenAid bowl with light oil so it won't seize to the machine after the kneading.
-Pull 1 large egg from the fridge. Crack the egg into the small bowl. Place that bowl into a larger one and add some hot water to the larger bowl to warm, but not cook, the egg. Set aside.
-Melt 1 Tbs butter and set aside.
Dry Ingredients: In KA mixing bowl with paddle attachment, add dry ingredients:
Combine dry ingredients on low setting with scrapping paddle attachment, not bread hook.
Wet and Dissolved Ingredients:
1 large egg (50g), room temp, (prepped and set aside)
35g honey and 230g water in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat 30 sec in microwave. Stir to mix. Check temp is below 115°F. Allow to cool if not.
Add 5g active dry yeast to water. Stir to dissolve.
Change to dough hook on the mixer. With mixer on low, slowly add water/honey/yeast mixture. Then one egg. Finally add the lemon juice.
Knead on level 2 for 1 minute, then bump to level 4 for 6-10 minutes until a smooth ball forms and the bottom of the doughball releases from the bottom of the bowl (trust me, it will).
Remove the dough hook. Add the 1 Tbs of melted butter to coat the dough ball and mixing bowl. Turn the ball to coat completely.
If room temp 70-75°F or above, bulk ferment on the countertop. Cover mixing bowl with cling wrap and a kitchen towel. If kitchen is cooler than above, bulk ferment in the cold oven with the light on. Proof until doubled in size, about 90 to 120 minutes.
Once proofed, gently spread dough on an AP floured work surface to degas with fingers and form into a large rectangle. Spread any butter left in the bowl evenly on the rectangle of dough. Fold and lightly knead a few times to incorporate the butter into the dough.
Roll the dough into a rectangle. Divide into 6-8 pieces. Weigh each to get each as even as possible.
Tuck each piece, then mold into a ball with a cupped hand on the surface.
Place dough ball seam side down on a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
Proof covered on the countertop or in cold oven for 75-120 minutes until double in size. The buns will rise a little more in the bake. Do not over-proof or the dough will collapse when baked.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (385°F my oven). Adjust up or down based on the performance of your oven.
Break an egg into a small bowl with 1 Tbs of water. Mix. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash on each bun. Sprinkle the topping on each bun.
Bake for 18-20 mins, or until internal temp is 195°-205°F.
Remove from the oven and the sheet pan. Cool completely on a rack before slicing. Bag buns once cool.
After using up quick stuff in the freezer, I made turkey-meat Sloppy Joes (no pics, recipe available upon request). I needed burger buns but was not feeling up to making
sawhorseray
recipe. Wife likes whole grain. Donned a mask and paid $7.50 for 8 buns at a local grocery just down the street. Felt robbed.Flash forward a few days. Turkey burgers were next. Ate the last two gold-plated bandit buns and decided to make my own whole wheat buns for a fraction of the cost. We still had six burgers in the fridge. I adapted one of my bread recipes to make the buns. Total time involved from start to finish was a little under 4 hours. Total cost about $1.
After the initial rise, weighed and shaped for the second rise.
Second rise complete. Egg washed. Flax seeds and rolled oats added.
18 minute bake and fresh out of the oven.
No more mega-expensive store-bought buns. Thanks to
sawhorseray
for the inspiration!Ray
Ray's Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Can be done, start to finish, in a morning or afternoon.
Makes six big buns, eight smaller buns.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
215g KA AP flour
210g KA Whole Wheat flour
10g milk powder
7-8g salt
6g granulated sugar (does not count as a dry ingredient for baker's math)
Liquid: 75% hydration = 325g which is
50g eggs
35g honey
10g lemon juice
230g water
5g active dry yeast
Topping ingredients:
1 egg
1 Tbs water
Flax seeds
Sunflower kernals or rolled oats
Makes 6‐8 buns, depending on how many needed.
Directions
Pre-bake prep.
-Set oven rack to medium level.
-Prep the outside bottom of the KitchenAid bowl with light oil so it won't seize to the machine after the kneading.
-Pull 1 large egg from the fridge. Crack the egg into the small bowl. Place that bowl into a larger one and add some hot water to the larger bowl to warm, but not cook, the egg. Set aside.
-Melt 1 Tbs butter and set aside.
Dry Ingredients: In KA mixing bowl with paddle attachment, add dry ingredients:
Combine dry ingredients on low setting with scrapping paddle attachment, not bread hook.
Wet and Dissolved Ingredients:
1 large egg (50g), room temp, (prepped and set aside)
35g honey and 230g water in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat 30 sec in microwave. Stir to mix. Check temp is below 115°F. Allow to cool if not.
Add 5g active dry yeast to water. Stir to dissolve.
Change to dough hook on the mixer. With mixer on low, slowly add water/honey/yeast mixture. Then one egg. Finally add the lemon juice.
Knead on level 2 for 1 minute, then bump to level 4 for 6-10 minutes until a smooth ball forms and the bottom of the doughball releases from the bottom of the bowl (trust me, it will).
Remove the dough hook. Add the 1 Tbs of melted butter to coat the dough ball and mixing bowl. Turn the ball to coat completely.
If room temp 70-75°F or above, bulk ferment on the countertop. Cover mixing bowl with cling wrap and a kitchen towel. If kitchen is cooler than above, bulk ferment in the cold oven with the light on. Proof until doubled in size, about 90 to 120 minutes.
Once proofed, gently spread dough on an AP floured work surface to degas with fingers and form into a large rectangle. Spread any butter left in the bowl evenly on the rectangle of dough. Fold and lightly knead a few times to incorporate the butter into the dough.
Roll the dough into a rectangle. Divide into 6-8 pieces. Weigh each to get each as even as possible.
Tuck each piece, then mold into a ball with a cupped hand on the surface.
Place dough ball seam side down on a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
Proof covered on the countertop or in cold oven for 75-120 minutes until double in size. The buns will rise a little more in the bake. Do not over-proof or the dough will collapse when baked.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (385°F my oven). Adjust up or down based on the performance of your oven.
Break an egg into a small bowl with 1 Tbs of water. Mix. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash on each bun. Sprinkle the topping on each bun.
Bake for 18-20 mins, or until internal temp is 195°-205°F.
Remove from the oven and the sheet pan. Cool completely on a rack before slicing. Bag buns once cool.
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