Making Whole Wheat Buns

Recently I did a post showing these sandwich buns! After many requests for the recipe I decided to make them again last week when I had guests and take pictures of them for a post. 

When we want hamburgers, pulled pork or sloppy joe sandwiches this is my go to recipe for buns usually made with a combo of whole wheat and all purpose flour.  

BUNS

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 teaspoon yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup melted butter

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

Place 1 1/2 cups of warm water in large mixing bowl. You want the water to be hot to the touch but not so hot that you cannot hold your fingers in it. Bath water! Add 1/4 cup honey and stir to combine.  

To this water add your 1 teaspoon yeast! Stir well...

Set the yeast and water mixture aside and in a warm kitchen usually within 15 minutes or so you will see a healthy foam on top where the yeast has started to bloom. You know now that your yeast is active and if it does not do this then I start over. If your water is too hot you will kill your yeast and it will never proof. 

To this mixture I now add my melted butter, wheat gluten and salt. Stir well to combine all ingredients. 

Now I start adding the flours beginning with 1 1/2 cups of purchased whole wheat flour. Stir well. Once combined now I start adding my unbleached all purpose flour about 1/4 cup at a time until my bread dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.

**Note vital wheat gluten helps whole wheat products to rise high and light and not be heavy. It makes a world of difference in your whole wheat baked goods.**

Once the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl I put mine on the counter and start adding just a sprinkling of flour at a time. Do not add too much flour but instead keep flour on your hands and gently knead until a good dough forms that can be worked without being super sticky. I knead for about 6 minutes.    

Then I take just about half a pat of softened butter and grease my bowl with it. Place dough in bowl and turn dough once to get a light coating of butter on both sides of dough surface. This helps the top of the dough not to dry out while rising.

I then place a piece of waxed paper over my dough and a damp rag on top and allow to rise until doubled. 

Once the dough rises once I take my dough and punch down and then split it into equal size balls. In this case about the size of golf balls. 

I placed the dough balls on a buttered baking sheet.

Covered the dough balls with buttered waxed paper and again allow to double in size. 

Then I beat together 1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk and brush each risen rolls with this mixture to help brown.

I baked in a preheated 350 degree oven until browned or for me about 27 minutes. Once they come out of the oven I again brush the top of each bun with a little melted butter.

The buns pictured above were simply made larger to be used as traditional hamburger buns. I have even used this recipe and made sub rolls by simply making long roped the size of bread sticks with the dough.

These buns were made to be smaller and I was serving them on a buffet at a barbecue with pulled meat as sliders so I wanted them smaller.  And since there were children including my own grandchildren smaller buns make for less messes.

As you can see golf ball size dough balls made 3 inch slider buns easily. 

Light and fluffy with a slight hint of honey.

Add some pulled barbecued meat and what a great addition to a Memorial Day cookout buffet. Noodle salad and grilled asparagus sides.

And for desert good old American apple pie!

Blessings from The Holler

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