There are few things in life that are more relaxing than making your own bread. Coming to this conclusion didn't happen for me until the winter of 2014. Up until that point, I was afraid to make bread. Can you believe that? I was afraid of baking something! You know, working with yeast can be very intimidating, and for me it was a matter of being afraid that my bread wouldn't rise and it would turn out like a brick. Boy was I wrong! I learned very quickly that working with yeast wasn't hard at all. In fact, for the last 12 years I have been making my own pizza dough, and guess what, I used yeast to make it (and I wasn't afraid of that!)
I definitely had to get over myself! So I started making loafs of beautiful bread! I experimented with several recipes before falling on those that I am using today. Every time I make bread (of any kind), my children watch or participate in the process. This time, my son Ethan was there watching me. At 10, he is really excited to learn how to cook and bake and I am working on teaching him. It is a bit of a struggle for me because I am a complete control freak in the kitchen! I am learning to let go and let him try. Today, he just watched me, but next time he will be right in there getting his hands dirty!
These buns are delicious! I have posted an all white flour version of the recipe on the blog in the past, so if you want to skip the whole wheat flour, feel free to check that one out! We ate them on pulled pork sandwiches and grilled sausage this week and they were delicious both days! The recipe makes 12 rolls.
The ingredients for this recipe are in the photo above. You will need water, salt, milk, butter, yeast, an egg, and flour. I used a combination of whole wheat and white flour for this recipe.
I used my Kitchen Aid mixer, but if you don't have one, that's okay! This recipe comes together beautifully by hand as well.
Once the dough is kneaded, you will cut it in equal pieces. First it will be cut in half, then those halves are cut in half, and then each quarter will be cut into 3 equal pieces. Then, you should have 12 equal pieces that you will roll up to make into the buns.
Once the dough is rolled, you will place it on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Gently press them down and place them in a warm location for about 45 minutes. The buns will double in size.
Brush the tops with an egg glaze and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.
They will bake for about 18 minutes in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.
The end result is this beautiful, fluffy hamburger bun!
Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns (Makes 12 buns)
2 tsps. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups all purpose flour
Directions:
Combine the warm milk, water, butter, yeast, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour to a large mixing bowl. Allow to rest for ten minutes. You will see the batter froth as the yeast begins to work.
Add the egg and the salt and mix well. Add the flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, and mix on low until all of the flour is added. Add more flour, a tbsp. at a time if dough is sticky. Knead for 5 minutes if using a stand mixer with a dough hook, or 8-10 minutes by hand. When the dough is elastic and bounces back when pressed, it is ready. Shape into a ball and put it in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a greased piece of saran wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place (I use my oven with the light on and it works great!) for about an hour until the dough is double its size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Cut each half into 2 pieces. You will have a total of 4 pieces. Then divide each piece into 3 equal pieces. You should have 12 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Slightly flatten each ball and then put them back into a warm place while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Gently brush the tops of the buns with an egg wash and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.
Bake the buns for 15-18 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Serve warm or allow to cool completely and store them in an airtight container. They will be good for up to 5 days.
I am so happy that I took the plunge and started baking bread! There is nothing better than a fresh roll warm right out of the oven!
What is your favorite bread to bake? Is there anything that you are afraid to bake or make? Please share your stories with us!
