I am finicky about the food I eat, but especially about the bread. There is the German side of me, having grown up with the world famous German bread. The memories of, as a young girl, going to the local bakery to buy Brötchen (rolls) or bread fresh out of the oven for breakfast or even an afternoon snack, the same baker, who later made Michael’s and my wedding cake are so precious to me.
Yes, it is usually heavier, but not always. We also have our delicious Weißbrot (white bread), but it is considered a special bread or dessert bread. It’s nothing like the white bread here. American white bread in many families is used every day and is all fluff from sugar, fat and bleached flour … thus, if I have to go the route of buying bread, I go for the all natural baked goods or at least whole wheat containing ones.
So, when it came to burger buns, I had just usually picked up a few rolls of “good” ones. They still have too many ingredients that I can’t pronounce, I guess to extend their shelf life, so I thought I would give it a try and make them myself. It can’t be that hard, right? It really isn’t.
I adapted the following recipe from one on the King Arthur Flour website as it was an all white flour recipe and I added some white whole wheat flour.
I have to admit, I was sneaky. I did not want anybody to know until AFTER they had eaten them. I still took pictures, which everybody is used to, but they thought it was for the salad 
When revealing I had made the burger buns, everybody was amazed. Comments were: “They are heartier, but good.” “Why?” (Never mind that one, the same person asked if she could have them for breakfast the next day!) but even the kids really liked them. I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful they looked, their texture, though a little denser, and the taste they added to the mix.
Try them and dare to go back … I can’t.
Burger Buns
Ingredients
3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 3/4 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
Directions
1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—to make a soft, smooth dough.
2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it’s doubled in bulk.
3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round 1″ thick (more or less); flatten to about 3″ across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment papered baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until very puffy.
4) If desired, brush buns with melted butter. Or brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
shaped and risen burger buns; in front with egg wash and sesame + the farther ones with butter
5) Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, till golden. Cool on a rack.
6)Brush buttered buns with more melted butter to keep the crust soft.
burger buns with butter and sesame topping
Submitted for Susan’s terrific Yeast Spotting.
