Kids love eating burgers at fast-food restaurants. A burger can be nutritious and flavorful, if we make it at home. We can make it healthier by making a protein-rich vegan patty, adding spreads such as hummus or guacamole, or by spreading fresh green mint chutney and adding lots of vegetables. Nothing like a burger bun baked at home. I started baking burger buns when we moved to the united states. I didn’t like the store-bought buns with a sweet taste. With the following recipe, you can easily bake the buns at home. These buns are healthier and much tastier than the store-bought buns. There are no preservatives or chemicals added. You will love the aroma of these freshly baked buns.
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Bread flour | 4 Cups |
| Active Dry Yeast | 1 Tbsp |
| Sugar | 1 Tbsp |
| Salt | 1Tsp |
| Warm Water | 2 Cups |
| Sesame seeds | 1 Tbsp |
| Vegan butter/olive oil | 1 Tsp |
Recipe:
- Add 4 Tbsp for bread flour to a mixing bowl
- Add dry yeast and sugar
- Add ½ Cup of warm water
- Mix well
- Cover the bowl with a towel or a cling wrap
- Leave it aside for 15 minutes
- The mixture will become frothy
- Add remaining bread flour
- attach the bowl to a stand mixture
- On a low-speed, with a bread hook attachment, mix all ingredients Add ½ cup of water and mix again
- Knead the dough on a low to medium speed
- Add ½ cup of water and knead again for 3-4 minutes
- The dough will be stiff at this point
- Add remaining ½ cup of water, slowly as per needed
- The dough will be ready after kneading for 2 minutes
- The dough should not be very sticky
- It should be able to hold the shape of a bun
- If you are kneading the dough with your hands, it will take around 12-13 minutes to knead the dough.
- Knead the dough by stretching and folding the dough with the base of your palm
- Tuck the ends of the dough inside to make a ball
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface and divide into equal-sized balls of approximately 2 inches
- Transfer the balls to a baking sheet or baking tray
- Place the balls, leaving some distance between two balls in such a way to prevent the dough balls from sticking to each other
- Cover the tray and allow the buns to become double in size ( for about an hour)
- Pre-heat the oven at 410 degree Fahrenheit
- Apply a thin layer of water with a brush on top of each bun (you can use plant-based milk)
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of each bun
- Bake the buns at 410 degree Fahrenheit or 210 degree Celcius for 15 minutes
- Check the color of the buns after 12 minutes
- Turn off the oven when the buns become golden in color
- If you want a darker color, bake for about 2 minutes more
- Let the buns cool down on a cooling rack
- Apply vegan butter or olive oil on the top of each bun. (This will help to keep the buns soft)
- Enjoy the buns to make a burger
- I have posted a recipe for making lentil kebabs. You can use it as a patty in your burger
- You can use ready-to-eat patties
- You will love the taste and softness of these burger buns
Tips:
- You can replace the bread flour with unbleached all-purpose flour. I prefer using bread flour, as it results in buns with a chewy crust
- I have also tried using whole wheat flour, and the buns came out very soft
- Whole wheat flour buns are slightly dense as compared to all-purpose flour or bread flour
- Do not add water at once. Always add water in batches
- Always add salt after the yeast has activated
- You can make mini buns for kids by dividing the buns into balls of smaller size
- You can add one tablespoon of crushed garlic or one tablespoon of to garlic powder to the dough to make garlic buns
- You can add two tablespoons of extra sugar while mixing the dough to make sweet buns. Here you can add tutti-frutti instead of sesame seeds
- Keep the buns in a clean kitchen towel and cover them to prevent them from drying
And It's Vegan Too! 