Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

Standing on the homemade soapbox again… I have already shared with you my go-to recipe for homemade hamburger buns, but every once in a while a burger recipe comes along that calls for something a little different. That something arrives in the form of these beautiful whole wheat buns.

Normally I like to share with you the base recipe before sharing the adaptations, but since it is burger season, I am going backwards. Like the white flour hamburger buns, I enrich this dough with an egg. It provides good structure and texture. Rather than using sesame seeds or poppy seeds, I stay on theme with the whole wheat and sprinkle the buns with a little wheat bran.

Sweet, nutty, and 100% whole wheat (o.k. a little potato “flour”), these are a healthy and most certainly tasty alternative to a plain bun. Perfect for burgers, but a great bun for sandwiches too.

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

By Nicole Prep: 25 minsCook: 15 minsRise Time: 2 hrs 30 minsTotal: 3 hrs 10 mins Servings: 8 buns Sweet, nutty, and 100% whole wheat, these are a healthy and most certainly tasty alternative to a plain bun. They are perfect for burgers and sandwiches too!

Equipment

• Stand mixer

Ingredients 

For the Buns

• 12 ounces (340 grams) whole wheat flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup nonfat dry milk
• ¼ cup potato flour, I use Bob’s Red Mill
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
• ¼ cup 2 ounces orange juice
• 1 extra-large egg

For the Egg Wash

• 1 extra-large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• Wheat bran, optional

Instructions 

1. Combine the flour, yeast, salt, honey, butter, dry milk, potato flour, water, orange juice and egg in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. (You can also make this by hand or in a bread machine.) Adjust the dough’s consistency with additional flour or water as needed but remember, the more flour you add, the heavier and drier your buns will be. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Lightly spray the inside of a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and loosely cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place in a draft-free space to rise until doubled in size (this will take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently deflate the dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball and flatten into a 3 ½-inch disc. Transfer discs to a parchment lined baking sheet spacing them 2 ½-inches apart. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours in a warm, draft-free space.
3. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush the top of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with wheat bran if using. Bake the buns until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and use for your favorite burger or sandwich recipe. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 477mg, Potassium: 317mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 292IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.