A few days ago I went to a restaurant well known for their burgers. I had been craving a burger so this was perfect. Then, at the last minute I changed my mind and decided to order the portobello burger instead – you know, trying to be all healthy. Sometimes healthy is overrated ;). Needless to say, said portobello burger was no substitute for that beef burger I was craving. I held out for over a week though, before deciding to make myself a burger at home. All I had was 99% lean ground turkey and it was like -10 degrees outside (or maybe +10 but same difference) and I wasn’t leaving my house, so I decided to make do. Next obstacle? No buns. This was basically a non-obstacle because I had flour to make my own…easy fix! Since I’ve already posted a delicious bun recipe in the past, I decided to make whole wheat slider buns. Mini everything is so much cuter anyway, right? The best burgers start with freshly baked buns (and actual meat)! Freshly baked bun + turkey patty + pickle+ ketchup + mustard= perfection (or pretty close)! Craving satisfied. And now I have 25 more slider buns in the freezer for whenever the next craving strikes ;). Enjoy!
Whole Wheat Slider Buns
1/3 cup warm water
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup skim milk, warmed
1 egg
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil
1-3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 egg, for topping
1 tbsp water, for topping
1. Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the water, stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast starts to bubble.
2. Place the milk and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Whisk in the sugar, salt, oil, and yeast mixture. Remove the whisk and change to the beater attachment. Add the wheat flour and beat on medium-high speed for 30 seconds.
3. Add the bread flour, ½ cup of a time, and beat until dough starts to form. Change to the kneading attachment and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky while kneading, add flour 1 tablespoon of a time
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled boil and cover with plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm place. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 28 equal pieces (about 1-1/4 oz each if you have a kitchen scale). Shape each piece into a round ball and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the buns to rest for about 45 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the egg and water to create an egg wash. Gently brush the top of each bun with the egg wash. Bake the buns until the tops turn golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Allow the buns to cool before slicing.
Notes: You could easily make 10-12 full size buns instead of slider size.
*Krissy’s Creations
