Buns, (veggie) Burgers, BAM!!

Being a bread enthusiast, I love rustic breads. Slow fermentation, crispy crust, big and airy holes throughout the chewy loaf with a nice bite of flavor that can only come with dough's best friend; time. But also being a working adult (50 hour work week in a kitchen), I also appreciate the quick and simple. Quick flatbreads to soak up and eat curries with, soda breads to eat with cheese and stew, and my new BBQ best friend...hamburger buns!

I have tried impromptu recipes before, but this is my favorite thus far. Soft crust and crumb, slightly sweet and wheaty, and a perfect vessel for summertime favorites. You can top it with sesame seeds, minced onions, cumin seed and cayenne for kickin' buns, or leave them plain jane. I made a whole batch and froze half of them for later use, and it makes last minute dinners a snap.

1 TB dry active yeast

1c warm water

3 TB vegetable oil

2 1/2 TB sugar/honey/agave syrup

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

2-3c all-purpose unbleached flour

1 egg white, whisked

sesame seeds/poppy seeds/toasted cumin seed/minced onion/caramelized shallot...

Stir yeast into warm water in a mixing bowl until mostly dissolved.  Add oil and sugar and let rest for 5 min.  Add egg, whole wheat flour, salt, and enough all-purpose flour to form a ball of dough.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for ~5 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.  Take care not to add too much flour, but just enough so the dough is not sticky.  Divide evenly into 8 parts.  Shape each into a ball and place on a lightly greased baking sheet (dusted with cornmeal if you like that added taste and texture in your breads) 3" apart.  Lightly press down on each dough ball to flatten it slightly.  Lightly oil the tops of the dough balls, cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes, or until doubled in size.  Brush with egg white and sprinkle tops with desired topping.  Bake at 425° F for 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

I didn't use an egg wash on the buns pictured above, but I wish I had! They would have had a nice gloss and the seeds would have stuck to them much better. Next time!

We ate them with quinoa burgers!

 

1 c quinoa, rinsed and cooked (generous 2 c cooked)

1 carrot grated

1/4 red bell pepper, diced (~1/3c)

1/2c diced mushrooms

1/2c fresh spinach, chopped

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic. pressed

3/4c cottage cheese

4 eggs

1/4c all-purpose flour

1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste

red pepper flakes to taste

olive oil for cooking

Mix all ingredients except for olive oil in a mixing bowl.  Heat 1/2 tsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat.  When oil is hot, using a 1/2c measuring cup, drop a scant 1/2c onto pan, spreading it out to a thickness of 1/2".  Allow to cook for 4 minutes, or until golden brown.  Gently flip with a large spatula (I used a fish spatula and it worked well) and cook the other side until golden (about 4 minutes).  Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Yield 10 burgers

I served the burgers with fresh fruit and a simple spinach salad with a SUPER tasty and easey honey-dijon dressing

5 TB honey

3 TB dijon

2 TB rice vinegar

pepper to taste

Whisk together and serve!

And to think this whole meal started with wanting to make some sort of bread...Healthful, homemade, delicious, and happy tummies all around :)