Category: Enriched

Week 63: Whole Wheat Burger Buns

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Hamburgers originated in Hamburg, Germany, with the meat patty typically served between two slices of toast. The use of a soft bun was popularized by a fry cook named Walter Anderson, who in 1921 founded the White Castle hamburger chain, home of the “slider”.

These soft buns are made with 80% whole wheat flour, enriched with whole milk and butter, and topped with an Everything Bagel seasoning mix. You can make them vegan by using any non-dairy milk, and substituting a plant based oil for the butter. If you’re looking to make an all-white flour version, try the brioche-style Burger Buns from Week 10.

STEP 1: Make dough

  • 240ml warm milk (120°)
  • 2 eggs (1 for dough + 1 to used as an egg wash)
  • 240g whole wheat flour
  • 60g bread flour or all-purpose flour
  • 7g yeast
  • 27g sugar
  • 13g salt
  • 28g softened butter
  • Everything Bagel seasoning
  1. Mix one of the eggs in with the warm milk and whisk to combine
  2. Measure out flours, yeast, sugar, salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk by hand to combine
  3. Place bowl in stand mixer, and with the paddle attachment, mix on low while slowly addingthe milk/egg until combined
  4. Add the butter in bits and continue to mix on low until combined
  5. Beat on high for 2 minutes
  6. On low speed, add 3 Tbsp bread flour until dough is more sturdy and comes away from the sides of the bowl
Mix on low speed to combine
Mix on high speed for 2 minutes
Add 3 Tbsp flour and mix on medium unitl comes away from sides of bowl

STEP 2: Rest dough

  1. Put 1 Tbsp flour on countertop, then empty dough on top.
  2. Gently knead flour into the dough so it is less sticky, using a dough scrapper if it sticks to the counter
  3. Place in oiled bowl, cover, and let rest 30 minutes.

STEP 3: Shape buns

  1. Scrape the flour off the countertop, then lighly coat in oil
  2. Empty dough onto the counter
  3. Cut dough into 8 pieces, about 80 – 90g each
  4. Flatten each piece, pull sides up and over, turn over and shape into a ball with a tight surface. (Check out this video on the Tips page)
  5. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about a finger width apart
  6. Cover and and let rise about 30-35 minutes.
  7. Preheat oven to 400

STEP 4: Bake

  1. Just before baking, mix second egg with 1 Tbsp water and brush on top of buns, then sprinkle with the Everything Bagel seasoning
  2. Turn oven down to 375, and bake for 12-15 minutes
  3. Cool on wire rack.
  4. Don’t cut until just before serving!

Week 61: Easiest Bread Ever

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I’ve spent the last year and a half learning how to bake bread. It’s been fun, not always easy, and to be honest, not always successful. There are so many nuances to it: proper kneading techniques, making sure you don’t over-proof or under-proof the dough, getting the flour-to-water ratios just right, understanding the gluten structure of different types of flour, and having all the right tools — not to mention enough time — for all the steps.

When I came across this method I was very skeptical because it kind of goes against everything I’d learned so far. For one thing, it only takes about 15 minutes to throw together, if that. After a 10-minute rest, a bit of shaping, then a 30-minute rise, it’s ready to bake. You “knead” it in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (!) on high (!!) for just two minutes. It doesn’t compare to an artisan loaf with it’s overnight ferment and beautiful open crumb, but it makes a perfectly acceptable sandwich loaf and best of all, it’s something you can make on the fly.

I’ve listed the ingredients (in grams) so you can make your loaf along with the video instruction linked below. I also made four different versions so you have the option to make either a whole wheat, white, oatmeal raisin or ryre.

  • 300g bread or all pupose flour < OR >
    • Whole wheat: 240g whole wheat flour+ 60g bread or all purpose flour
    • Oatmeal raisin: 300g bread or all purpose flour + 50g oats
    • Rye: 125g rye flour + 175g bread or all purpose flour
  • 7g (2 tsp) yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk (any kind: dairy, oat, almond, soy, etc.) at 120 degrees
  • 2 Tbsp honey < OR >
    • Whole wheat: 2 Tbsp brown sugar
    • Oatmeal raisin: 2 Tbsp maple syrup + 1 tsp cinammon
    • Rye: 1 Tbsp sugar + 2 tsp caraway seeds + 1 tsp dill seeds
  • 1 egg (if you want to omit the egg, use 1 Tbsp oil in its place)
  • 2 Tbsp oil or melted butter (I use butter for the white and oat versions)

Notes:

  1. The video is for the whole wheat version. I translated the cup measurements into grams because it’s so much more accurate. If you don’t have a scale, it’s 1-2/3 cups whole wheat flour + 1/3 cup all-purpose or bread flour.
  2. She uses 1/4 cup of flour once the batter is mixed to stiffen it up a bit. I add it in one tablespoon at a time, because you might not need that much, and if you dump it all in at once, you can’t take it back.
  3. You can use 8 x 4 loaf pan if that’s all you have, but 9 x 5 is better
  4. She doesn’t grease her pan, but I went ahead and greased mine just in case
  5. If you let it rise for too long, and it gets too high, you’ll over-proof it, and it’ll collapse in the oven. So no highter than 1″ for sure. It’s always better to underproof a little than over proof!
  6. Mine definitely got too dark on the top, so do cover with foil

If you want all whole wheat try Week 21: 100% Whole Wheat from Year 2020. It’s a bit more complicated (a lot, really), but well worth the effort for such a healthy, delicious result!

Week 54: Hot Cross Buns

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(Since we’re still waiting on our starter, here’s a bread for Easter weekend!) ENGLAND: These yeasty, heavenly spiced buns are typically eaten on Good Friday, celebrating the end of Lent. There are a multitude of references to the cross representing the crucifixion of Christ, and suggestions that the spices signify those used to embalm, but as food historian Ivan Day says, “The trouble with any folk food, any traditional food, is that no-one tended to write about them in the very early period.” Which is to say, most of this is conjecture, and it is just as likely that the cross is a way to separate the bun into sections. Back in the day, folks would grate, then save the bread that was baked on Good Friday to use as a medicine in later years, and some believed that the buns would never go moldy, so they nailed up in the house as a good luck charm.

I found many versions of hot cross buns (12M results on Google!) and tested three. I am happy to report that Bake with Jack’s Hot Cross Buns is the clear winner — and he just today posted an accompanying video with tips and updates, since that recipe was originally posted on his blog in 2017.

Bake with Jack’s Hot Cross Buns Recipe

My tips:

  1. Sultanas are golden raisins
  2. Yeast measurement is 14g total (seems like a lot, I know)
  3. Caster sugar is very fine granualted sugar. Go ahead and use granualted sugar (not light brown sugar which would be too wet).
  4. I used 2 medium lemons and 1 large orange which equaled about 1 Tbsp zest for each.
  5. I got 3/4 cup juice from the lemons and orange, so added 3/4 cup granulated sugar to that for the syrup. I simmered it for 15 minutes. It gets thick as it cools.
  6. Mixed spice is very similar to our pumpkin pie spice, and that would make a fine substitute. But the mixed spice is a little more complex, so I’ve listed the ingredients below if you’d like to make your own.
    • 1 Tbsp ground allspice
    • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
    • 2 tsp ground mace
    • 1 tsp ground cloves
    • 1 tsp ground coriander
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
  7. I had a hard time piping the flour/water paste in even thickness/straight lines. I did one strand all the way around, and then ended up using a wet table knife to cut the individual strands before moving on to the next bun.
  8. Gas mark 180°C is 400°F

Video below has tips that would be useful in making this recipe.

Links to some of his videos that would be useful for this recipe

Video 150: Incorporating Dried Fruit in Real Time – https://youtu.be/TEa-D0yoHfc​
Video 149: Do You NEED to Soak Dry Fruit for Bread? – https://youtu.be/j9_KuJ0voq0​
Video 131: Kneading Bread Dough in REAL TIME – https://youtu.be/BBRmfxumyh0​
Video 87: FIVE signs your Bread Dough is Fully Kneaded – https://youtu.be/rHgtvDMrffc​
Video 148: Make it EASY for yourself – https://youtu.be/_FTA2maeqh8

P.S. I really wanted to like Dan Lepard’s Spiced Stout Buns recipe — link here — because they seemed like a grown-up version, and feature the no-knead method. But the special ingredients, the length of time with it’s overnight ferment, and tricky method if you’re a beginner, just didn’t seem worth it in the end. They are tasty though, and it’s a no-knead method, so have at if you’re interested!

Week 43: King Cake

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NEW ORLEANS: This is old school king cake — the one I grew up eating in New Orleans. Not too sweet, no cinnamon swirl, no cream cheese filling, and no icing. If you are younger than me, you probably enjoyed those versions, as they are what’s commonly made now. King Arthur Baking Company’s Mardi Gras King Cake is an excellent source for king cakes with fillings and icing.

The ingredients that go into a king cake dough are similar to a brioche, but the end result is more like a yeast-raised cake than a bread. King cakes are baked, sold and shared throughout the city — and beyond, beginning on January 6th, and ending on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the day before Lent. Whoever finds the little plastic baby in their serving is responsible for providing the next king cake for the group.

If you aren’t up for making one from scratch, Mam Papaul’s Box Mix will do the trick in a quarter of the time! Plus, it comes with the colored sugars and the little plastic baby, which can be difficult to find if you’re not down south.

STEP 1: Prepare dough

  • 1/2 cup milk, warmed to about 110 degrees
  • 2-1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
  1. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. (If you don’t have one, just use a large bowl).
  2. Sitr/whisk in the yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. (This is to make sure your yeast is live.)
  • 2~3 tablespoons sugar (up to you: 2 is barely sweet; 3 is just sweet enough)
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened, and cut into rough pieces
  • 3 eggs: Use 2 eggs and 1 yolk for the bread: save the white to brush on top
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest, or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract (zest is better if you have it!)

Add the butter, 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, and the orange extract. Sitr/whisk to combine. (The butter isn’t supposed to thoroughly mix in. It’ll look like loose scrambled eggs.)

  • 450 + 30 grams all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  1. Place bowl on scale, and set to 0 grams.
  2. Add 450 grams flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  3. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle on lowest speed to combine (or stir with the handle of a wooden spoon).
  4. Let dough rest about 10 minutes, to absorb the liquids properly.
  5. Switch to the dough hook and knead on speed 2 for 4-5 minutes , then on 1 for another 4-5 minutes (or knead by hand for about 15). If it seems too wet, and isn’t coming away from the sides, or sticking to the counter, add the extra 30 grams of flour. The dough should be soft and subtle and feel just a tiny bit damp. Not sticky and wet, but not at all dry. You should be able to pull a bit of dough away without it tearing off.

STEP 2: Proof, Shape and Bake

  • Parchment paper (easier)
  • Colored sugars * : purple (justice), green (faith), and yellow/gold (power)
  • Plastic baby, kidney bean, or pecan
  1. Cover, then set aside to proof until doubled, which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Check often; the temperature of the room makes a big difference in how long it takes to double.
  2. Turn out the dough, press it down gently, and weigh it, so you can divide into 3 equal portions.
  3. Roll each piece into long ropes of equal length, and place them on parchment paper.
  4. Braid the ropes together, starting from the middle.
  5. Shape into an oval, or circle** then join the ends by flattening one end and making a cap/cover with it over the other end.
  6. Lift the parchment paper to transfer the crown to a baking sheet.
  7. Place a small ramekin in the center to keep the inside hole open.
  1. If you’re using a bean or pecan, push it up inside from the bottom. The baby goes in after it bakes.
  2. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  3. Cover, and let rise until it doubles in size, about 20~40 minutes.
  4. Add a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt (helps to mix it up) to the egg white and mix.
  5. Brush onto the top of the cake, and then sprinkle heavily with the coloured sugars. (This technique removes the necessity of using a white icing once it’s baked to make the sugars stick)
  6. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the inside temperature reaches 200 degrees. It’s a soft dough, so it might not feel/look thoroughly cooked, checking the temperature is the best way to be sure.
  7. After you remove it from the oven, add the baby through the bottom if you didn’t use a bean or nut.
  8. If your braid rose so much that it separated a bit during the bake, you can rub a stick of butter in those bare spots, and sprinkle sugar on them to cover them up.
  9. Place on a wire rack to cool.

* You can use blue and red liquid food colouring to make purple, (which is what I did), but honeslty, it’s worth just buying some purple sugar. So much prettier!

** I prefer a circular shape, because that’s more similar to a crown. The standard in bakeries is an oval, and I wonder if that’s because it’s easier to have a rectangular box rather than a large square box, like a pizza.

Week 18: Hot Dog Buns

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USA: Although the Germans have been putting their sausages in bread long before the Americans, the buns used for American hot dogs came to be when Mr. Charles Feltman invented an elongated bun on Coney Island in 1871. I love this recipe; it produces soft, squishy buns in under an hour. It’s a great dough, easy to knead by hand, so good for beginning bakers!

Quick and Easy Hot Dog Buns | Lola Osinkolu

(Video below)

Ingredientsmilk, butter, bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar
Rise Time10 + 30 + 15
Special EqupimentNone!

Week 16: Emigrant’s Soda Bread

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U.S.: This is how the Irish emigrants to America made soda bread, since there were more ingredients readily available. See the Irish Soda Bread recipe, using all white flour, and then add

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Week 14: Pain de Mei

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FRANCE: This perfectly square loaf is baked in a pan with a lid, resulting in a soft, thin crust and tight, tender crumb. It’s reminiscent of Wonder Bread’s more sophisticated cousin, Pepperidge Farm White, and smells heavenly. The shape, texture and lack of crust make it the perfect foil for sandwiches and canapes, and if you slice it very thick, Texas toast. The detailed video is in French, but you can’t go wrong if you follow Chef Sylvain’s instructions exactly, and I’ve added a link to his website which you can have Google translate into English.

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Week 10: Burger Buns

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These are THE BEST. Made with a tangzhong, a warm flour-and-water paste traditionally used in China, and using less butter than a true brioche. These are a snap to make if you have a stand mixer, and come out soft and fluffy. Mine didn’t take nearly as much time to rise as Joshua’s, so watch your dough rather than the clock. SO GOOD! Joshua’s a great instructor, and a joy to watch. At the end of the first video I watched of his, (focaccia, 6/2018), he thanks his 2,000 subscribers. He’s now up to 2.38 million. He wrote his first cookbook , Slim Palate, at 17, and, he’s also a bit of a TikTok sensation.

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Week 8: Raisin Bread

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This no-swirl version from King Arthur Flour, distributes the raisins and cinnamon evenly throughout, and avoids big gaps that can be created by the melted butter in the swirl. Plus, it’s much easier this way! I tested an artisan, free form version, but preferred this slightly squishy loaf. If you prefer a swirled version, check out KAF’s Multigrain Cinnamon-Raisin Bread, and let me know how it turns out!

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Week 7: Naan

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INDIA: An easy, quick version of this flat bread, made with baking soda instead of yeast, cutting the time down drastically. Order take out, and your naan will be ready by the time it arrives. This is the version presented to contestants on the Great British Baking Show as their technical challenge (S9E3).

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