Aloha friends. I named this recipe Hapa because these Homemade Hamburger Buns are a tribute to the marriage of two flours. You see these generously-sized buns are made with half organic stone-ground whole wheat flour and half organic all-purpose flour. Since Hapa means half in Hawaiian, I thought what better way to name these outstanding, squeezable beauties?
You have probably experienced that many recipes are forgiving of substituting similar flours. On the other hand, sometimes the crispness of a cookie, the tender crumb of a cake, or the spring of bread depends on just the right flour. It’s the combination of flours in Hapa Homemade Hamburger Buns that makes them a great no-fail recipe. Without one or the other, they just aren’t the same.
Stone-ground whole wheat flour lends a full, hearty flavor and lovely color. It also ensures the buns stand up to your favorite patty with all its juicy toppings. All-purpose flour provides an impressive round rise and makes a thin, crisp crust when toasted. Finally, mashed potato and a touch of coconut sugar do their part to keep the buns soft, moist, and irresistibly delicious.
I always find it fun to make these homemade hamburger buns. The recipe is so rewarding, I think once you try it you will never want to go back to store-bought burger buns again. Fortunately, they freeze well, so go ahead and make a batch.
How will you decide what fillings you want to put in your stellar homemade buns? Whether you choose a grilled plant-based patty dripping with sauce or a mile-high stack of veggies, these freshly baked rolls won’t let you down. Serve your sandwich with macaroni salad, and you will be dining Hawaiian local-style. Now, that’s one “Ono” meal!
Hapa Homemade Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
Bread dough
- 1 TB flax meal + 3 TB water
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 2 TB coconut palm sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. bread yeast
- 3/4 cup cold leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 TB softened plant-based butter
- 1 1/4 cups organic stone-ground whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
Topping
- 1 tsp. coconut palm sugar + 2 tsp. filtered water
- 2 tsp. sesame seeds
- 1 tsp. wheat bran, optional
Instructions
Mix the dough
- Stir flax meal and 3 TB of water together in bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit while preparing other ingredients.
- Add lukewarm water to a small bowl and stir in coconut sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let bloom several minutes.
- Add the yeast and water once it's bloomed to flax mixture in bowl. Add mashed potatoes, salt, and plant-based butter. Beat briefly with whisk attachment to blend.
- Remove whisk attachment from mixer. Add all the flour. Stir flour in with a spoon until mostly absorbed. Attach a dough hook to mixer. Begin kneading dough on medium speed. If you have a Kitchen Aide mixer use the "4" setting.
- If flour remains at bottom of bowl after the first minute or two of mixing, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water. Press hook into center of dough if necessary.
- On the other hand, if dough is too wet and doesn't form a ball, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. Avoid adding too much flour.
- Knead a total of 6-7 minutes. After kneading, dough will be moist, sticky and formed a soft ball.
First Rise
- Oil a large bowl or rising bucket and scrape the kneaded dough into it. Cover and let rise until more than doubled. This can take anywhere from 45-90 minutes, depending on your climate.
Second Rise
- Flip and press the dough down inside the bowl with a spatula. Let rise again until almost double.
Preheat Oven and Shape Buns
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Oil your hands and a countertop. Turn the dough out onto the counter and shape gently into a disc. Divide into 6 equal pie-shaped wedges. Shape each piece into a round ball, tucking tightly and pinching dough under at the bottom. Place on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Oil fingers and press each bun down to flatten about 1/2 – 3/4 an inch tall.
Add the Topping
- Mix the teaspoon of coconut palm sugar with 2 teaspoons of water and brush tops of buns. Mix sesame seed and wheat bran. Sprinkle tops of moistened buns. Cover buns with an inverted cookie sheet.
Final Rise and Baking
- Let the buns rise until puffed and not quite doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Place on middle rack in oven. Bake 23 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a rack.
