Easy Homemade Whole Wheat Buns

Hello! I have a really healthy and simple recipe to share with you today. It's one of my favorites to make with a little person around. It only takes about 40 minutes to make and is simple enough for little hands to help with. One of my favorite parts about having my son, Tad, help me is that I am consistently reminded of myself when I was young. I always helped my dad cook growing up, and helping him mix up ingredients in the mixer for chocolate chip cookies are some of my fondest memories. Now that the roles have reversed, I can see how letting my toddler dump in the flour and knead the bread with his tiny hands can spark a joy of cooking, teaching him that the best food is made right in your own kitchen! Even if that means we make a bit of a mess... (;

These buns are a great recipe for anyone who is looking to make a simple bread. I discovered these one night while making sweet potato burgers and was in need of something to hold them with! I decided to throw together a super quick bun recipe, which I found worked really well, and tweaked it to my liking! These are made with whole wheat flour, though you could use all purpose if you wished. I am currently on the path to cutting out refined flours and sugars from our home. These turned out just great with whole wheat!

Ingredients | 

• 2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups whole wheat flour

Recipe | 

1. Preheat your oven to 425.
2. In an electric mixer with an attached dough hook, pour in the warm water (tap warm, not boiling) and mix in the sugar and yeast. Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes to allow the yeast to grow and activate. If your yeast does not change appearance, toss it out and start over. 
3. Add in the oil, egg, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
4. Begin to slowly incorporate the flour and turn the mixer on low. Allow each cup of flour to fully knead in before adding the next. Continue to add until the dough forms into a soft ball and no longer stick to the sides of the bowl while mixing. Turn up the speed and knead for about 5 minutes. You may need to add more flour if your dough is sticky!
5. Take the dough out and pull apart to shape into 8-9 small balls. You'll want to flatten them out a bit and place on a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper.
6. Cover with a tea towel and let sit for 10 minutes.
7. Brush with melted butter and bake for about 18-20 minutes. They are done when golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Slice open and enjoy with a burger or simply some butter and jam!

Yum! Tad loves helping me make these because he can help shape the buns. I find its easiest to shape into a ball in your hand and then sort of flatten them out. If you leave in too round of a shape, they grow really tall rather than wide! That is just personal preference, though, when it comes to eating burgers. You can find my sweet potato burger recipe over on my blog at Under A Tin Roof today! They pair really well for an easy supper (:

xoxo Kayla