I can’t believe it’s already Monday! It’s funny how some things seem to take so long to get over with – the weeks in school seem to drag by, and the hours during homework crawl along as though there is all the time in the world. But then Friday comes, or it’s time to go to bed, and my mind does a little freak-out when I realize that I didn’t have nearly enough time. So many things to do, and so little time! And before I know it, it’s all over. All the long hours, all the complaints and cries and fatigue, had all brought me to where I am standing now.

Hindsight has 20/20 vision, doesn’t it? As cliche as it sounds, everything does find a way to work itself out in the end. And in retrospect, you find that you are a better person now than you were before. Looking back can teach us a lot about ourselves. As important as it is to look to the future and not to the past, it is also tremendously important to look back to see what you’ve learned. I have a little motto that I don’t regret anything, ever. No matter how I got there and no matter what happened, I don’t regret. Each situation taught me some sort of lesson, and lessons learned are invaluable. So as much as I hated what I was going through, and as much as I would have liked to change it at the time, I wouldn’t change anything in the end, because I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Anywayyyyy… How bout some hamburger buns?!

I made these on Friday night on a special request from AJ. Actually, it went more long the lines of “I want hamburgers on Friday. You can make buns, can’t you?” Of course I can, honey!

I actually love when he makes requests. It makes it easier for me to find things to cook. Not that I can’t find anything… I just find too many things and can’t decide on what to make! So requests are always more than welcome. As far as the buns go, my eventual goal is to create a 100% whole wheat recipe that still maintains a fluffy, light texture. But this being my first time making buns, I thought I’d start out a bit less ambitious. These are about 1/3 whole wheat, and incredibly good. They really made the burgers. AJ won’t settle for regular store-bought buns anymore, and I’m glad to agree!

I also made some caramelized onions to go with the burgers and ohh my! were they good. We had leftovers last night without the onions and, while they were still really good, I felt like I was missing something! I’ve been ruined for anything other than burgers with homemade buns and caramelized onions…

Of course you can’t even see the onions in this (pretty bad) picture… sorry!

(Partial) Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

Print this recipe!

This recipe makes 6 buns. Feel free to double it for more!
Ingredients are in weights.

7 oz bread flour
3 oz whole wheat flour
4.75 oz non-dairy milk (I used soy)
2 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 tsp instant)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 oz (3 Tbsp) non-dairy butter
1 oz olive oil
1 1/4 oz sugar

Heat the milk to luke-warm in the microwave. Test it with your finger – if it feels a bit warm, it’s perfect. If it feels hot, let it cool for a few minutes. If you are using active dry yeast, measure it into the warm milk and let it sit until it gets nice and frothy.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Turn out onto a counter and knead by hand for 8-10 minutes, or by machine (KitchenAid speed 2) for 7-8 minutes, until the dough is satiny and smooth. It should be tacky but not sticky.

Let rise in an oiled bowl for 90 minutes until doubled in size. Turn out onto a lightly oiled or floured counter top and cut into 6 pieces. Shape each piece into a mini boule by pulling the sides under to the bottom and pinching the seam. Place seam-side down on a parchment-covered baking sheet and flatten with your hand. You want to get them to be about 4″ in diameter, so flatten away. If they seem to spring back too much, move onto the other pieces and let the gluten relax for a few minutes.

When you’re done shaping, lightly cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise another 60-90 minutes until the buns are noticeably puffy and about twice as big.

20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350F.

Lightly brush the buns with some water or melted butter and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake for ~18 minutes until the tops are nice and golden and an internal thermometer registers 190 degrees F.

Cool completely before using. Enjoy!