Recipe: Wheat Hamburger Buns

This is a wonderful and wholesome recipe that you can feel good about feeding to your family.  The best part of these hamburger buns is that they don't have that list of hard to pronounce ingredients that many of the store bought buns have in them.

I have a hard time buying my family food that is primarily composed of ingredients with long scientific names.  All I can think is.....this can't really be food.  That's why I try to make most of my family's foods from scratch....especially since we can't afford to buy from stores that stock natural foods that are already made for you.

Although making buns may seem tedious, it's really not that bad.  Plus, the kneading allows you to release some of that tension that builds up through the week due to busy schedules and other stressors.  Hope you enjoy!

40-Minute Wheat Hamburger Buns
(Adapted from Taste of Home)

1 package of active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
1/3 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of natural or organic sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups of all purpose flour

-  In a large bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast in the warm water.  Mix in the oil and sugar, and let it sit for 5 minutes.  After that, mix in the egg, salt, whole wheat flour, and enough all purpose flour to form a soft dough.
-  Put the dough onto a floured surface, and knead until it is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes).  Without letting the dough rise, divide the dough into 8-12 pieces (depending on how big you would like your buns).  Shape each piece into a ball, and put on a large greased baking sheet 3 inches apart.
-  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
-  Cover the pieces of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.