Honestly!  Who makes their own burger buns!?  That’s what I thought when I first saw these hit the food blogging world.  But, then my curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t resist trying them.  I figured if they weren’t worth the time, then it would only be once that I would ever make these.  But, if they ended up being as good as everyone had claimed, then I would be jazzed!  To no surprise (since I’m now passing the recipe on to you), I have joined the club in making my own burger buns because these are super awesome!  They live up to every expectation that was set and the only time I buy my own burger buns now is when I’m crunched for time or need to cut a few extra calories.

If you’re someone who makes, or has made your own homemade rolls, this recipe is right up your ally.  That’s basically all this is . . . making rolls.  Rolls are pretty easy to make, and while yeast breads seem to demand a lot of time, they rarely demand a lot of effort.  90% of the time is always in the rising stages . . . which is when we are doing nothing (well, besides other things like house work, laundry, checking email, etc.).  I always make these when I know I’ll be in the house for a few hours.  I get so much done while these babies are rising/cooking that it turns out to be a win-win all around (I get delicious, healthy buns while I get a boatload of work done around my house).  If desired, you can always speed up the rising time by putting your dough in a warm oven (warm it up to about 170 degrees, then turn it off and put your dough inside).  I will warn you to keep your eye on them as they sit through the second rising (when they’re shaped into buns/rolls).  Many people have had issues with letting them rise too long and then finding that the buns have spread out way too much.

These also freeze well.  So, I never hesitate to make a full batch because I know I can freeze whatever we don’t eat and then I’ll have delicious, healthy buns for the next day (because I’ll want to eat them that soon!), or the next week when burgers hit my menu again.

Whenever Beau sees that I’m making these he gets pretty excited.  He claims they take any burger to a whole new level.  I don’t ever have to rant and rave about these buns when I’m in mixed company because he does it all!  Who wants to go back to a boring, store-bought bun now?  (Not to mention that making your own bread/rolls/buns is way cheaper!)

So, have I caught your curiosity?  You know you wanna try them!  😉

Fit Burger Buns
Adapted from Annie’s Eats

3 tbsp. warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground, if possible)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal parts.  Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.

Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Serves 12.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Bun)
Calories:  153
Protein:  5g
Carbs:  27.4g
Fat:  3.4g (1.8g = Sat.)
Fiber:  3.7g
Sugars:  2.8g