We are always looking for ways to improve our nutrition…and were recently introduce to something amazing…KHORASAN FLOUR! Khorasan is an ancient grain; a variety of wheat with a sweet, nutty, and buttery flavor. When milled into flour, khorasan flour feels soft to the touch and has a slight yellow color. Khorasan is high in protein content and is a great source of fiber. We’ve used khorasan flour in our bread recipes and have been so happy with the results; so we were excited to give our homemade hamburger buns a try using khorasan flour.
I know you’re thinking…homemade buns…um, no. And, that’s what I originally thought. However, one evening I planned on grilling hamburgers for supper and discovered that I didn’t have the hamburger buns I thought I had. It’s a bit of a drive to town, so I whipped up a batch of buns. They turned out great, and now using store bought buns isn’t really an option. We use this recipe for grilled burgers, chicken, sloppy joes, and pulled pork. We decided to try using khorasan flour in the bun recipe and were so happy with the results. Although our regular baking flour worked well in the recipe, the khorasan flour gave the buns a beautifully deep flavor.
And, while it takes a little bit of preplanning, this is not a difficult recipe. The buns freeze extremely well (which is something store bought buns do not). Where there are only two of us at home, when I make a batch, we like to place the leftover buns in freezer baggies, two buns per bag. They’re perfect!
If you’re local, a great place to pick up some khorasan flour is from our friends over at Central Milling.
Khorasan Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- 1 c. warm water
- 4 T. milk warmed slightly in microwave
- 2 t. yeast
- 3 T. sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 3 c. khorasan flour sifted
- 1 t. salt
- 3 T. butter room temperature
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 T. water
Instructions
- In a two cup liquid measuring cup, combine: warm water, milk, sugar, and yeast. Place a plate on top of the measuring cup. Let stand five minutes. The mixture should be nice and bubbly.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients together. Add the butter and mix the butter in. (Use your fingers!)
- Add the yeast mixture and the beaten egg to the flour mixture. Use a dough tool or a dough scraper and stir until a nice sticy dough forms.
- Lightly dust the counter and place dough on the sprinkled flour. Use a dough scraper to work the dough. If necessary, add another dusting of flour. Be sure to not add too much flour. Continue working the dough for a 4-5 minutes. (Don't knead the dough as you would traditionally do…just keep adding small dustings of flour and work it in with a dough scraper.) Shape dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl. Set in a warm location and let rise until doubled.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once risen, punch dough down and divide into 8 equal pieces. (Use a dough scraper and scale, if desired…this makes it so all of the buns are the same size.) Form the pieces of dough into balls. Place balls on baking sheet (2-3 inches apart) and flatten. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for an hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees with baking rack in the center.
- Brush risen buns thoroughly with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle the buns with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, etc. Bake for 15 minutes, turning the baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through the baking. Tops of buns should be golden brown. Transfer buns to a rack for cooling.