Oatmeal Burger Buns
Submitted by Sweetp
Homemade oatmeal burger buns with whole wheat flour, molasses, and brown sugar. Hearty, slightly sweet, and sturdy enough to hold a loaded burger without falling apart.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
COOK
READY
These homemade burger buns have a hearty, slightly sweet character that store-bought buns can’t match. Oatmeal, whole wheat flour, molasses, and brown sugar all contribute to a bun with real flavor and substance. They’re sturdy enough to stand up to a juicy burger without disintegrating, but still soft and tender inside.
The oatmeal gets softened in boiling water along with margarine, molasses, brown sugar, and salt. That hot soak hydrates the oats so they blend into the dough rather than sitting in it as dry, crunchy bits. Cool water brings the temperature down before the yeast goes in, protecting those living organisms from the heat that would kill them.
Five minutes of kneading develops the gluten enough to give these buns structure, but don’t overwork them. Whole wheat and oat doughs get tough faster than all-white-flour doughs. The recipe also doubles as a sandwich bread loaf if you shape it into pans instead of individual buns.
Pro Tips
- Make sure the yeast mixture is bubbly before adding it to the oat mixture. No bubbles means dead yeast, and dead yeast means flat buns.
- Flatten the balls slightly after placing them on the baking sheet. If you leave them round, they’ll bake up too tall and dome-shaped for a burger.
- Space the buns 2 inches apart as directed. They’ll spread during the second rise and you don’t want them baking into each other.
- The buns are done when lightly browned on top. Tap the bottom and listen for a hollow sound.
Variations
- Brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle with rolled oats or sesame seeds before baking for a bakery finish.
- Add a tablespoon of honey instead of brown sugar for a more floral sweetness.
- For sandwich loaves, divide the dough in half, shape into loaves, and bake at the same temperature for about 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Directions
Measure ¼ cup warm water and stir yeast and 1 tablespoon of the molasses in the water.
Let stand until bubbly.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine margarine, remaining molasses, salt, brown sugar, oatmeal and the boiling water, stirring until margarine melts.
Add cool water and yeast to above mixture.
Beat in 4 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time.
Turn out the dough onto a floured board and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Turn dough over in a greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).
Punch dough down and divide into 16 equal pieces.
Shape each piece into a smooth ball.
Place balls about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets and flatten slightly.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (30 or 40 minutes.)
Bake in a preheated 350℉ (180℃) oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Note: This recipe can be shaped into 2 loaves and placed in greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
Allow to rise until double and bake in a 350℉ (180℃) oven about 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom.
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