Rosemary Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

Have you ever made your own hamburger buns? This is a great recipe, which I'm sorry to say I can not remember from whence it came. I especially like that it only makes 6 buns. It does take some time because of the rising but not a lot of effort. I don’t believe there is a better flavor than a grilled hamburger with melted blue cheese dripping all over it, served in one of these buns! They work very well with a large version of the shrimp cake recipe, posted above. The “whole wheat” designation is a little misleading as the recipe calls mostly for white flour.

Rosemary Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

Makes 6 buns

½ cup warm water (110º to 115º F.)
½ teaspoon sugar
1 (1/4 oz) pkg. fast-acting dry yeast
½ cup warm milk (110º to 115º F)
2 tablespoons butter, melted, cooled
1 ½ to 2 cups bread flour, divided (regular flour works fine)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
6 tiny sprigs fresh rosemary

Place water, sugar and yeast in large bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment. (Dough also can be made by hand.) Let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until yeast is dissolved. Add milk, butter and 1 cup of the bread flour; beat at low speed until combined. Add chopped rosemary and salt; beat until combined. With mixer running, slowly add whole wheat flour and enough of the remaining bread flour to form a soft dough.

Beat at medium-low speed 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. (If making by hand, knead 10 minutes.) Place in greased medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and towel. Let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Gently punch down dough to deflate; place on lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 pieces. Form each piece into a ball; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with towel; let stand 3 minutes. Flatten into 3 ¾ inch rounds. Cover with towel; let rise 15 minutes.

Let buns rise 25 minutes or until almost doubled in size (dough should hold slight indentation when gently pressed).

Meanwhile, heat oven to 375ºF. Lightly brush top of buns with egg white; lightly press rosemary spring into center of each bun. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when gently tapped. Cool completely on wire rack.

Try making your own hamburger buns. You'll never go back to store bought!