yeast | Vedged Out

After all the ogling over that veggie burger yesterday, are you ready to check out these pretzel buns?

They are super simple to make and are oh-so-worth the time.

Whole Grain Pretzel Buns or Rolls

Ingredients:

2 C. white whole wheat flour
2 C. organic unbleached flour
1 t. salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 C. warm water
1 T. active dry yeast
2 T. vital wheat gluten
1 t. raw agave
1 t. soy lecithin or extra virgin olive oil (softens the bread a bit)
sesame seeds or kosher salt for sprinkling.

Method: In a bread maker or other kneading apparatus (possibly your hands) knead all of the above ingredients for 10 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes. Punch dough down, divide into 8 hamburger buns or 12 rolls. If making hamburger buns, smash each piece of dough down firmly with your hands, making 3 or 4 inch rounds.

Let dough rise for 15 more minutes. In the meantime, bring to a boil: 2 quarts (8 cups) water with 1 T. kosher salt and 4 T. baking soda. When the water comes to a rolling boil, Poach 2 buns at a time for one minute, turning over halfway through.

Remove buns with a slotted spoon. Slash each roll 3 times across the top with a sharp knife. Quickly Sprinkle with a bit of sesame seeds or kosher salt.

Repeat until all buns are poached. Let rest while oven preheats to 400 degrees.

Bake for 20-25 minutes for hamburger buns or 15-20 minutes for rolls. Please use parchment paper to bake on, otherwise you will need a chisel and a hammer and quite possibly ruin your favorite baking sheet.