Dinner Buns with Oats and Seeds

 

We don't often have bread with our dinners any more, but for special occasions I like to have a basket of them on the table. This is a small recipe, making about 20 small-ish buns. The dough looks a bit heavy, but the buns rise well in the oven and are light. 

Dinner Buns

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 Tablespoon instant yeast 

1 cup lukewarm milk

1/2 cup melted or very soft butter

1 egg

1 1/2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour 

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon honey or sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Additional all-purpose flour to make a soft dough (maybe 3 cups).

Combine the yeast and water in a large bowl. Add the milk and soft butter.

Stir in the egg, 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, oats, seeds, salt, honey, and lemon juice. Beat well until the mixture is smooth.

Add regular flour one cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until the dough is sticky. Turn onto a floured board and knead until the dough is soft and elastic, adding more flour as needed. 

Place in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rise until almost double, 2-3 hours. 

Form dough into small balls and place in greased pans. I use pie plates to get a round dish of pull apart buns. 

Let rise until almost double, about an hour. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake buns for 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Freeze, if desired. 

When ready to serve, let the buns thaw on the countertop, then bake again for 10 minutes at 375. 

They can be fully baked, then frozen, if desired.