No kneading, no resting, no waiting? That's my kind of bun!
Step One: Gather Your Ingredients:
1 cu water (warmed to around 110°F) plus an additional 6 T water
1/3 cu canola oil (I've heard that you can substitute this with apple sauce, but I haven't tried it)
2 packages yeast
1/4 cu honey
2 T ground flax seed
1 t salt
3 & 1/4 cu whole wheat flour
1/4 cu vital wheat gluten
Sesame seeds or other desired toppings
Preheat your oven to 350°.
A Note About Vital Wheat Gluten
As you might be able to read from the picture, vital wheat gluten (which my family can't say without sounding like the Swedish Chef) makes dough doughier. Plus, it has 23 grams of protein per 1/4 cup and only 0.5 grams of fat. You can add it to just about any baked good, and I even used some in my black bean burgers that I served with these buns.
Step Two: Awaken Your Yeast
Combine 1 cu warm water with 1/4 cu honey and 1/3 cu canola oil. Add two packages of yeast and whisk to combine. Let the concoction rest for 15 minutes. (After all, it's tired - it just woke up!)
Step Three: Make Your "Egg Replacer"
While yeast mixture rests, make your egg replacer. In a skillet over medium heat, whisk together 6 T water with 2 T ground flax seed for 2 or 3 minutes until the two ingredients bind together. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly.
Step Four: Mix It, Roll It, Cut It, Bake It
Once 15 minutes is up, add 3 1/4 cu flour, 1 t salt, 1/4 cu vital wheat gluten, and the flax seed mixture to your yeast concoction. Stir just until dough forms. Roll out dough on a floured surface to almost 1 inch thick. Use the top of a round glass to cut out bun-sized rounds, keeping in mind that they will expand in all directions in the oven. Brush a little water onto the tops and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, but check your buns after 8 minutes. If you over bake them, they will be too dry. You can find the recipe for the black bean burgers here. Enjoy!
Oh, and I used my leftover dough to make butterfly rolls.
