Saturday, February 7, 2009

Beatrice Ojakangas's Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns


I've been following Beatrice Ojakangas's baking books for so long, I feel like I know her; like we're family. Before Peter Reinhart and Jim Lahey had even learned to say poolish, Beatrice Ojakangas was already an expert in the field. She grew up baking bread every day on a working farm in Minnesota, immersed in the Scandinavian traditions of baking, and with the innate talent and curiosity of a natural innovator. Beatrice understands bread so thoroughly from a hands on perspective, that all of her instructions are clear and simple - a rarity in books about serious bread baking. Processes that become hopelessly complicated in other writers' hands (like sourdough, for instance. As soon as someone mentions percentages of hydration my brain shuts right off) are revealed to be as easy as stirring together a cup of this, a cup of that, and waiting for three days. Now that's what I'm talking about. Her recipes are so well-tested that you cannot fail if you follow her directions. (That means you, John!)The hamburger buns? Perfect.
1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water, heated to 105 to 115 degrees
1/2 cup milk, scalded and cooled to 105 to 115 degrees
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups a ll purpose flour
In a large mixing bowl, disolve yeast in warm water. Let stand for five minutes until the yeast foams. Add the milk, butter, sugar, egg, whole wheat flour and salt. Blend well. Add the all purpose flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about five minutes. Wash the mixing bowl, grease it, and put the dough in the bowl, turning it over to grease the top of the dough. Loosely cover with a towel and set in a warm place. Let rise until doubled in size, about one to one and a half hours.Punch down and divide dough into 12 balls (24 for dinner rolls)
Space 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly. Let rise for one hour.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. (20-25 minutes at 375 degrees for dinner rolls)

1 comment:

  1. i just bought this book, and then started to search for reviews - your is the best endorsement!

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