My 58th experiment: Buns with 2/3 whole wheat flour

Even though we like to try all kinds of breads, sometimes the heart just craves for the simple like a whole wheat dinner bun.

Recipe: Dinner buns with 2/3 whole wheat flour (make 8 buns)

Ingredients:
dough
- 1 cup KAF brand whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup KAF brand bread flour
- 1 TB white sugar
- 3/4 tp table salt
- 1 egg
- 1 TB olive oil
- 2 tp active dry yeast
- about 3 TB to 1/4 cup warm water (whole wheat flour may need a little more water)
roux
- 1 TB bread flour
- 1/4 cup water

Procedure:
1. Mix the roux ingredients in a small sauce pan. When the flour has completely dissolved, heat the mixture over medium heat until it thickens. Stir constantly to prevent sticking or the flour from settling at the bottom. When the roux is formed, allow to cool down to warm temperature. Swirl frequently to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
2. Proof yeast in 2 TB water. Then add the proved yeast into the warm roux. This should give a thin paste. Stir to make sure all the yeast is dissolved.
3. Mix flours, sugar and salt thoroughly in a medium bowl. Then add the mixture of roux and yeast to the dry ingredients. Add the egg as well. Mix the ingredients together to form a dough. It may take some time (15-30 minutes) for the flours to be uniformly hydrated. Be patient. Knead regularly.
4. If the dough remains tough after 10-12 minutes, add up to 2 TB of warm water to the dough. Add water with discretion. Remember that in this recipe there is already 1/4 cup + 2 TB water and one egg added to 1+1/2 cups of flour. The dough holds water because of the roux.
5. The resultant dough should be very smooth and soft. Allow to rest until volume doubles. It takes 10-30 minutes, depending on the temperature.
6. Add oil to the dough. Punch it down and knead it again. Then break into 8 small pieces. Roll each into a ball. Freeze on a plate. When all are frozen, they can be kept in sealed plastic bags.

Results:
2:10pm, a thin but effective water roux of 1 TB bread flour in 1/4 cup water:

2:15pm, water roux added to 2 tp of yeast proofed with 2 TB water:

2:22pm, a thin paste of roux and proofed yeast:

2:25pm, thin paste added to the mixture of all dry ingredients:

2:28pm, initial mixture of the dry ingredients with thin paste and 1 egg:

2:45pm, dough formed (before adding oil), and ready to rest:

3:12pm, dough rested 30 minutes, and expanded greatly because of the heat from vigorous kneading and the abundance of yeast:

3:13pm, dough's very very soft and elastic texture when punched down:

3:22pm, dough after rubbing in 1 TB olive oil:

3:23pm, dough's interior when sliced with a sharp knife:

3:25pm, dough cut into 2 pieces:

3:26pm, dough cut into 4 pieces:

3:27pm, dough cut into 8 pieces (each containing 1/4 cup flour):

3:30pm, dough rolled into balls and ready to freeze:

6:54pm, dough balls frozen in 3 hours:

6:55pm, dough balls packed for storage in freezer (20F):

6:56pm, one dough ball to rise for baking tonight:

8:06pm, risen dough ball, rubbed with oil:

8:26pm, bun, baked in toaster oven at 400F for 3-5 minutes, until top is lightly brown, then covered with foil and bake at 350F until its aroma diffuses out.

Day 3, 9:39pm, dough ball defrosted, rubbed with a little oil, allowed to rest in warm toaster oven for 1 hour, then baked at 400F until browned, about 5 minutes. Serve with a brush of melted butter and a sprinkle of sesames:

If the dough ball has become dry or out of shape after freezing, simply rub and knead the dough ball in the palm for a while until it becomes elastic and strong again. Then allow it to rise, and bake as usual.

Observations:
These buns are very convenient to have for dinner. They are easy to defrost. Sometimes I defrost them and then change my mind about baking them. So I simply put them back into the freezer. They do well when defrost again.