#dinner buns

Tools & Ingredients

Ingredients

For the buns

3 cups (420g) of Whole Wheat Bread Flour

You can also use a 50/50 mix of All Purpose / Bread flour and White Flour.

3/4 teaspoon of salt

11/2 teaspoon of instant / active dry yeast -> You can use a full sachet.

1 tablespoon (21g) of honey

Honey, makes softer buns that rise better, However if you have none, sugar will work too.

1 - 11/4 cup of milk -> You can also use all water or a mix of water and milk

3 tablespoons (42g) of butter or olive oil (39g)

1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped / 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, minced

For roasting the garlic (optional step)

1 head of garlic -> Around 15 cloves

1 teaspoon of oil -> I love using olive oil

Tools

For the buns

Mixing bowl

Dry Measuring cups / Weighing scale

Measuring spoons

Liquid measuring cups

Small sauce pan (sufuria)

Wooden Spoon (mwiko)

Baking tray / sheet pan

For roasting the garlic (optional step)

Aluminium foil 

For toasting the garlic (optional step)

A heavy bottom pan

Procedure

Roasting Garlic in the oven (option A)

Preheat your oven to Conventional (without fan) - 400ºF / 200ºC | Convection (with fan) - 375ºF / 190ºC.

Peel the loose papery skin off the head of garlic.

Trim the top step of the garlic and cut its rear end enough to expose the cloves on the rear end only.

Place on a piece of aluminium foil, the piece of aluminium foil should be big enough to wrap around the garlic easily.

Drizzle the garlic with 1 teaspoon of olive oil then wrap it with aluminium foil.

Place in the preheated oven for 30 - 45 minutes until the cloves are completely soft.

Remove from the oven once completely softened, remove from foil and let them cool slightly.

Toasting Garlic in a dry pan (option B)

Separate the garlic into cloves but don't peel them.

Place a dry heavy bottom pan on medium heat and place your garlic cloves on the pan.

Let the cloves cook, occasionally tossing them so all the sides can get toasted.

The garlic cloves with turn black but don't fret the flesh will say nice and mellow inside.

Once the garlic cloves become soft and mushy (you will have to press them to know since as they cook they sort of puff up), place them aside to slightly cool.

Making the buns

Place a saucepan on medium heat then squeeze the flesh of the roasted garlic or toasted garlic cloves into it alongside the milk and/or water (Use the lesser amount of milk/water first and if you need more you can add the rest later), butter or oil, honey or sugar and rosemary. If you are in a hurry and do not have time to roast/toast your garlic, mince 3 garlic cloves and add them to the milk.

Gently stir the milk, butter, garlic, honey and rosemary as they heat and the butter melts.

Once the mixture is barely warm (the butter does not necessarily have to be completely melted), put aside and add in the yeast. If you are using instant yeast you do not have to add in the yeast, you can skip this step and go straight to mixing the dry ingredients.

Put aside until the mixture is frothy.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and yeast (if using instant yeast). Mix until everything is well combined.

If using a stand mixer slowly stream the milk mixture into the dry ingredients as you slowly mix on low till everything is combined and you have a sort of shaggy dough. If working by hand, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until you get a shaggy dough.

Dump the shaggy mass onto your work surface and start kneading adding a little bit of milk/water at a time as needed until you get a soft and supple dough that is relatively smooth.  This will take around 10 minutes by hand and 6 - 7 minutes on medium speed by a stand mixer.

Oil the dough and place in an airtight bowl at room temp for 1 - 2 hrs until doubled in size. Ensure the bowl is either covered tightly with plastic wrap or an airtight lid so the dough does not form a skin or dry out.

Once doubled in size, gently punch the dough down and divide into 6 portions.

Roll the portions into round balls by rolling the dough on your work surface. Do not push at the dough balls, gently move in a circular motion with your cupped hand until you get a very smooth ball. The traction between the dough and surface helps to get a smooth ball, so do not use any flour or oil on your surface.

Place the dough ball in an oiled and floured sheet pan (you can use baking parchment) to proof for around 30 - 45 minutes until doubled in size.

As the buns proof. Preheat your oven to Conventional (without fan) - 375ºC / 190ºC | Convection (with fan) - 350ºF / 180ºC.

Once proofed, place the buns in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes rotating halfway until nicely browned and ready.

To tell if they are ready, tap the bottom of the biggest bun. If it sounds hollow, they are ready. If you want to be sure, an instant-read thermometer should read 85ºC (190ºF) - 95ºC (200ºF) in the centre of the buns.

You can optionally brush them with butter immediately they are out of the oven for a softer, buttery crust.

Move the buns onto a cooling rack as soon as possible to cool so they do not get soggy bottoms.

Notes

-Whole wheat flour does not develop gluten as well as white flour so you can opt to use only 30 - 60% whole wheat for a taller lighter loaf.

-Due to the aforementioned, ensure you knead the dough enough to develop enough gluten so your buns remain smooth and fluffy.

-Whole wheat flour absorbs more water than white flour but I found adding water a little at a time as you knead ensures you get a soft dough that is not only easier to work with but also one that has a better structure. Kneading in the water/milk helps build the gluten further.

-The timing is just a guideline, it can take longer or shorter for the dough to double in size depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

-If the buns get too dark before they are ready, tent some foil on them till they are done.