Oatmeal Burger Buns

These oatmeal burger buns are wonderful for burgers, sandwiches, and anything else you might want to eat between two slices of bread. 

 

These oatmeal burger buns are super soft, moist, and flavorful. They are loaded with whole grains, including rolled oats and whole wheat, along with brown sugar. There's also a sourdough preferment for even more added flavor. 

These oatmeal burger buns stay fresh and have a longer shelf life because the oats in the dough absorb and retain water, even more so than wheat flour. Even two or three days after baking day, these burger buns, when toasted, are nearly as soft and moist as the day they are baked. 

By soaking the rolled oats in boiling water and letting the oats absorb the water, you are using the same concept as you would with hokkaido milk bread, with the soaked oats acting as the tangzhong, retaining all of the moisture from the water. This results in a soft, moist, and fluffy bread. 

Typically, this results in a dough that is easy to handle and shape even with hydration up to about 70 percent (water to flour). 

A Note: This dough has an even higher hydration level (about 95 percent) and therefore results in a pretty sticky dough that is difficult to shape and will stick to your hands. In addition, the dough is "no knead," and involves only a few stretches and folds rather than kneading. 

I shaped the rolls on a lightly floured work surface with floured hands, which seemed to help, although I was unable to achieve a smooth surface on the roll (partly because there no gluten in oats to develop surface tension). 

Next time, I might try adding a little more bread flour, and maybe a couple of tablespoons of vital wheat gluten. I might try skipping the stretches and folds and kneading the dough with a stand mixer for several minutes instead. 

The Results:

Regardless, the resulting rolls turned out to be super soft and delicious and we finished every single one of them. We used them for breakfast sandwiches, burger buns, and even toast with butter. You can taste the faint sourdough flavor along with the slightly sweet and nutty flavor of the oats and whole wheat. 

You won't regret making these! 

Ingredients in These Oatmeal Burger Buns:

Flours and Grains: Whole wheat flour and bread flour, along with rolled/old-fashioned oats. Avoid "minute" oatmeal. 

Sourdough Starter: Use a starter that has been recently fed, at least within a week. Because you are also using yeast in the dough, it doesn't have to be super active. You'll use the starter to make a preferment that develops flavor overnight. If you don't have a starter, you can mix some whole wheat flour, water, and a pinch of yeast together the day before and let it rest overnight, covered, to develop flavor. 

From the Pantry: Brown sugar, salt, and instant or active dry yeast. 

Water. 

Butter: A small amount to include with the oats. 

Egg: For an egg wash. 

To Make Make these Buns:

First, on the day before you make the rolls, mix your sourdough starter with whole wheat flour and water. Cover it and let it sit overnight. 

On baking day, combine the rolled oats with boiling water and set aside to let the oats absorb all of the water and, at the same time, bloom the yeast in water. Combine the bread flour with the sugar and then add the starter and yeast mixture and mix with a dough whisk or wooden spoon. Let the mixture rest for thirty minutes. 

After that, add the salt with a bit of water to the dough and mix it in. Stretch and fold the dough to develop the gluten as best you can. Repeat the stretches and folds two to three more times, thirty minutes apart. Then, let the dough rise until doubled. 

Next, divide the dough into eight pieces and form them into balls. Place them, seam side down, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. When they have risen, brush them with egg wash and sprinkle them with more rolled oats. 

Finally, bake the rolls for about 20 to 25 minutes. If they are not browning enough, you can turn on your convection function of your oven if you have one to speed up the browning process. 

Notes on the Recipe and Possible Variations:

This recipe was developed by Elizabeth from Blog from OUR Kitchen from recipes from Sunday at Moosewood Restaurant and Cook's Illustrated November/December, 2020 for the Bread Baking Babes. 

My changes were to skip the two tablespoons of wheat germ she included, to include an egg wash for attaching the rolled oats to the tops of the buns, and to substitute bread flour rather than all purpose flour. 

Other variations you might try could include mixing the dough with a mixer and/or adding more bread flour to lessen the hydration. You could also substitute molasses for the brown sugar if you like. 

More Bread Baking Babes Versions:

Blog from OUR Kitchen

A Messy Kitchen

Judy's Gross Eats

Bread Experience

My Kitchen in Half Cups

Oatmeal Burger Buns

Yield: 8 Buns

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 25 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 4 H & 25 M

These oatmeal burger buns are wonderful for burgers, sandwiches, and anything else you might want to eat between two slices of bread. 

Ingredients

For the Sourdough Starter

• 20 grams starter
• 50 grams water
• 50 grams whole wheat flour

For the Oats

• 85 grams (1 cup) rolled/old-fashioned oats
• 240 grams (1 cup) boiling water
• 7 grams (1/2 teaspoon) butter

For the Final Dough

• 3 grams (1 teaspoon) instant or active dry yeast
• 50 grams (scant 1/4 cup) lukewarm water
• 220 grams (1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) bread flour
• 48 grams (1/4 cup packed) brown sugar
• All of the oats
• All of the starter
• 6 grams salt mixed with 10 grams of water
• 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
• 2 to 3 tablespoons rolled oats for topping

Instructions

1. The day before making the buns, in a small bowl, combine the starter ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight.
2. The next day, combine the oats, boiling water, and butter. Stir and let the oats absorb the water. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
3. Combine the yeast and lukewarm water.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour and brown sugar. Add the starter mixture, oats mixture, and yeast mixture. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until all of the dry flour is absorbed. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
5. Add the salt and water mixture and mix it into the dough with a wet hand. Stretch and fold the dough over itself about eight tiimes, until the dough develops a little tension.
6. Wait 30 minutes more and repeat the stretches and folds. Repeat 2 to 3 more times, every 30 minutes.
7. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
8. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
9. Form each dough piece into a ball and place it, seam side down onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Press down a little on the dough to slightly flatten into a roll shape. Cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap.
10. Let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with rolled oats.
11. Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and they reach an internal temperature of about 200 degrees F.
12. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

238

Fat (grams)

3 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

1 g

Carbs (grams)

45 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

41 g

Sugar (grams)

6 g

Protein (grams)

8 g

Cholesterol (grams)

22 mg

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