Ever since I got back from vacations, I have been itching to bake. Finally took a plunge on the weekend and though initially I planned on cookies, I ended up making couple of breads. Was extremely happy and satisfied with the outcome.
The recipe I am sharing today, Whole Wheat Cumin and Onion Buns are eggless, whole wheat buns flavoured with the combination of cumin or jeera and finely chopped Red onions.
The Whole Wheat Cumin and Onion Buns are eggless, light, soft and perfect with a cup of tea or a meet with friends. Carry a box of these Whole Wheat buns to your friends home for a potluck party, at a book club meet or serve these buns with a hot soup for the family. Either ways, this recipe is for keeps.
If you are skeptical about whole Wheat Baking or worried and are struggling about the texture, softness or the lightness of the bread then you need to read the recipe notes below, step by step pics and also go through some of the recipes that I have tried on the blog earlier like the Olive and Jalapeno whole wheat buns, Whole wheat pull apart bread with indian style pesto and whole wheat focaccia with peppers, tomatoes and rosemary. that provide indepth details on how to bake a soft loaf of bread.
For baking these whole wheat cumin and onion buns, I have not added any APF or Refined Flour. They are made with Organic Wheat Flour or Aata and I have used cane sugar instead of regular refined sugar. No added gluten or additives are also used during the process. It takes patience, some extra proofing time and practice to get a good soft loaf of whole wheat bread or buns. So, if you are trying bread baking and especially healthy bakes for the first time, do not be dejected with your failures and learn to accept them as stepping stones towards success.
Taking this recipe to the #174FoodieMondayBlogHop Event where the Theme this week is "Potluck Recipes suggested by Preethi Prasad who blogs at Preethi's Cuisine
Let us look at the detailed recipe, with notes and step by step pictures of the Whole Wheat Cumin and Onion Buns.
Recipe for Whole Wheat Cumin and Onion Buns
Prep Time - 10 mins + 1 hour and 40 mins of Proofing
Cook Time - 20 mins
Serves 2 nos.
1 cup is 250 ml measurement, Makes 4 big buns as shown
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 3/4 cup Lukewarm Water
- 1 tsp Instant Yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp raw cane sugar
- 1 tsp Rice Bran Oil + few drops for greasing the tray and bowl
- 1/2 tsp soft butter
- 3 tsps of Cumin seeds or Jeera
- 1 small onion finely chopped
Method (Read the Recipe Notes First)
- In a clean, dry bowl, add whole wheat flour, yeast, salt and sugar (as shown in the pic below). Mix all the dry ingredients well with a spatula.
- Grease a big wide bowl with few drops of oil and keep aside.
- Now, add lukewarm water slowly into the bowl with the dry ingredients and knead the dough for atleast 8 to 10 minutes until it feels soft to touch.
- Now carefully place this kneaded dough inside the greased bowl and cover it with a lid or damp cloth or a steel plate and allow it to proof for atleast 1 hour or more.
- Finely chop the onions and squeeze out excess liquid from it. Add jeera or cumin and keep aside.
- Once the dough is proved, knock the air by punching few times softly and slowly knead it for few seconds on the kitchen counter. (dust the kitchen counter with some flour)
- Add the finely chopped onions and cumin and slowly incorporate into the dough by kneading lightly.
- Divide into 4 equal portions, roll and shape them into buns, place them on greased baking trays at a distance.
- Allow these buns to proof for another 40 minutes or until they double in size.
- Preheat the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes. Bring the temperature down to 180 degrees and place these prooved buns to bake for 20 minutes.
- Brush butter on top post baking to get the golden glaze on top.
- Serve warm with tea / coffee or a mug of soup. You can also pack them for a potluck party with your friends.
Recipe Notes
- Ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature except Lukewarm Water.
- It is essential to sift your wheat flour twice before you commence baking bread.
- It is highly recommended to knead the dough for atleast 10 minutes, especially in case of whole wheat breads to activate the gluten, which in turn leads to softer breads.
- Though the recipe states 3/4 cup of water, it depends on the quality of wheat flour you use too. Sometimes, you may not need much or at times you might have to add a bit more. So carefully add water for kneading and keep a close watch while the dough takes shape.
- If you accidentally add extra water or your dough feels sticky, do not add flour, instead, add some oil and keep kneading until the dough turns soft to touch.
- I have used Organic Whole Wheat Aata for baking this bread.
- I have used Rice Bran Oil. You can opt for butter or Olive oil too, if you prefer. Choose an oil that doesn't has a strong smell.
- Always Use lukewarm water for kneading the dough. Hot water kills the yeast and cold water doesn't help in blooming of the yeast.
- Proofing depends on weather conditions. Always follow one rule - the dough should rise double the size.
- Always use a wide bowl, good enough to hold the risen dough. Grease it well and cover it with a steel plate.
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Vidya Narayan