The post Nordic Carrot Bread with sunflower seeds (Gulerodsbrud) appeared first on Nordic Food & Living.
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On this page I will share a great recipe for Nordic Carrot Bread which is stuffed with sunflower seeds and lots of shredded carrots. In Danish we call this particular type of bread Gulerodsbrud. In Denmark we traditionally made bread where we use all kinds of different nuts, grains or vegetables. Normal white toast bread is in Denmark very often substituted with for instance rye bread, grain buns or this carrot bread.
See also: Recipe for Nordic Carrot Buns
It normally takes a little longer to make Nordic inspired bread but typically it contains a lot more dietary fibers, protein and in this case vitamins from the carrots. Continue reading on and learn how easily you can make a fantastic delicious and filling Nordic carrot bread.
How to folding the carrot dough and stuffing
As already mentioned these buns are stuffed with shredded carrots and sunflower seeds. Normally when I make bread I add all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead everything into a nice and smooth dough. In this recipe the shredded carrots and the sunflower seeds are added to the dough after it has been kneaded.
The kneaded and risen dough is placed on a flour covers table and a large indent is made in the middle. The shredded carrots, seeds and a beaten egg are placed in the middle. The dough is then folded over the stuffing and cut into random smaller pieces using a dough scraper/cutter. The dough is then again folded and cut.
We are looking to gently mix the carrots and seed into the dough but without kneading it into uniform buns. The result should be random and distorted buns with pockets of delicious carrots and sunflower seeds.
Nordic Carrot Bread with sunflower seeds (Gulerodsbrud)
Ingredients
- 4 dl lukewarm water
- 25 g fresh yeast (or equivalent dry yeast)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 650 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g butter
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 300 g carrots (coarsely shredded)
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 dl sunflower seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the lukewarm water and dissolve the fresh yeast and sugar. If you are using dry yeast then add this in the next step.
- Add the all-purpose flour, salt and butter in small pieces. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes. The dough should be assembled, soft and only a little sticky.
- Cover the dough bowl with a clean dish towel and let it rise someplace warm for one hour.
- Place the dough on a flour cover table. Make a large indent in the middle of dough and add a beaten egg, the sunflower seeds and the shredded carrots at the center.
- Fold the dough over the stuffing so that it covers it all.
- Use a dough scraper/cutter to cut through the dough at random places. Again, fold some of the dough and cut again. Try not kneading the dough but instead fold and cut it. We are looking for random and distorted buns.
- Finally cut the dough into 12 buns and place them on a parchment paper cover oven plate.
- Let the buns rise someplace warm for another 40 minutes.
- Bake the buns in a 210 C (410 F) preheated oven for about 18 minutes. The total time in the oven might vary. Tap on the bottom of the buns - if they sound hollow then they are done.
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Why have a recipe for homemade Egg McMuffin on a blog, which is called Nordic Food and Living that might actually be a good question. For me there is actually a small history attached to the recipe I am sharing further down on this page.
Besides being interested in the traditional Danish and Nordic kitchen I also love to travle the world, or simply browse online, to find new types of food and great recipes for food that I have not tried before and with a potential to be an all-time favorite for me.
The First Time I had an Egg McMuffin
Believe it or not, the first time I heard about an Egg McMuffin was only some years ago back in 2012 when I did my first US road trip on the west coast. One of the great things about traveling in the states is that almost everywhere it is possible to find easy and cheap food.
This way I had my first egg McMuffin at a McDonald's in the state of Washington.
It is not that the this particular piece of food is anyway special I just remembered that I instantly knew that I had to make my own muffins when I got back home to Denmark.
Different variations of the Egg McMuffin
Now I have had egg McMuffins several different places in the world and what I have noticed is that the bread used for the sandwich is different depending on where you buy it. When I had the egg McMuffin in the states the bread was a buttermilk biscuits, where the bread used in the United Kingdom is an English Muffin. I have both recipes posed here on my blog; you can easily find them in the bread section.
Buttermilk Biscuits or English Muffin for Egg McMuffin
Which one is best - is it the buttermilk biscuits or the English Muffin? I actually think they are fifty-fifty if your are only looking at the taste. However, I would say that the buttermilk biscuits does take some extra time to make and they contain quite a lot extra calories compared to the English Muffin.
I personally normally goes for the English muffin, mainly because they are relatively easy to make.
How to make an Egg McMuffin
Making some homemade Egg McMuffins are quite easy to do. However, the first part might actually be a little difficult - you would have to decide between the American Buttermilk Biscuits and the English Muffins. Once decided go and make a batch of these. You can find some easily explained recipes here on my blog. You can also go with the easy version and buy these form the supermarket.
Then you heat up a frying pan and fry some bacon. When done let the bacon drip of on a sheet of paper towel.
On the same frying pan, crack some eggs and fry them in some circular steel rings. Use a fork to whisk/stir in the eggs to mix the yolk with the whites. Season with salt and pepper. If you do not have some steel molds, then you can make your own using aluminum foil.
Use a fork to pick holes in the buns you separate them in two parts. Toast them on both sides and then finally assemble them with the eggs, bacon and a slice of cheddar cheese.
Enjoy your homemade Egg McMuffin with a glass of orange juice or a cup of coffee.
Homemade Egg McMuffin
Ingredients
- 4 English muffins or buttermilk biscuits (recipe for NordicFoodLiving.com)
- 4 eggs
- 4 pcs bacon
- 4 pcs cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Start by making or buying some English Muffins or American buttermilk Biscuit. I would recommend you to make some homemade. Find recipes at www.NordicFoodLiving.com
- On a frying pan, add the eggs in metal rings and use a fork to mix the egg whites and yolks. If you do not have metal rings you can fold some using aluminium foil. Start by folding the foil sometimes to make it thicker. Then you fold a circle - it requires a little practice, but it can be done.
- Fry some bacon.
- Use a fork to pick holes all around the English muffins or American butter milk biscuits and then separate them with your hands. Toast them on the pan or a toaster.
- Now assemble your homemade Egg McMuffins. Start with a slice of Cheddar cheese, then the fried egg and finally some crispy bacon.
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On this page I would like to share a fantastic recipe for homemade Focaccia bread. A Focaccia is an oven-baked type of bread which is very popular in most of the world which includes Denmark. This bread is originally from Italy and is used as a side-dish for many different meals. The bread has a consistency like a thick pizza dough and is typically served with a rosemary seasoning.
Starter
As mentioned just above, this Italian bread is perfect as a side for many meals. However, I personally think this bread has so much to offer that it is able to act as a standalone dish. I can highly recommend using this bread as a starter or pre-snacking before dinner.
Welcome Snack
I have mentioned this before on my blog. I am a member of a dinner club where I meet up with a group of my best friends two times a month to eat dinner together. We go by turn and cook dinner for the other guys. I know for a fact, that this Focaccia bread is a perfect welcome snack for your guests. Prepare this bread so that it is ready when your guests arrive. Put it on the table and let them snack it while you are preparing the rest of the dinner. I personally think this bread is a way better welcome snack compared to chips and nuts which is a very common snack. It is a perfect table snack.
Seasoning
The special about this Focaccia bread is that it is typically seasoned with different types of herbs, olive oil and sea salt. Besides these typical toppings it is also sometimes common to use different types of cheese or vegetables. I have not tried it myself yet, but I have seen it a couple of times that this bread is topped with olives - it looks real delicious and a beautiful way of decorating the bread.
I personally prefer a simple olive oil, garlic, sea salt and rosemary seasoning - as said, very simple, traditional and super delicious way of making this homemade Focaccia bread.
Instructions
A Focaccia is very simple to make. It is basically just typical bread dough but the way it is baked and seasoned is what makes this bread special. In a large bowl, you start by dissolving the fresh yeast. If you are using dry year you simply just add this to the step with the flour. Now add the rest of the ingredients and knead everything into dough. Let it rise for 30 minutes while you are preparing the seasoning by mixing all the ingredients together.
Distribute the dough in a buttered oven pan and pick small holes/dents in the dough with your fingers. Pour the seasoning over the bread and let it rise for 30 minutes before baking it at 225 C (440 F) for about 15 minutes.
Homemade Focaccia
Ingredients
Focaccia Bread
- 3 dl water lukewarm
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g durum flour
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
Topping
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp rosemary
- 2 cloves of garlic
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm water
- Add the rest of the ingredients and knead everything into smooth dough
- Set the dough aside and let it rise for 30 minutes
- While the dough is rising, prepare the rosemary and garlic topping. In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the topping and mix it well together.
- In an buttered oven proof pan (25x30 cm), pour in the dough and distribute it in an even layer using your fingers and a little flour.
- Use your finger tips to pick small dents in the dough.
- Distribute the rosemary and garlic topping over the dough.
- Set it aside of rise for another 30 minutes.
- Bake the focaccia bread at 225 C (440 F) for about 15 minutes. When done remove the bread from the oven pan and let it cool off a little before serving it.
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I love bread and I love to experimenting in the kitchen to come up with new and interesting recipes for new types of bread. This recipe I am sharing here in this blog post, is a recipe for a great walnut bread. It is not that this walnut bread is really special or fancy in anyway - it is just that I think it is super delicious and tasteful. I think the great thing about this bread is that it has a little sweetness from honey, and together with the crisp walnuts and the great taste from the malt and whole grain flour, this is one of my all-time favorite.
I personally like to serve this bread fresh together with some good cheese, preferably blue cheese or maybe together with some homemade jam. I have some simple and super delicious recipes for homemade jam posted here on my blog.
This walnut bread is partly made from whole grain flour and of cause walnuts; this makes it a nice and filling bread, which is a healthy alternative to regular white toast bread. The malt flour gives a wonderful color and a little, but delicious, burned flavor to the bread. Malt flour is made from germinated cereal grains, which has been dried using hot air. This process brings a fantastic flavor to the flour and is therefore perfect to use in bread.
Twisted Bread
As said above, this bread is not special. However, this is probably not entirely true. Another thing, which maybe makes this walnut bread a little special, is the way it is shaped. Instead of just pouring the dough into a normal bread pan, I have made a twisted bread. In order to get this special shape of the bread requires several steps, which all are really easy to preform once you get the feeling of it. You start by dividing all the dough into six equally sized pieces and roll them into long 'sausages' about 25-30 cm (10 inch) long. This will approximately be the length of the baked bread. Then you make two braided breads using three of the 'sausages' for each. Finally, you twist the two braided breads together into one large bread. Fold the two ends underneath the bread. You can follow my picture guide below.
The great thing about twisting the bread, as described above, is that it gets a beautiful top and a little but nice color variation on the inside. It is therefore a tasteful and beautiful bread, which is perfect to be served when having guests.
How to make Nordic Walnut bread
This bread is easy to make and it normally takes less than 15 minutes of working time. Of course, you have to account for the raising time, which is about 1.5 hours totally, and the baking time, which is about 30-35 minutes.
You start by dissolving the fresh yeast in the lukewarm water. If you use dry yeast, you should use the instructions on the label - typically, you just mix the dry yeast with the flour. Then you add the honey, the three types of flour, walnuts and salt and knead/mix it all into a sticky dough. I normally uses my hands but a kitchen machine can be used with advantage. The kneading time is about 10 minutes. In the beginning, the dough seems too 'wet' but after the kneading time it should be nice and smooth. After the kneading; set the dough a side somewhere warm and let it rise for about one hour.
Divide the dough into six pieces and twist it as described in the section higher up on this page. Let the twisted bread rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and sprinkle a little water inside the hot oven before putting the bread inside. This water will evaporate and help making the bread nice on the outside. Bake the bread for about 30-35 minutes until it sounds hollow when knocking on the bottom side of the bread.
Nordic Walnut Bread
Ingredients
- 25 g fresh yeast (1 oz)
- 4 dl water, lukewarm (1 3/4 cups)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp malt flour (25 g / 1 oz)
- 375 g all-purpose flour (12 oz)
- 200 g whole grain wheat flour (7 oz)
- 150 g walnuts, coarsely chopped (5 1/3 oz)
- 7 g salt (1/4 oz)
Instructions
- In a large bowl; dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm water. If you are using dry yeast, add this together with the flour.
- Add the honey, the three types of flour and then stir/knead everything into a nice dough.
- Add the chopped walnuts and the salt and knead everything into the dough. The kneading time is 5-10 minutes.
- Leave the kneaded dough in the bowl, cover it with a dishtowel and set it aside some place warm. Let the dough rise for 60 minutes.
- Divide the dough into six pieces and roll each pieces into long 'sausages'.
- Take three sausages and connect them in one end. Braid them, and connect them at the other end. Continue the same way with the next three sausages.
- Now you twist the two braided breads into one single bread. Fold the two ends under the bread.
- Place the twisted bread on a parchment paper covered oven plate. Cover it with a clean dishtowel and let it rise for another 30 minutes some place warm.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F).
- Spray a little cold water into the oven to create some water vapor. Now bake the bread for about 35 minutes. The bread is done when it sounds hollow when knocking at the bottom of it.
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Hotdogs are just a fantastic invention! It is not a traditional Nordic dish but it is still very popular especially for barbecue parties and other special events like birthdays parties and so on. The origin for hotdogs are apparently Germany even though I thought it was the US. However, today hotdogs are super popular in the hole world and therefore also in Denmark and the other Nordic countries.
What is better than a freshly prepared hotdog directly from the grill - it is of course a homemade hotdog freshly from the grill. The recipe I have listed further down this page is describing how you can make some super delicious homemade hotdog bread. It might sound like a lot of wasted time making your own homemade hotdog bread but that is not the truth if you ask me.
Homemade hotdog bread is actually very easy to make yourself it only requires a few and simple ingredients. Hotdog bread is basically just based on a nice and smooth flour dough with butter and milk. I typically make the simple and traditional hotdog bread with all-purpose flour. However, if you are looking for some more filling and a bit healthier bread you can easily substitute about 1/4 of the traditional flour with a whole-wheat flour, which has a higher amount of dietary fiber. Whole-wheat flour gives the bread a bit more texture and a more filling effect.
Besides being relatively simple to make, these homemade hotdog breads are also very delicious and much better compared to the factory and uniform produced bread you can purchase at the supermarket. These hotdog breads are nice and airy on the inside while crisp and golden on the outside. In addition, these homemade breads have a homemade-look, which is one of the great things of making your only food. A hotdog made with a homemade bread just taste better!
Serve the hotdogs with some sausages, fried onions, pickled cucumber or maybe some pickled red onions
Recipe for Homemade Hotdog Bread
As mentioned above, it is relatively easy to make your own and homemade hotdog bread. In a large bowl, you start by dissolving some fresh yeast. You can also use dry yeast just add this to you flour instead.
Assemble the dough with the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold and diced butter and knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes. Set the dough aside and let it rise for about 40 minutes.
Now divide the dough into 10 pieces and flatten each of them in rectangular pieces with a length of about 10 cm (4 inch). Fold the dough two times on the long side - this folding makes the bread more airy on the inside. Transfer the bread to a parchment paper covered oven plate. Place the bread side-by-side with a distance in between of about 1 cm (1/3 inch). Set the dough aside one more time and let it rise for about 30 minutes.
Brush the bread with a beaten egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake them for 10 minutes in a 210 C (410 F) preheated oven.
Let the bread cool off a little before serving them with your favorite sausages and other accessories.
Homemade Hotdog Bread
Ingredients
- 25 g fresh yeast (or equivalent dry yeast) (1 oz)
- 3 dl milk, lukewarm (1 1/4 cups)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 5 g salt (1/4 oz)
- 50 g butter, soft (2 oz)
- 450 g all-purpose flour (1 lb)
- 1 beaten egg , brushing of bread
Instructions
- In a large bowl; add the lukewarm milk and dissolve the fresh yeast. If you are using dry yeast, then skip this step and add the yeast with the flour in the next step.
- Add the all-purpose flour, sugar and salt. Assemble all the ingredients a little. You can with advantage substitute 1/4 of the flour with some whole-wheat flour.
- Add the soft butter and then knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes. The dough is a little sticky when done. Set the kneaded dough aside for 40 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 10 pieces.
- Flatten the dough into rectangular pieces with a length of about 10 cm (4 inch), fold them on the long side two times and finally fold the two ends under the bread. This step will make the hotdog bread more airy.
- Transfer the bread to parchment paper covered oven plate. Place the bread side-by-side with a distance in between of about 1 cm (1/3 inch)
- Let the bread rise for another 30 minutes.
- Gently brush the bread with a beaten egg and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.
- Bake the bread in a 210 C (410 F) preheated oven for about 10 minutes. The bread should be golden on top when done.
Notes
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]]>The post Homemade Pita Bread appeared first on Nordic Food & Living.
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For some time I have been experimenting with making homemade pita bread and I have to say that I have been back and forth several times before I ended up with the best recipe.
What I like the most about pita bread is that you can stuff it with the exact stuffing you prefer.
My personal favorite is some pulled turkey, Avocado, corn, fresh spinach leaves, diced cucumber and of course a delicious homemade dressing. Of course, it is completely up to you what kind of filling you prefer. You might even have a traditional ingredient that you always uses. As always, I would be really happy to hear from you in the comment section below if you can suggest something great.
The best homemade pita bread
The recipe I have listed below is the result of several tries. The actual ingredients list have been mainly untouched, as it is just a standard all-purpose flour bread recipe. However, it is the process of baking the pita bread so that they rise up and become nice and airy that have caused me a little trouble. But now I have cracked the code and I would have to say that it is actually quite easy once you learn a couple of tips and tricks.
See also: Recipe for the BEST homemade Taco bread
Below I have listed the most important things that you have to consider when making your homemade pita bread. Following these tricks, you should be able to make the best and airy homemade pita bread. Always remember that sometimes it takes a couple of tries before you have the feeling. However, once you got it I promise you it is a great feeling watching the pita bread rise in the oven.
Tip 1
It is important that the temperature in the oven is very hot and that the entire oven is heated up before baking the pita. Heat up the oven to 250 C (480 F) and let it stay at this temperature for minimum 5-10 minutes before baking the pita breads. This will make the entire oven heat up.
Tip 2
When baking the bread I always uses my circular pizza stone. The great thing about a pizza stone is that once it is heated up it contains a great amount of thermal energy. This way it will not cool down just by opening the oven. However, if you do not own a pizza stone you can also use a regular oven plate. In this case just remember to only bake two pita breads at the time so that you make sure each bread is baked at a high temperature.
Tip 3
When flattening the bread into 1/2 cm (1/5 inch) thick pita it is important that the bread is evenly flat and that it does not have any larger air pockets trapped inside the bread. If the bread is not evenly flat or has air inside, they will rise unevenly when you are baking them. I typically use the backside of a plate to flatten the bread and then making the final touch using a rolling pin.
Homemade Pita Bread
Ingredients
- 25 g fresh yeast (about 1 tbsp instant yeast)
- 3 dl lukewarm water ( 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 425 g all-purpose flour (15 oz)
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm water.
- Add the sugar and oil. Stir to mix.
- Add the flour and the salt. Knead everything into a nice and smooth dough. This kneading time takes about 5-10 minutes. You can with advantage use a stand mixer.
- Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and set it aside for about 40 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll them into smooth balls.
- Let the balls rise for about 10 minutes while the oven is preheating up to 250 C (480 F). If you have a pizza stone also place this in the oven. Otherwise, a normal oven plate is sufficient.
- It is a good idea to bake the pita breads two-by-two. This way it is easier to keep the high temperature in oven. The high temperature is important.
- Use the back of a dish to flatten two balls evenly. The thickness should be about 1/2 cm (1/5 inch). It is important that the bread is evenly flat and does not have any obviously large air pocket trapped inside (from the rising of the bread). It is a good idea to finish off by gently rolling the bread using a rolling pin - to let the air out.
- Gently, transfer two pita breads onto the hot stone inside the oven. Make sure that the side of the bread, which faced your kitchen table while fattening it, is now facing upwards away from the hot stone. This way the moistest part of the bread is facing way the hot stone. This is a little trick to make sure the bread is puffing up nicely.
- If you do not have a baking stone, use a parchment paper covered oven plate. Just make sure it is very hot.
- Bake the bread for about 5-6 minutes. The pita bread should rise up, become puffy and create an air pocket inside.
- Let the bread cool off a little before serving it.
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English Muffins is as the name perfectly applies, a type of muffin which has it origin in England. The United Kingdom is located close to the Nordic countries and is only a two hour-flight away. Even though, we have a different approach to food and how it is prepared we absolutely also share a couple of traditional dishes. I personally think that these English Muffins is actually pretty close to the Danish Krydrebolle, which is an airy bun eaten in a similar way as a English Muffins.
English Muffins
I the United Kingdom, English Muffins are typically served in the morning as breakfast. They are traditionally sliced in the middle, toasted and buttered. Some people also like to eat their muffins with a slice of cheese and jam on top. Sometimes, these are also just served with a little jam. As you might imagine, it is basically only you imagination that is the limit here.
Sliced Muffins?
As mentioned above, a English Muffin is typically sliced horizontally and then toasted. I would like to make a small comment about this. Slicing a English Muffin is, of course, done the easiest using a regular bread knife. However, I have learned this trick using a fork to divide the muffins in half. You simple stab holes all the way around the muffin on the same line as you would normally cut using a knife. When you are done stabbing holes, you can then gently separate the top and the bottom of the muffin. Using this technique you get a more coarse surface instead of a perfectly flat when using a knife. When toasted, this coarse surface become crisper compared to the knife-cut surface.
Keep in the Freezer
I normally make a large batch of these English Muffins and then store them in my freezer. This way I always have muffins ready when I make breakfast in the weekend. As said above, these muffins are typically served with cold butter and jam. However, my favorite way of serving these muffins is with a fried egg, two slices of crisp bacon and a slice of cheddar cheese - now this muffin is maybe better known as an Egg McMuffin. I have made a separate recipe-post here on my blog about these.
English Muffins
14 muffins
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Danish title: Engelske muffins
Category: bread
Ingredients:
2.5 dl (1 cup) milk
50 g (2 oz) butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp suger
500 g (1.1 lb) all-purpose flour
25 g (1 oz) fresh yeast (or 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast)
a little cornmeal (coarse)
Instructions:
1. Heat up the milk and butter in a saucepan or microwave oven. The butter should be melted and the milk lukewarm.
2. Transfer the lukewarm milk and butter to a large bowl and dissolve the fresh yeast. If you are using dry yeast, add this together with the flour.
3. Add the egg, sugar, all-purpose flour and salt. Knead the ingredients well together. You can with advantage use a stand mixer.
4. Set the dough aside to rise for about one hour.
5. Cover your tabletop with some coarse cornmeal and roll the dough into a long 'sausage'.
6. Cut the sausage into 14 circular muffins.
7. Sprinkle the muffins with some cornmeal. Gently give the muffins a press with your fingers to make the cornmeal stick better to them.
8. Let the muffins rinse for another 30 minutes.
9. On a hot and dry frying pan; bake the muffins for about 5-7 minutes or until they are nice and golden.
Tip: Divide the muffins by pricking holes, using a fork, all the way the circumference. Then simple break the muffin apart with your fingers.
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]]>The post Homemade Burger Buns (The Best Recipe) appeared first on Nordic Food & Living.
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This recipe I am sharing here on this page is one of my all-time favorite - it is probably the recipe for bread I have made the most times. I personally think these burgers buns are the best you can get - they have a great taste, perfect color, a little crispness and soft on the inside - they are simply the best homemade burger buns if you ask me.
The recipe below will give you 16 homemade burger buns. Of course, this amount can be adjusted if you decide to make larger and fewer buns or smaller and more buns. I have sometimes used this recipe when making small burger buns for Sliders. However, the recipe is well adjusted to give 16 normally shaped buns. If you decide to make more or fewer buns then you just have to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Whole Grain Wheat Flour Burger Buns
In the recipe below you can substitute a little of the all-purpose flour with whole grain wheat flour. Whole grain flour contains more dietary fiber which help keeping your body in balance and makes you feel full for a longer time compared to normal all-purpose flour. Besides making the buns healthier and more suitable for dinner, I also think adding a little whole grain flour will give the buns a perfect balance between soft- and crispness. If you do not have any whole grain flour at your home or you think it is difficult to get a hold of, then you just use regular all-purpose flour.
I actually have two recipes posted here on my blog for burger buns - They are very similar. However, I will recommend this recipe here on this page as it is my favorite one.
The Important Factors (and one secret)
There are four factors which are important to get a great result and the best homemade burger buns. Non of them are very difficult to follow especially not if you are browsing through the pictures I have posted further down on this page. The four steps are as follows:
Step 1
Follow the ingredient list. I have made these buns many times and I think everything is well balanced. When that said, it might be necessary to add a little more or less flour depending on the quality of the flour. However, always try using the amount I have listed in the recipe - it is typically the right amount.
Step 2
When you have mixed all the ingredients together it is important that you knead the bread for minimum 6-8 minutes. I know that it feels like a very long time especially if you are doing it by hands. However, this kneading process is breaking down the gluten which will make the buns perfect airy and soft. You can with advantage do this using a kitchen machine/stand mixer - I normally uses manual force which also works out fine.
Step 3
When I am covering the buns with sesame seeds I always have a beaten egg in one dish and the sesame seeds on another plate. Then I dip half the buns in the beaten egg and then directly after in the sesame seeds - this way you get a perfect equal distribution of the seeds which looks great.
Step 4 (The Secret)
This last factor it the one I consider the secret to these perfect burger buns. When I set the buns aside for rising, I always cover them with a sheet of plastic foil. This little trick will help keep the moist and heat inside and the buns will rise more evenly. A little side note; it is a good idea to spend a little extra time when shaping the buns so that you get perfectly round buns.
Instructions for Homemade Burger Buns
When I am cooking in my kitchen I love to experimenting and change in the ingredient list and instructions. These burger buns are partly a result of this experimenting and now I have made them so many times that I think everything is well adjusted. It contains a few and relatively simple ingredients and the instructions are very easy to follow.
In a large bowl add, the lukewarm water and dissolve the fresh yeast. If you are using dry yeast this should be added in the step with the flour. Then add the flour, sugar and salt and mix together. Add the soft butter and knead everything well for 6-8 minutes. Cover the kneaded dough, set it aside and let it rise for about one hour.
After the first rising period; divide the dough into two pieces and roll them into 'sausages'. Divide each 'sausage' into eight equal sized pieces, which gives you a total of sixteen buns. Roll each of the sixteen pieces into balls and give them a gentle but firm press on the top to flatten them out. Dip the top side of the buns in a beaten egg and then in sesame seeds. Place the buns, with a little distance in between each other, on a parchment paper covered oven plate. Now cover all the buns will plastic foil and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
Finally, bake the buns for about 12-14 minutes at 220 C (430 F). Make sure to let them cool off a little bit before serving them.
The burger buns are best when they have cooled off a little bit. You can easily store the buns in an airtight container or plastic bag for about 2-3 days. Just reheat the buns in a toaster or in the oven for about 5-8 minutes at 200 C (400 F). You can also freeze the buns for up to 1-2 months. This way you have you own homemade burgers buns ready, when you are looking to make ham or cheese burgers for dinner.
Homemade Burger Buns (The Best Recipe)
16 burger buns
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours
Danish title: burgerboller
Category: bread
Ingredients:
5 dl (2 cups) lukewarm water
25 g (1 oz) fresh yeast
900 g (2 lb) all-purpose flour
50 g (2 oz) sugar
10 g (1/3 oz) salt
75 g (2 2/3 oz) soft butter
sesame seeds
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl; dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm water. If you are using dry yeast, skip this step.
2. Add the all-purpose flour, sugar and salt. Assemble the three ingredients a little before adding the soft butter. Then knead all the ingredients into a nice and smooth dough. The kneading time is about 6-10 minutes. If you are looking for little healthier and more filling buns, you can substitute 100 g (3.5 oz) of the all-purpose flour with 100 g (3.5 oz) of whole-wheat flour.
3. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and set it aside some place warm for about 60 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each of them into large 'sausages'. Now divide each 'sausage' into 8 pieces and shape them into round buns. Using your fingers to gently flatten each bun.
5. Prepare two deep bowls; one with a beaten egg and one with sesame seeds. First dip one side of the buns in the beaten egg and then in the sesame seeds. This coves the top of the burger buns with a nice layer of sesame seeds.
6. Place the sesame seed covered buns on an oven sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover the entire oven sheet with a large piece of plastic. Now let the buns rise for another 1 1/2 hours underneath the plastic.
7. Remove the plastic and bake the burger buns in the oven at 220 C (430 F) for about 12-14 minutes.
8. Let the buns cool off on an oven rack or similar.
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Bagels is just one of my favorite breakfast or lunch meals. I typically have them when I am traveling abroad - bagels are not that common in Denmark or the other Nordic countries. Even though, they are not that popular in my home country at the moment, I think that I see a trend that they start to become more and more popular. Especially, at the more trendy food places in and around Copenhagen and some of the other larger cities in Denmark.
I absolutely understand why more and more people in Denmark starts to like the piece of bread with a hole in the middle. I personally like them a lot, especially, when they are served with cream cheese, sliced Avocado, tomatoes and fried chicken filet - this is just such a great lunch meal.
I discovered Bagles at a Paris Trip
I have had bagels before several places around the world but it was the bagel I had in Paris at a vacation that had me convinced. One of the first things I made in my kitchen when I got back from that trip was homemade bagels. The recipe I used is the one I am sharing here on my blog.
The special thing about this recipe is that the bagels are cooked in boiling water for three minutes before they are baked in the oven. This process of cooking the bagels in water will give them a chewy feeling, which is one of the characteristic things with bagels. This chewy feeling is also the thing I like the most about bagels.
Perfect Topping for Bagles
I typically make my homemade bagels with all kinds of different toppings. Before baking the bagels in the oven, you simply brush them with a beaten egg and sprinkle them with your favorite topping. My personal favorite is white sesame seeds, fried sesame seeds, oats and cheddar cheese. However, I can also recommend pumpkin seeds, Chia seeds, sunflower seeds and so on.
As said above, my favorite way of serving a homemade bagel is when it is lightly toasted, smeared with cream cheese, chicken and topped with delicious avocado and other great vegetables. However, I can also highly recommend slices of smoked salmon or tuna. In general it is only up to yourself and your imagination.
Homemade bagels
16 bagels
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Category: bread
Ingredients:
50 g (2 oz) fresh yeast
8 dl (3.5 cups) lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
3 tsp salt
100 g (3.5 oz) rye flour (or 100 g/3.5 oz all-purpose flour)
100 g (3.5 oz) whole-wheat flour
1000 g (2.2 lb) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar (for the cooking)
1 beaten egg
Decoration:
sesame seeds
black sesame seeds
poppy seeds
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
oats
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl; dissolve the fresh yeast. If you are using dry yeast, add it with the flour in the next step.
2. Add the rye flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar and salt. Mix with a spoon.
3. Step wise; add the all-purpose flour. You might need a little more or less depending on the quality of the flour.
4. Knead the dough well, about 5-10 minutes. You can use a stand mixer.
5. Set the dough aside and let it rise for 30-40 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and shape them like round buns. Using one of your fingers to prick a hole in the center of the buns. Expand the hole a little making a circle with a diameter of about 2 cm (3/4 inch).
7. Set the bagels aside and let them rise for another 30-40 minutes.
8. Heat up water in a large pot and dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in it.
9. Cook the bagels in the hot water about 3 minutes on each side. After 1 1/2 minutes flip the bagels over to make sure both sides are cooked.
10. Let the bagels dry a little before brushing them with a beaten egg.
11. Sprinkle the bagels with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds or other types of seeds you prefer.
12. Place the bagels on an oven sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake the bagels at 200 C (400 F) for about 15-18 minutes.
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I am completely aware that the recipe I have here on this page and sharing with you, is traditionally very far from the Nordic kitchen. However, even though these American Buttermilk Biscuits is, as the named simply applies, originally from the states, that does not make them less delicious.
I have said it a couple of times here on my blog and on my social media channels; I really enjoy American food and in general love traveling in the states. The first time I tried an American Buttermilk Biscuit was on road trip I did on the west coast. I still remember it clearly, it was one morning at a McDonald restaurant where I was looking to get a super quick breakfast and of course use the free Internet top browse travelling trips for the day. At that time, the McDonald's in Denmark and the other Nordic countries did not serve breakfast, so I had never tried a Egg McMuffin before. The breakfast was not something special, but I instantly knew that I had to try making those Buttermilk Biscuits myself.
These biscuits are make from a few and simple ingredients, where the main ingredients are all-purpose flour, flakes of cold butter and of course buttermilk. What I really like about these biscuits are the fluffiness and the great and very delicious taste, which is probably from the buttermilk and the flakes of butter.
You can serve these biscuits toasted with some cold butter. However, I personally always use them as the buns with a fried egg, two crisp strips of bacon and a sheet of cheddar cheese in between - my personally and homemade Egg McMuffin. Of course, these biscuits, together with the bacon, cheese and eggs are not the most healthy breakfast combination. However, that do not change the fact that they are super delicious and one of my personal favorite weekend breakfast dishes.
Instructions
These buttermilk Biscuits are actually not that difficult to make yourself. There is just a couple of steps that you have to pay a bit attention too. In a large bowl, you start by gently assembling/kneading the flour, salt and thinly sliced and cold butter together. In this step, it is important that you do not knead too much and aggressive, this is to avoid that you apply to much heat into the dough and melting the butter. There should still be flakes of butter in the dough when it is assembled. These flakes of butter will give the nice layers in the baked biscuits, which we are looking for.
When the butter and the flour is assembled, you gently mix in the buttermilk and knead it all together. On the kitchen table; you flatten out the dough using your fingers, fold it one time and flatten it again. You should repeat this step a couple of times. Again, try avoiding applying to much heat into the dough.
The sheet of dough should have a final thickness of about 2.5 cm (1 inch) before you cut out nice circular biscuit using a biscuit cutter. You can also use a cup, glass or similar for the cutting step.
Place the circular biscuits on a parchment paper covered oven plate and bake them at 220 C (430 F) for about 10-12 minutes.
American Buttermilk Biscuits
3-4 people
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1.5 hours
Category: bread
Ingredients:
115 g (4 oz) cold butter
500 g (18 oz) all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
6 tsp baking powder
3 dl (1 1/3) buttermilk
Instructions:
1. Cut the cold butter in large flakes or sticks. Place the flakes on a plate and leave them in the fridge to cool down again.
2. While the butter is cooling down in the fridge; in a large bowl; mix the all-purpose flour with salt and baking powder.
3. Now mix then cold butter flakes with the flour-mixture; Use your fingertips to crumble the cold butter with the all-purpose flour. Continue until all the butter is turned into pea-sized bits.
4. Pour the buttermilk into the butter-flour mixture. Use a large wooden spoon or similar to assemble the ingredients into a dry but a little sticky dough.
5. Pour the dough onto your kitchen table; gently combine the dough into a large rectangle plate with a thickness of about 5 cm (2 inch).
6. In this step we create the nice layers in these biscuits; Start by folding the right side of the dough over the left side - like closing a book. Now pat the dough into a new rectangle with a thickness of about 5 cm (5 inch). Fold the dough again, this time from the bottom over the top. Continue this folding, patting and folding step several times. Each time the dough should start to hold a little more together.
7. Using a rolling pin to flatten out the dough. The thickness should be about 2-2.5 cm (3/4 - 1 inch).
8. Use a biscuit cutter or similar to gently cut out nice and circular biscuits. Try not to turn the cutting tool to much but only push it straight down into the dough. The diameter should be about 7-8 cm (3 inch).
9. Place the biscuits side-by-side on a parchment paper lined oven plate. Brush the top of the biscuits with a little buttermilk to give them a nice and golden color when baking them.
10. Bage the biscuits at 220 C (430 F) for about 10-12 minutes or until they are nice and golden.
11. Let the baked buttermilk biscuits cool off for a couple of minutes before eating them.
Tip: When you want to divide the biscuits into two pieces; break the biscuits and they should crack in the layers. You can freeze the unbaked biscuits for up to 3-4 months. Bring them to room temperature before baking them.
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