Vegan, Dairy Free
So the bread recipe is the same for both types of breads, it just depends on how you shape them.
Ever since embarking on this Zero Waste journey, I’ve been trying to find substitutes for everything. Everything. I mean that anything that comes in plastic, I either find it in alternative packaging, make it myself, or learn to live without it. Recently, we decided we wanted to make black bean burgers for dinner one night, but I refused to buy buns. So, I basically forced myself to make buns!
I had made baguettes earlier that week and though, “hmm, what if I use the same recipe, change it slightly, and change the shape?” Boom. Sandwich buns.
If you have trouble making bread, check out my bread making tips!
Now, onto the recipe!
Like any bread, you will want to add some sugar to warm water before adding the yeast and don’t forget to let the yeast prove. While the yeast gets foamy, mix your dry ingredients together in your stand mixer or just a mixing bowl if that is what you have. Once the yeast is nice and frothy (and it have been 5 minutes!) it’s time to add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
If you are using your stand mixer, turn it on your lowest speed and slowly pour in the yeast and the remaining water. If you are using a mixing bowl and spoon, make a well in the center, add the wet ingredients, and slowly fold them all together. If you’re feeling a bit lazy or have kids and other things to juggle, make sure your stand mixer is locked down and you attached the bread hook and let that baby do the dirty work for you (as long as the mixture is not too wet or too dry). If you want to go the old-fashioned way, you can dump the incorporated mixture onto a flour surface and give it some elbow grease. Either way, this step needs to be done for five minutes.
After that five minutes is up (if you think that is tough you should try my bagels), throw the dough ball into a greased bowl, toss it around so it gets evenly greased, and let it prove for thirty minutes in a warm environment (see my tip for this here).
After that thirty minutes it up, punch down the dough and plop it onto a floured surface (great, now I have to wipe off the counter again). You’ll want to split the dough into 8 even(ish) pieces for the buns or two log sized pieces for the baguettes.
I just cut the dough into eights but you can totally weigh it out if you want to be more precise. Shape the dough into nice little dough balls, as smooth as possible, and score them in a cross fashion if you wish. Now, set them onto a greased pan and (you guessed it) and let them rise in a warm environment for thirty more minutes (check out my other awesome tip here) and preheat your over to 450F.
Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: baking time. Once the buns have double in size, you can brush them with vegan butter and top with seasonings or seeds or you can leave them plain, totally up to you. Once they are to your liking, throw them in the oven for 15-25 minutes. I know this seems like a long gap of time but it all depends on the heat of your oven, how dry your climate is, and how dark you like them. I typically like to hang around the twenty minutes range but, again, this process if up to you and how you like your buns.
Once they’re done (they will be golden in color on the top and bottom), remove them from the oven, let them sit on the sheet pan to cool slightly (5-10 minutes) and them move to a cooling rack to continue cooling to prevent the bottoms from getting soggy. Store in an airtight container for 4-7 days. I keep mine in the fridge since I live in a very humid climate.
If you want the more technical recipe, please see below:
Sandwich buns/Baguettes
Vegan, Dairy Free
Yield: 8 Buns or 2 Baguettes
Prep Time/Rise Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Baking Time: 15-25 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Ingredients:
- 1.5 tbsp of yeast
- 2 tsp sugar, divided
- ½ plus 1 cup of water, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups of flour (I use half whole wheat, half all purpose)
Directions:
1. Add 1 tsp sugar to ½ cup of water; make sure it is dissolved, add the yeast, let rise for 5 minutes
2. While that is proving, in the bowl of your stand mixer (see above for other options), add the flours, salt, and remaining sugar and other seasonings if you desire
3. After the yeast has become frothy, turn the mixer on low and slowly add the yeast mixture. Slowly add the remaining water as well until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough looks too sticky, add some flour to compensate
4. Either let your mixer do the work for 5 minutes or dump onto a floured surface and knead by hand for the same amount of time
5. Add the combined dough to an oiled bowl, coat the dough in oil, cover the bowl in a thin and damp towel and let rise for thirty minutes or until doubled
6. After that, punch the dough down and shape into 8 sandwich buns (eyeball it or measure it, up to you). Roll into nice spheres and score them in a cross if you choose. Place onto a greased baking sheet, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for thirty minutes or until doubled
7. While they rise, preheat the oven to 450F/235C. After they have doubled, remove the towel and bake for 15-25 minutes (see notes above) until golden brown on top and bottom.
8. Remove from oven, let cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool. Enjoy them now or store on the counter top or in the fridge (no, they don’t get hard) for 4-7 days (depending on the climate you live in).
I hope you enjoyed this recipe and that it helps your zero waste/vegan journey or just your life in general be more delicious.
Please leave any questions, comments, or concerns down below and thanks for reading!
