I’ve been really into cold proofing lately. It’s the ultimate breakfast baking method. The dough is prepared and fully shaped the day before and all that is left to do in the morning is baking the bread. It works especially well with little buns because they stop actively fermenting soon after they are placed in the fridge which prevents them from over fermenting and makes these types of recipes fail proof.
We’ve made cheesy breakfast buns and sweet berry filled ones topped with crumble. Now I wanted to make something heartier and healthier. This recipe contains 1/3rd whole wheat four along with seeds inside the bread and covering the top of it.
These soft and tasty buns will make perfect little sandwiches to start your day!
This recipe makes 5 buns.
Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.
Ingredients
For the dough –
200g (7oz) water
1 egg yolk
20g (0.7oz) melted butter
6g (0.21oz) salt
3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast
30g (1oz) sunflower seeds
100g (3.5oz) whole wheat bread flour
200g (7oz) white bread flour
To top –
1 egg white for glazing
Black & white sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.
The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.
If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.
Method
- Combine the water, egg yolk, melted butter, salt, yeast, sunflower seeds, and whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Whisk together. Add the white bread flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 23C (73F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust the room temperature fermentation time accordingly.
- Cover and ferment for 40 minutes.
- Fold.
- Ferment for 40 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. Shape into balls and place on a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Flatten the dough balls slightly. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle with seeds.
- Cover and cold proof for 12 – 24 hours.
- Let the dough warm up at room temperature for 15 – 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake at 180C (355F) fan on or 200C (390F) fan off for 20 – 25 minutes.
Leave to cool down slightly and make a delicious sandwich!
Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.
Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.
