Whole Wheat Burger Buns

These homemade vegan whole wheat burger buns are fluffy, soft and healthy, and they are perfect for that delicious veggie burger you just grilled up. Vegan, soy-free and nut-free recipe.

Summer is all about grilling, and you can't find a better bread to cradle that delicious veggie burger you just cooked up than this vegan and whole wheat burger bun.

This is an amazing bun: soft, fluffy, and it slices into half perfectly. You can make it either part whole-wheat or all-whole-wheat, and get a great result either way.

You can easily customize this recipe to get the right texture for your bun: soft, or slightly crusty. I'll show you how.

Sourdough lover? Try these sourdough hamburger buns.

Why you'll love this recipe

• The burger buns are so delicious and flavorful.
• They're half whole-wheat and so good for you.
• The texture is customizable. Make the buns softer or crustier, depending on how you like them.
• It's an easy recipe, you don't need to be a skilled baker--but follow instructions closely, especially if you are a new baker.
• These buns are great for warming up on the grill--sturdy, and you don't have to worry about them falling apart under your fingers, the way some buns do.

Top tips

• You need whole wheat flour for this recipe and you can use the regular whole wheat flour you can buy off the shelf or, if you have it, use a softer whole wheat like the durum whole wheat flour sold for rotis. That's because it is finer textured and will create a bun with a more delicate, softer crumb. The buns you see in the photo above were made with regular whole wheat flour and they are soft and fluffy and slightly crusty. The buns in the photo below (from when I posted this recipe earlier 10 years ago) were made with durum whole wheat flour). For softer buns, also check out further instructions in the FAQ section below.

How to make whole wheat burger buns

• Bloom the yeast: To make the burger buns, begin, as you will most bread recipes, by "blooming" the yeast in lukewarm water with a bit of sugar added in to feed the yeast. You need to wait five minutes and make sure the yeast bubbles and froths, indicating it's alive. If it doesn't, the yeast needs to be replaced.
• Sift in dry ingredients: Once the yeast has bloomed, sift in all the dry ingredients--flour, baking soda and salt. If the bran stays back in the sieve, just add it back in to the flour as you want it in there for a healthier bun.
• Knead the dough: Mix all the ingredients by hand or with a dough hook set to medium speed, then slowly trickle in the remaining lukewarm water until a soft, supple dough forms. You might not need all of the water depending on where you are and the weather outside. I usually use up all of the 1 ½ cups but this time I made the buns on a humid day and needed about 2 tablespoon less.
  You just need to knead the dough for three minutes once it comes together, then add the oil, mix it in until incorporated. Form the dough into a ball, put in in a covered bowl coated in oil and set it aside in a warm spot in your kitchen for two hours, during which time it should more than double.
• Shape the buns: Once the dough has risen, gently fold it over itself to deflate it. Form into a ball again, then divide into eight pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball. Place the buns on a baking sheet (preferably lined with parchment) side by side with at least two to three inches between each bun. You can flatten the tops of the buns slightly with your fingers, if you wish. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and return to a warm spot until the buns have doubled, about an hour and a half.
• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Sprinkle on the seed topping (optional): You can bake the buns as they are, but if you like a seed topping, make a mix of one teaspoon oil, one tablespoon nondairy milk and a quarter of a teaspoon of maple syrup in a bowl. Brush this on the top of each bun. The sprinkle on sesame or poppy seeds over the top of each bun.
• Bake the buns: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Let the buns cool thoroughly on a rack before eating.

Recipe FAQs

Vegan burger ideas

Recipe card

Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

These homemade vegan whole wheat burger buns are fluffy, soft and healthy, and they are perfect for that delicious veggie burger you just grilled up. Vegan, soy-free and nut-free recipe.

5 from 57 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Rise time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine Vegan

Servings 8 buns

Calories 188 kcal

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Baking sheet

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 ½ cups warm water (sub ½ cup water with nondairy milk for softer buns)
• 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil (sub with 1 tablespoon room temperature, softened vegan butter for softer crust)

Instructions

 

• Mix the sugar, ½ cup warm water and the yeast in a mixing bowl and set aside for five minutes or until the mixture starts to froth, indicating the yeast is alive and well.
• Sift all the flours, salt, and baking soda into the bowl. Knead on low speed in a stand mixer or by hand for about 3 minutes, trickling in 1 cup of water until you have a dough that's smooth and supple. You might not need all of the water.
• Add the oil and continue to knead until the oil has been absorbed by the dough, about 1 more minute.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning over once to coat all over with oil, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside in a warm spot for 1 ½ hours until the dough has more than doubled.
• Fold the dough over itself to deflate. Form into a ball again, then divide into 8 equal sized pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball.
• Place the buns on a baking sheet that's either been lightly greased or is lined with parchment. Space the buns at least a couple of inches apart. Flatten the tops slightly with your fingers, if you like. Cover the buns loosely with a kitchen towel and set them in a warm spot to rise for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 370 degrees.
• Before the buns go into the oven, you can sprinkle seeds on the tops of the buns if you like. To do this, mix 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon nondairy milk and ¼ teaspoon maple syrup in a bowl. Brush the tops with this mixture, then sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds on the tops.
• Place the buns in the oven and bake 25 minutes. Remove the buns to a rack and allow them to cool thoroughly before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1bunCalories: 188kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 361mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 2mg

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