Impressive 7-Grain Bread Recipe for Burger Buns (Bread Machine)
Sneak Peek: This impressive 7-Grain Bread Recipe for Burger Buns (Bread Machine) will make your next sandwich more enjoyable and memorable. Seven-grain cereal gives these buns all kinds of wonderful multi-grain flavors.
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Want to know how to make an unforgettable but somewhat healthier burger bun? Try these 7-Grain Bread Buns you can mix up with a bread machine.
I used these multi-grain buns to make barbecue sandwiches for a Rangers baseball game last summer. Weeks later, my husband was still raving about the buns and requesting a repeat performance. Of course, he had no idea his sandwich contained whole grains.
That’s how homemade buns can make a sandwich memorable.
Although designed for a bread machine, this recipe can be made in a stand mixer or by hand. See the directions in the recipe note.
As usual, I mix the dough for this recipe in my bread machine. I don’t bake them in the machine. I only use it to mix and knead the dough.
You might try it if you have a bread machine and/or delight in eating homemade bread that is perfectly mixed and kneaded with little effort and time on your part.
If you are a new bread machine user or somebody who thought they didn’t like bread machines, please check out my previous posts about using a bread machine.
What is a “7-grain cereal mix”?
Don’t let the 7-grain mix scare you away. Substitute the same amount of bread flour, whole wheat flour, or wheat bran if you prefer.
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I buy Bob’s Red Mill 7 Grain Hot Cereal mix. It contains wheat, rye, triticale, oats, oat bran, barley, rice, and flaxseed. All 7-grain cereals do not contain the same grains.
7-Grain cereal is not always easy to find. Try Target, Whole Foods, or any grocery store with an organic food section (See the link below to order online.)
This recipe is a variation on my Potato-Cheese Rolls which I love because the rolls naturally stay fresh longer because of the potatoes. If you prefer a simple white bun without whole grains, check out these Perfected Potato Hamburger Buns made in a Bread Machine.
Ingredients and possible substitutions:
7-GRAIN CEREAL: Be sure to buy 7-grain cereal that you must cook before eating. We’re not talking about dry cereal that comes in a box designed to be poured straight into a bowl with a little milk. Stores with bulk bins are a good place to buy small amounts. You can also use 12-grain cereal.
MILK: Use any type of milk you have on hand. The higher the fat content, the richer and more delicious the buns (just my opinion).
I don’t heat the milk for my bread recipes anymore. However, the hot milk in this particular recipe serves the same purpose as boiling water–to soften the 7-grain cereal. The process is similar to softening wheat berries for my Cracked Wheat Berry Bread. Let the milk-soaked cereal mixture in the bread machine pan cool for a few minutes before adding the remaining dough ingredients.
EGG: This recipe was written for a large egg. If you only have medium eggs, add extra liquid. If you want to leave the egg out completely, try substituting the equivalent amount of milk or cream.
SUGAR: Granulated sugar is specified. Brown sugar or honey would also be suitable.
SALT: Use table or sea salt. If using Kosher salt, add at least a quarter of a teaspoon more.
BUTTER: Substitute 1:1 margarine, shortening, or vegetable oil.
Many recipes tell you to add butter at room temperature. But here’s a trick for you.
📌Chop cold butter into tiny pieces. I use a butter knife to chop it right there on the butter wrapper. No need to wait for the butter to warm up because the friction of the paddles will melt the butter quickly as they knead the dough.
FLOUR: Bread flour is important in this recipe because of the non-gluten 7-grains cereal and the potatoes. All-purpose flour doesn’t have enough oomph to lift these ingredients into a nicely textured sandwich bun. If you can only get all-purpose flour, you might want to add a tablespoon or two of vital wheat gluten to shore up the rise.
YEAST: I use nothing but instant, rapid-rise, or bread machine yeast. (They are all instant yeast.) Active dry yeast can be substituted. See the notes at the end of the recipe for directions.
SEED TOPPING: I like poppy seeds and sesame seeds. “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning would be perfect, too. Flax seeds, chia seeds, or sunflower seeds are another option.
MASHED POTATOES: I like to use leftover mashed potatoes as opposed to difficult-to-find potato flour or bland-tasting instant potatoes. The salt, pepper, butter, and milk added when making everyday mashed potatoes seems to make these rolls even better.
Because I tend toward spur-of-the-moment baking, I freeze any leftover mashed potatoes passing through my kitchen into half-cup portions as seen in the picture below. They only need to defrost in the microwave before they go into my bread machine.
If you don’t have leftovers, cook a peeled potato in the microwave with a little bit of water, mash it with a fork and add a little bit of milk. Or make mashed potatoes with instant potatoes.
FAQ about this 7-Grain Bread Recipe:
Yes. After the DOUGH cycle ends, transfer the dough to a floured surface. Shape the loaf by rolling the dough into a rectangle shape. Roll into a cylinder. Seal the seam and turn the ends toward the seam (pictures here). Drop the dough into an 8½ x 4½ inch loaf pan seam-side down.
Let rise until almost double. Bake at 375˚F (190˚C) until the internal temperature reaches 190-200˚F. After cooling for 15 minutes, remove the bread to a cooling rack for an hour before slicing.
“Multigrain bread is made of several types of grains. None of these grains may be whole. Whole grain bread contains the entire grain and its three edible layers — the bran, the endosperm and the germ. Whole grain bread may include a variety of grains and therefore be considered multigrain.“– Gold Medal Flour
Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Whole grains tend to go rancid faster than all-purpose or bread flours.
P.S. If you need a quick lesson in making perfect dough balls for burger buns, watch the video below.
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately to Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon! Paula
Multi-Grain Bread Machine Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
Dough:
- ½ cup 7-grain mix - 82 gr
- ⅔ cup milk - 151 gr
- 1 large egg - 50 gr
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar - 24 gr
- 1 teaspoon table or sea salt - 6 gr
- ¼ cup butter - (chopped into small pieces) 57 gr
- ½ cup well-seasoned mashed potatoes - 125 gr
- 2½ cups unbleached bread flour - 300 gr
- 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast - 6 gr
Glaze:
- 1 large egg - 50 gr
- 1 tablespoon water - 14 gr
- Poppy seeds and sesame seeds
Instructions
- Pour ½ C 7-grain mix into the bread machine pan. Heat ⅔ C milk in the microwave on HIGH power for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Pour the hot milk over the cereal in the pan. Let the milk cool for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 egg, 2 T granulated sugar, 1 t table or sea salt, ¼ C butter, and ½ C mashed potatoes to the other ingredients already in the bread machine pan.
- Add 2½ C bread flour and last, 2 t yeast.
- Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
- Check the dough at least twice during the mixing and kneading phase by lifting the lid to take a peek. The first time, look immediately after the machine starts mixing to ensure the paddles are engaged correctly. Look again 15 minutes into the DOUGH cycle to assess the consistency of the dough. For most recipes, the dough should stick to the side, then pull away cleanly.If your dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time.Conversely, if the dough is too dry, add one tablespoon of liquid at a time until the dough looks just right. Read more about this surprising secret to success with a bread machine here.
- When the dough cycle finishes, check the dough. Test with two fingers. The indentation should fill in slowly. If it fills in immediately, leave the dough to rise until doubled in size and passes the indentation test.
- When ready, transfer the dough from the bread machine pan onto a floured surface. Divide into 8 or 10 portions and form into balls. Place the balls on a prepared baking sheet (greased or lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper). Let the balls relax for 15 minutes. Severely flatten balls with the palm of your hand, a meat flattener, or a clear flat-bottom bowl or plate to keep your buns from being too thick in the middle. Use a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the balls to prevent sticking.
- Allow buns to rise until puffy. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Make the glaze by whisking 1 egg and 1 T water together in a small bowl. Brush the tops and sides of the buns being careful not to let the glaze drip onto the tray. Sprinkle with seeds.
- Bake in a preheated 375˚F (190˚C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190˚F (88˚C).
Video
Notes
- To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer: Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.