Bake the best buns in town

By Sari Huhtala

I know for some it’s a hard truth to swallow, but that all-beef patty on a white wheat bun is, well, a far cry from healthy, in spite of how many tomatoes you are piling on it. Fact is, conventional wheat not only sets us up for a wheat belly and weight gain, the hard-to-digest gluten wheat protein increases inflammation (which in turn increases pain for those with arthritis or existing conditions, depression for those susceptible, and the list goes on), and can set us up for a slew of health issues.

This spelt bun recipe is a crowd pleaser, and you needn’t even tell a soul that it’s healthy. Spelt, an ancient grain, is low in gluten and has a very easy-to-digest protein, so even most gluten sensitive people are able to consume it without incident. What’s more, its nutritional profile is so much better than wheat or whole wheat.

Try it on a vegan burger too!

Ingredients:

4 cups spelt flour (light spelt or whole grain if you prefer a grainier bread)

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ cups warm water

2 tbsp organic sugar

1/8 cup vegan butter, or butter

Optional: 1 egg (for brushing before baking)

Optional: sesame seeds

In a bowl combine 3 cups spelt flour, yeast and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together water, melted butter and sugar. Add liquid to flour mixture and blend well. Slowly add the last cup of flour and blend with a spoon to combine well.

Knead dough on a floured board for approximately one minute to smooth out dough. Place in a greased bowl, cover and set aside to rise for at least two hours. Dough will triple in size. Place risen dough onto a floured board and knead for a minute until smooth. Divide dough in half and shape into a ball, then roll out lengthwise slightly. Cut into 6 pieces, and place dough with cut side down onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet or a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of dough. Cover with tea towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until at least doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If desired, brush with beaten egg then sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until lightly golden.