ugly but good buns

dense, seedy wholemeal buns

these are unapologetically ugly bread rolls, dense with wholemeal flour and sunflower seeds

they’re hefty, filling, and the perfect vehicle for any bridge odds and ends which is perfect for this time of year where my lunches at home tend to be a fridge raid sandwich

yields 10 buns

ingredients

250g wholemeal flour

250g plain flour

5g instant yeast

10g salt

350g lukewarm water

50-100g sunflower seeds

method

add the wholemeal flour (250g), plain flour (250g), yeast (5g), salt (10g), and water (350g) to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook fitted

knead on low speed until a supple dough forms, about 10 minutes

pour over the sunflower seeds (50-100g) and mix in

cover and let rise at room temperature for an hour

divide evenly into ten pieces and roll into buns

flatten each bun, then transfer to a lined baking tray

cover again and let rise for 45 minutes

towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 180°C

immediately before putting them into the oven, slash the buns in a cross pattern

bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown

let cool completely then store in an airtight container

best eaten toasted (with a fat slab of butter, as below)