Multi-Grain Buns

Many of us miss our multi-grain buns. After working with this recipe for awhile, I am happy to finally post it here online. I have had several taste-testers try this recipe and the reviews have been very positive! Even those who think that they don't like multi-grain buns (i.e. young children and teenagers) surprise themselves by reaching for a second helping of these.

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1 heaping tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup rolled buckwheat flakes (pulverized in a food processor, but still chunky)
2 tbsp rolled quinoa flakes (pulverized in a food processor, but still chunky)
1 tbsp millet seeds (pulverized in a food processor, but still somewhat chunky) (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp egg replacer (optional, but this will enhance the texture)
1 cup instant dry milk powder
1/3 cup dairy whey (sweet dairy whey) (optional, but this will enhance the texture)

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp room-temperature yeast

5 tbsp butter-flavoured shortening
1 cup hot water

2 room-temperature eggs plus 1 room-temperature egg white


Grease one 9" x 13" pan well with cooking spray. My preference instead is to prepare small round pans (about 4" across) or muffin tins with cooking spray. Recipe makes 12 buns when using a 9" x 13" pan and approximately 15 buns when using the tins. I find that Crisco spray doesn't brown as quickly, so I prefer it.

Combine the dry ingredients in the large bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer.

In a separate bowl stir the yeast into the 1 cup of warm water with the 1 tsp of sugar added, let dissolve and proof for 10-15 minutes.

Melt the shortening in 1 cup of hot water (1 minute in the microwave).

Separate your eggs into a bowl.

Pour shortening mixture into dry ingredients and begin to mix on low. Add the eggs and egg white and mix, then add the dissolved yeast mixture. Beat at the highest speed for 4 minutes. IF the mix now seems impossibly soft, slowly start adding in additional tapioca flour/starch (1 tbsp at a time) only until the dough reaches a consistency that can be rolled in your hands. You shouldn't need to add more, so definitely try not to add more than 1/4 cup extra. The mixture should be soft and barely hold its shape when rolled in your palms. Adding the least amount of extra tapioca starch needed to shape the buns will ensure that the final product will be tender. Mix any added flour into the mix very well.

Grease your hands WELL with cooking spray. You will need to respray your hands lightly between forming each of the buns. Scoop a spoonful into your palm and roll in your palms to form a ball. Pat the top of each bun down in the pan with your fingers to about 1" thickness in the pan to help them maintain a uniform thickness. Spritz the formed buns lightly with cooking spray and cover loosely with cooking spray. Let the buns rise in a warm place until they are about doubled in size.

Bake in a preheated 325F degree oven for 15 minutes until they are baked through (sometimes I only leave them in for 13-14 minutes) and lightly browned. Try not to overbake them, as this will keep them softer. Depending upon your oven you may need to cover them lightly with aluminium foil after the first 10 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Let cool for awhile in the pan before taking them out, so that they don't fall.

** To reheat these: I find that it works best to reheat them for just a few seconds in a plastic baggie/sandwich bag that has not been sealed shut until they are slightly warm (10-15 seconds for one bun). This makes them very soft and steams the buns inside of the bag with the moisture that is already in them. I also reheat these buns from a frozen state using the baggie method...it works great!