We don’t ever buy bread; Ian bakes all the bread we eat…well almost all.

Most of the bread Ian bakes is sourdough. Wonderful, hearty, wholegrain stuff with dark, beautiful crusts. The kind of bread you want to eat, slathered with butter, for a late-night snack. Unfortunately, this toothsome bread makes lousy burger buns. It has too much body, doesn’t give enough under the teeth. The burger ends up squishing out the sides of a bun made of Ian’s sourdough.

Which is where Mum’s Fluffy Buns come in. This is what the children call my light and soft burger buns. Still whole grain, but made with commercial yeast, and baked only until the centres are done. They are soft and yielding—perfect for burgers.

I wish I could give you a good recipe for them, but I don’t follow one, and I tend not to measure the ingredients I put in. Here’s a rough approximation. This yields enough buns for several meals—they freeze and reheat well. Of course, they don’t last long if they’re left out—the kids love snacking on them.

4 cups lukewarm water

scant tbsp yeast

scant tsp honey

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp ground flax seed

2-3 tbsp (25-40 g) butter

bread flour (high grade)

whole wheat flour (wholemeal)

Dissolve yeast in the warm water and allow to proof. Add honey, salt, butter and flax and stir until the butter is mostly melted. Add equal quantities of whole wheat and bread flour to make a dough of the right consistency for bread. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 10 minutes, until the surface springs back when touched. Work into a neat ball, and place in a greased or oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise about 2 hours. Punch down and divide into pieces of about 100-110 grams (about 3 ½ oz). Work each piece into a neat ball and flatten onto a greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise as the oven heats. Bake at 210°C (400°F) until just barely beginning to brown (maybe 15 minutes).