I don’t own a bread machine, but my parents do. It’s been languishing in their garage for years, a relic of the care-free, bread-filled days before the low-carb craze. Remember when bread machines were popular? When the convenience of popping in some ingredients and pushing a button to yield fresh bread sounded like the best thing ever?

Nowadays, most of us are over all that Atkins nonsense, and I daresay it’s time for bread machines to make a comeback. Chances are you or a close relative have one hiding somewhere in storage — time to drag it out and make some bread!

I’ve been using my parents’ machine solely for the “dough” setting — in 90 minutes, it creates a lovely, perfectly kneaded and risen batch of dough, ready to mold into a loaf, rolls, pizza, or whatever else I fancy. You can, of course, do the kneading and rising without a bread machine if you’re so inclined. Many recipes call for a stand mixer instead. Or, if you’re in need of some stress relief, knead the heck out of that dough by hand and see if you don’t feel better. Here’s a recipe using a stand mixer, and here’s one that requires kneading by hand.

And finally, here’s my bread machine-to-oven version. I used half whole wheat flour, and half all-purpose flour — any more whole wheat and the texture of the bread is seriously compromised. I’ve had lots of success using 100% whole wheat pastry flour in pastries, quick-breads, pancakes, and waffles, but yeast breads are more finicky. If anyone has a great recipe for a yeasted, 100% whole grain bread, let me know!

This brioche recipe makes eight killer hamburger buns — rich and eggy, they complement a lean burger or veggie patty especially nicely. Alternately, you can bake the dough as a single loaf, or divide it into sixteen pieces for dinner rolls or slider buns. Or, if you’re feeling really fancy, make brioche à tête in traditional fluted baking molds.

Whole Wheat Brioche Buns

makes 8 buns or 16 mini-buns or dinner rolls

3 large eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/3 C. 1% milk
3 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 envelope active dry yeast

for egg wash:

1 large egg
1 Tbsp. water

1. Place all ingredients in bread maker. Set on “dough” cycle.

2. When bread maker is finished with your dough, turn it out onto a floured board and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape them into buns and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size.

3. Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together to make an egg wash. Brush the buns with a light coating of egg wash, then bake them for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1 bun

Calories: 309 Fat: 13.8g Sodium: 395mg Carbs: 38.5g Fiber: 3g Protein: 8g