Sourdough Vegan Burgers
Veganism has become a very popular lifestyle recently and it seems it is not going anywhere anytime soon. With the growing concerns of animal welfare and environmental issues directly associated with animal agriculture, many choose to adopt this way of living. I am no food expert nor a vegan, so I am not going to discuss any further about veganism, but as a baker I have to take things like this into consideration when developing recipes. I love a good challenge and creating the perfect burger without using animal products or by products seems like the perfect project to undertake.
My Dad turned a vegetarian when we were small and I remember how my Mom found creative/alternative ways to include protein in his diet. Luckily he is an ovo-vegetarian so yes eggs were his savior.
It's not just about the nutrients, but taste as well. Vegetables are actually packed full of flavor, if you know how to cook them in such a way that you bring out the best in them. I am lucky that I got to learn exactly how to do that, as Sri Lankan cuisine is all about letting vegetables shine.
So back to the burgers, The first hurdle is the bun. Well, I know my sourdough burger buns recipe can be easily converted to a vegan one. You can omit the egg and replace any milk or butter with it's plant based counterparts. However, the resulting bun may be a little drier and lack taste. So to fix this, I have replaced some flour(and water) with boiled mashed potatoes. This resulted in a fluffier bun with a softer(yet with a good byte)crumb.
Check out the soft crumb
Following is the recipe, if you want to see the process of making these, it is similar to Sourdough Burger Buns . So check the step by step pictures in that post to get an idea. If you have already made burger buns before, then just follow the same process using the following recipe as a guide.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Peal and mash the potatoes (you can use a potato ricer)
- 2
Place everything except for the water in to a bowl ( or bowl of a stand mixer)
- 3
Start mixing and add water gradually
- 4
When everything starts to come together, continue to mix until a dough is developed
- 5
This dough might be a little sticky
- 6
If too sticky add some flour or let it rest for 10 minutes
- 7
Then mix/knead for another minute or two on medium speed
- 8
Dump the dough onto a floured surface and finish off kneading by hand
- 9
Use slap and fold motion
- 10
Use a little flour to help if necessary
- 11
Mold into a smooth dough ball and place in a lightly greased bowl
- 12
Cover and place in a warm place for bulk fermentation
- 13
This may take about 4 hours or longer in a cooler place
- 14
Once dough is almost double in size, punch it down
- 15
Round up the dough to a tight ball place in the same bowl, cover tightly and place in the fridge until next day
- 16
Next morning, take the bowl out and let it thaw for about an hour until the dough is soft
- 17
Then divide in to 8 equal pieces
- 18
Let these rest for 10 minutes and shape in to rolls
- 19
Once shaped, place on a lined tray and press rolls lightly to flatten a bit
- 20
Cover and leave in a warm place again until they are doubled in size
- 21
This may take about 4 – 5 hours
- 22
Then preheat the oven to 425 F or 220 C
- 23
Place a baking stone if you have one, this is optional, but would give better oven spring
- 24
Once the oven is ready, brush the tops with plant milk or black tea(room temp) and sprinkle with sesame seeds and
- 25
Place the tray in the oven
- 26
Spray a little water using a spay bottle (use whatever method you usually do to get steam)It’s okay to note have steam
- 27
Bake for about 15 minutes and check
- 28
Reduce temp. to 400 F and bake for a further 5 minutes. Rotate the tray if necessary
- 29
Once baked, let the buns cool on a rack
Notes
If using fresh young jackfruit, steam or cook(boil) them until very soft before using in the recipe. make sure to remove the thick outer skin and the core. Use only the shred-able flesh bits.
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