Two Hour Whole Wheat Buns

I found the idea for this recipe in my favorite breads cookbook, but I completely adapted it to suit my tastes. Basically, that means I made it chock full of healthy grains and made it completely whole wheat and tasty enough for breakfast. These buns are tasty, hearty, and have a nice soft texture because they are baked side by side together in one pan. They are easy to pull apart, and are good as a side for dinner, or for breakfast spread with a little peanut butter, jam, or honey. And as the name suggests, they can be made completely from start to finish in less than two hours. Just like the bread recipe I featured on Saturday, the yeast in these buns is added directly into the dry ingredients. What really surprised me though, was that there is no sugar at all in the recipe to provide food for the yeast. I was afraid this wouldn't work, but the buns still rose, and since they are meant for dinner or you add your own sweet topping, you won't taste the missing sugar either. Here is my recipe version:

Two Hour Whole Wheat Buns
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup natural bran
2/3 cup ground flax seed
1 package (8 grams) instant quick-rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups water
2 - 2 1/2 cups additional whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, mix the first five dry ingredients. Mix the egg, oil, and water and add it to the dry mixture. Add another cup of flour and mix well. Add enough additional flour until a dough forms, kneading if necessary. Allow to rise for 15 minutes. 
Punch dough down, form into 24 egg-sized rolls. Place in a greased 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan and let rise for 45 minutes.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350◦F.