Mom's Famous Whole Wheat Piggy Buns
Here’s what you’ll need:
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 packages of rapid rise instant yeast (or 1/2 teaspoon)
1 Tablespoon of gluten powder
1/4 cup of malted milk powder
1 cup of whole wheat flour
4 to 5 cups of bread flour, divided
1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick), softened
1 egg, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups warm tap water
Start by combining the sugar, salt, yeast, gluten, malted milk powder, whole wheat flour and 3 cups of bread flour in a large mixing bowl. I used my big KitchenAid mixer, since it’s got a big deep bowl and a bread hook. (I prefer to make the mixer do all the work. I’m lazy like that.) Using the mixer paddle, mix the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. Add the butter, egg and water; beat on low speed until combined. Stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl, and continue beating on medium speed for 5 minutes. It will be sticky.
After 5 minutes, stop the mixer and remove the paddle attachment. Replace it with the dough hook, turn mixer to low speed, and gradually add additional bread flour until the dough forms into a soft ball. Allow the mixer and dough hook to knead the dough at low speed for an additional 8-10 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface. Scrape the dough out onto the floured surface, and gently knead the dough into a smooth, gorgeous dough ball.
Spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray (or butter/oil it lightly) and place your dough ball in the center. Lightly spray or oil the surface of your dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean, dry towel and set aside to let it rise until doubled in size (approximately one hour).
Once your dough ball has doubled, remove the plastic wrap and using your fingertips, gently punch down the dough.
Dump it onto a lightly floured work surface and divide the dough into 24 pieces.
Tip: we used a bench scraper to divide it in half, then each half into half, etc. (like those old Faberge shampoo commercials, if you’re old enough to remember them – you’ll tell 2 friends, and they’ll tell 2 friends…).
Once you have 24 equal pieces, form each piece into a round ball.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, flatten each ball into about a 1/4″ thick circle.
Place the circles onto baking sheets, about 1/2″ to 1″ apart. I used large insulated cookie sheets with non-stick silicone mats. I love those silicone mats. Best thing since slice bread, I think.
Now here’s the fun part: using a biscuit cutter approximately 1 1/2″ to 2″ in diameter and a fat wooden skewer, a chopstick, or a round wooden spoon handle, start to create your piggy faces. Feel free to unleash your inner arteest.
Step One: form the nose by pressing the cutter just below the imaginary center line in a full circle halfway into the dough (don’t cut all the way through!).
Step Two: turning the cutter at a 45 degree angle, cut a half circle creating a piggy smile. Pigs are so much cuter when they’re friendly, don’t you think?
Step Three: holding the cutter at a 45 degree angle, cut in each ear.
Step Four: using a fat skewer, chop stick, or the round handle of a wooden spoon, gently press in two eyes and two holes to form the snout.
If you’re wondering if you could make these 3-D, the answer is YES! Big Sis made one just to see how it would turn out. It takes a little more work to shape the dough, and you have to wet it a little to make it stick, but you can make a 3-D snout and ears for your piggy. Pretty cute, huh? Pays to be an art major… metaphorically speaking, of course.
Allow your precious piggy buns to rise an additional 15-20 minutes while your oven pre-heats to 375 degrees. You want your piggies to be portly… plump… chubby… uh, big-boned… healthy? You get the picture.
Bake one tray at a time for approximately 15-20 minutes or until your piggy buns start to turn a light, beautiful brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Did I mention these smell heavenly when they’re baking?
Once they are completely cooled, you can store them in freezer bags or containers in your refrigerator or freezer. Of course, there’s no hard and fast rule on how long they have to cool before you eat one. I can neither confirm nor deny that one of these bad boys died violently right after coming out of the oven.
But he was delicious.
These little piggy buns are cute and versatile. They make fabulous French toast, and are yummy toasted on a griddle and slathered with butter and honey or jam for breakfast. They’d make cute ham sandwiches this Easter. They make excellent pulled pork sandwich buns, as I’ve said before. And tonight, the Complete Package and I are making Squealer Burgers with them for dinner. Ever had a squealer? It’s easy. You just grind bacon into your hamburger meat, then shape and cook them like any other burger (although I don’t recommend medium rare here). Mmmm….juicy, smoky, moist. And perfect on a piggy bun.
However you choose to consume them, these little piggies are sure to be a hit. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Mom. You’re a baking rock star. Stay tuned, kids…later this week I’ll be sharing The Complete Package’s Steak Sandwiches with soy ginger mayo (to…die…for) and Big Sis’s gorgeous Rainbow Cupcakes. Better break out the yoga pants and Diet Coke right now because you’re going to want to make all of these. Fo’ shizzle.
Inside NanaBread's Head 
How very clever! You have way too much time on your hands Miz Nana! Pat
Someone needs to share the creative side of my family with the world. Might as well be me, right? Besides…I think Mom should get bonus points for creativity AND deliciousness. It’s a wicked combination.
I can’t get over how cute these things are…I have a thing about pigs and I love the irony of eating pork sandwiches on these buns! Thanks for sharing the tutorial, I’m definitely trying these. :)
Thank you! I’m all about the irony, too! Loved these buns with pulled pork at Hoegarden, and they made excellent buns for tonight’s squealer burgers. Next up – ham & cheese!
These are too adorable. Thank your mom for the wonderful tutorial. And Squealer Burgers sound delicious!
Will do, Amy! And squealer burgers ARE delicious. Especially on a piggy bun. Mmmmm….
Thanks for posting the recipe and steps!
I’m going to make sure the eyes holes go all the way through so BBQ will ooze out when people eat their sandwiches. I blame you! Ha!
That one made me laugh out loud! Be sure to take photos of your guests and the horror on their faces. Please!!
Actually, looks of horror are the usual norm when I cook.
Kidding…sorta. Snort…Snort!
Very funny. I don’t exactly get “squeals” of delight when I cook, either, unless I decide to go “whole hog” and really do it up right.
Buh-dump-bump. I’ll be here all week. Try the veal!
Missed ya, Nanabread! Although I don’t fault you at all for hitting every antique shop within a 50 mile radius. A gal’s gotta have priorities, and clearly, yours are in order.
I am SO making piggy buns this weekend!! I love the idea of serving pulled pork on them. Giggle-giggle. I am not above serving pork with my pork.
But on to more important things…be still my beating heart!! Is that a Holstein cow-print apron?! If so, I must have one! :)
It was a glorious week, and I really, really enjoyed my time with my Mom and sisters. I hope you’ll post a photo or story on your piggies when you’re done. I’d love to see them. I’m sure it would work with any bread dough recipe, but I enjoy mom’s wheat bun dough. It’s yummy. I’m thinking of re-working them as bunny buns for the grandkids this Easter. Could be fun.
And YES! That is a Holstein cow-print apron in the photo, but alas – it’s not for sale, that I know of. That’s a hold over from Super Bowl 38 that was played here in Houston. I was working at the stadium at the time, and we wore those aprons for a pre-game VIP party. If I run across some Holstein fabric, though, I’d be happy to whip one up for you. I’ll let you know if I find some!
Believe me, once I make piggy buns, they will make an appearance on my blog. How could they not, after all? I found Holstein fabric once, and made our huge picnic blanket with it. Now I am wishing that I bought more of the fabric when I had a chance, because I can’t find it anymore.
These are too cute!! Bugaboo would love these. He brought home a pig’s snout the other day from daycare, the kind where you put string over your head and wear snout over your nose… he gets the biggest kick out of me wearing it and walks around the house saying “oink oink” He is the only man in my life I would ever let say “oink” to me or wear a pig’s snout for, lol. That is one of those things that when he gets older I will give a lecture about what happens in the house, STAYS in the house! :)
I have too many things I want to try this weekend that I have seen in blogs today… piggies… mod podge… PW veggie lasagna… I love the blogging world! I wish I could be a professional blog reader… get paid to read blogs… now that would be the perfect job!!
I agree! If I could get paid to read other blogger’s sites, I’d be rich. But I love them. They inspire me. A perfect example is Andrea’s rainbow tie-dyed cupcakes from the “Can You Stay for Dinner” blog. I’m working on a story inspired by them right now. Big Sis made her version this week, and we photographed the entire session, like the piggy buns. Can’t wait to share how she did it. They’re awesome. I’d love to see Bugaboo’s face when he sees Piggy Buns. That ought to get a squeal out of him! He’s such a little cutie patootie. If you get around to making them, you’ll have to send me a photo of him with one!
OMG. Using those as sandwich buns is HYSTERICAL! Did I mention that I love seeing a bun-animal that isn’t a Mickey Mouse-type arrangement? Because there’s that too :)
No Mickey Mouse food antics here, Kat. Just pure hysterical food/animal irony. And that’s the way… uh huh, uh huh…we like it!
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I’m just trying these now, and they SMELL fantastic – they are meant to be gifts, but family is lining up outside the kitchen!!! Knew they would be good- you posted this originally on my birthday!
Hooray! I hope everyone loves them. I’ll have to let Mom know you made her piggy buns. She’ll be tickled to pieces. And happy (really) belated birthday, Bonita! -jeanne