Recipe for easy cold-risen dumplings

Our cold-risen buns are often made with the same basic recipe: 500 grams of cold water, a little yeast, salt and honey. Stir together some seeds/kernels/oatmeal and some coarse flour, and then just wheat flour to a good consistency. It was only when the demand on Instagram really started that the recipe was measured, weighed and tested. And now we can finally share this recipe with you - and we can almost guarantee that it will give a good result! Perfect, crispy, juicy and just the right amount of coarse cold-risen buns that are as easy to make as they taste good.

TIP: Also try this recipe: sourdough buns and find my guide to starting sourdough.

No-knead buns

What makes this recipe for coarse buns especially easy is that the dough is completely knead-free! Yes, you can actually make the buns without getting dough on your fingers. The ingredients are mixed together in a bowl to a sticky dough, and the next day you can easily shape the buns using two spoons dipped in water. When you mix the dough together, you may be surprised that it seems quite wet and sticky. But don't worry! Since you are not shaping the buns by hand in the traditional way, it doesn't matter at all. The dough should seem like thick porridge, and when it has risen overnight, you will be able to shape buns that are not too runny. On the other hand, the moist dough will ensure that the buns will be juicy and remain that way even a few days after they are baked. 

TIP: Also try the recipe at rye bread or chocolate buns.

Ingredients for cold-risen thick buns

You can easily vary the ingredients for your cold-risen grooving buns depending on what you have in your cupboards. You can also make lighter and fluffier cold-risen buns, if you wish. Here is an overview of what you can replace:

• Honey: Instead of honey, you can use sugar or syrup. Cane sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or whatever you have on hand.
• Cores: We highly recommend using sunflower seeds, but pumpkin seeds are also excellent. You can also use chopped nuts as an alternative.
• Seed: As an alternative to flaxseeds, you can use sesame seeds or hemp seeds. Chia seeds are not recommended as they absorb too much liquid.
• Coarsely rolled oats: You can use rolled oats instead. They can also be replaced with more grains or seeds.
• Rye flour: gives a nice, sour taste, even though we don't add sourdough to the buns. You can use any type of coarse flour as an alternative.
• Wheat flour: You can replace wheat flour with other fine flours such as Manitoba or Island wheat. However, make sure it is not coarse, and choose flour with a high protein content.