With the turn of Autumn, starchy vegetables are making an entrance into my life again. It is once again the time of the potato; one of the glorious aspects of the Fall.
Ingredients
Buns
- 2 cups water, warm
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. active dry yeast
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. salt
Filling
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 2-4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 Tbsp. purple onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chickpeas, cooked
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Topping
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. purple onion, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
To make the buns
- Dissolve sugar in water
- Add yeast to water and set aside to bloom
- Once bloomed, add flours and salt in the same bowl and mix
- Mix until well-combined
- Let dough sit in bowl with damp towel on top to rise for 1-3 hours
- With a damp hand, pull dough and fold over 4-5 times to form a dough mass
- Form dough into a ball and let sit in bowl with damp towel to rise for another 1-3 hours
To make the filling
- Steam potatoes for 15 minutes or until fork-tender
- I use a steam basket over a pot of boiling water to steam
- Remove potatoes from steamer and mash in a medium bowl
- Add onion, garlic, beans, vinegar, lemon, and spices
- Mix to incorporate
- Let mixture cool slightly for ease of assembly
To make the topping
- Heat the oil in a saucepan on the stove at medium heat
- Add the onion, garlic, and spices to the pan to sauté
- Add the tomatoes and bell pepper
- Sauté mixture until tomatoes release their juices and the mixture reduces slightly
- Add salt and pepper to taste
To assemble
- Flour a kitchen surface (counter or cutting board) to roll out dough
- Divide dough into 6-8 pieces (less pieces will yield larger buns)
- Flatten the pieces into small pizza-like discs with a thicker crust on outer edge
- Spread filling over middle of buns
- Place topping in the middle of the discs
- Place buns on parchment sheet as oven preheats to 400°F
- Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until buns are golden brown
- Let rest for 10 minutes after taking buns out of oven
- Serve and enjoy