In these soft buns, a savory mix of seeds and spices adds flavor to the dough and crunch to the topping. They're great-tasting on their own but versatile (and sturdy) enough to handle any number of fillings, from hamburgers to veggie burgers to barbecue.
To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead them, by hand, mixer, or bread machine, to make a soft dough. (Dough will be sticky.)
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for an hour, until it's almost doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, flatten it slightly, and divide it into 6 pieces, each weighing about 3 1/2 to 4 ounces.
Roll each piece into a ball.
Place balls into the greased cups of a hamburger bun pan, flattening gently.
Cover and let rise until the buns have doubled in size. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the buns for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, brush with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with seed topping; do this quickly, or the seeds won't stick!
Return the buns to the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.
