Buns Recipe Dough

EASY QUICK BUNS

Steps:

• Mix 2 C flour& yeast in a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, heat milk, water, oil, sugar& salt to lukewarm in microwave.
• Add all at once to flour mixture and beat till smooth. (Approx 2 mins in a Kitchenaid stand mixer).
• Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough (2 - 2 1/2 Cups).
• Mix well until dough is soft and slightly sticky, then turn out onto floured surface and let rest under a large greased bowl for about 15 minutes.
• Shape dough into 12-15 small balls and place on greased baking sheet to rise until doubled in size. (approx 45 Mins).
• Bake in preheated 400 degree oven 12-15 minutes.

SOFT SANDWICH BUNS (DOUGH HOOK MIXER VERSION)

Steps:

• Combine milk, sugar, butter, and salt in small saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until butter melts. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• Combine 1 cup bread flour, egg, yeast, and milk mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; beat at lowest speed for 1 minute. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Add 2 3/4 cups bread flour; mix at next-to-lowest speed until dough cleans sides of bowl and sticks to dough hook, about 2 minutes.
• Place in lightly greased bowl, cover, and let raise in warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, punch down to get out air bubbles, and shape into rolls, placing rolls onto 2 lightly greased baking sheets. Cover with waxed paper and let rise for another 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Brush tops of buns with melted butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

MY MOM'S HOMEMADE BREAD & BUN RECIPE (NO BREAD MAKER)

Steps:

• In small bowl place the following ingredients:.
• 1 cup warm water.
• yeast and 2 tbsp white sugar (DO NOT STIR).
• let stand for 10 minutes.
• In large mixing bowl do the following steps.
• Place 8 cups warm water in bowl.
• Place remaining 2 tbsp sugar in water.
• Place 4 tbsp margarine or veg. oil in water.
• Place salt in water.
• Add 6 cups flour one at a time and mix as you are adding. Making sure to remove any lumps. Should be smooth before adding next cup.
• Pour Yeast mixture in other bowl that you set aside into mixture.
• Mix until smooth.
• Continue to add flour mixing thoroughly until dough is sticky and forms a ball (note you will have to use your hands to mix it after its too tough to mix with a spoon. It should take only about a maximum of 17 cups of flour.
• Take dough out of bowl and place on a flat clean dry surface which was sprinkled with about 1/2 cup of flour. Knead dough with hands for about 15 minutes or so. Dough should be soft and feel light to to touch. TIP: To prevent the dough from sticking to your hands a lot rub vegetable oil on them or take a piece of margarine and rub it into your hands then continue to knead dough. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR! It will make your bread dough TOO HEAVY! if you do.
• Separate dough in half. Place each half in a bowl. Place a light towel over it and let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
• FOR BUNS: Take about the size of a baseball of dough in your hand roll into a ball and place it on an ungreased cookie sheet. Let rise for another 1/2 hour or until buns are double in size. For buns to rise tall place them close together almost touching. Bake at 375°F.
• FOR LOAVES: Take a large amount of dough and roll into a roll dough should not take up more than half of the loaf pan. Make sure dough roll is even or you will end up with a lopsided loaf or narrow loaf. Let rise for 1 to 2 hours. Or until Dough is nicely formed above the rim of the loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until golden brown. To test to see if done knock on top of the loaf. If it sounds hollow it is completed baking. It will be a dark golden brown color when finished.
• Take Loaves out of oven and take them IMMEDIATELY OUT OF THE PANS upside down. (If you leave them till cooled in pans what happens is the bottom crust gets soggy from the condensation). Brush melted butter over top of loaves to prevent from drying out.
• Yield: 4 loaves 2 dozen buns.
• Depends on size.
• TIP: This bread dough is great for anything such as pizza crusts, cinnamon buns, take a bit and roll it out thin and place it in a frying pan with a little oil and fry it and serve with jam or peanut butter.

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER BUNS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Place yeast into bowl of a large stand mixer; whisk in 1/2 cup flour and warm water until smooth. Let stand until mixture is foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Whisk 1 egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt thoroughly into yeast mixture. Add remaining flour (about 3 cups).
• Fit a dough hook onto stand mixer and knead the dough on low speed until soft and sticky, 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape sides if needed. Poke and prod the dough with a silicone spatula; if large amounts of dough stick to the spatula, add a little more flour.
• Transfer dough onto a floured work surface; dough will be sticky and elastic but not stick to your fingers. Form the dough lightly into a smooth, round shape, gently tucking loose ends underneath.
• Wipe out stand mixer bowl, drizzle olive oil into the bowl, and turn dough over in the bowl several times to coat surface thinly with oil. Cover bowl with aluminum foil. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
• Transfer dough to a floured work surface and pat to flatten bubbles and form into a slightly rounded rectangle of dough about 5x10 inches and about 1/2 inch thick. Dust dough lightly with flour if needed. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a round shape, gently tucking ends underneath as before.
• Use your hands to gently pat and stretch the dough rounds into flat disc shapes about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange buns about 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Dust buns very lightly with flour. Drape a piece of plastic wrap over the baking sheet (do not seal tightly). Let buns rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat 1 egg with milk in a small bowl, using a fork, until mixture is thoroughly combined. Very gently and lightly brush tops of buns with egg wash without deflating the risen dough. Sprinkle each bun with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on top, 15 to 17 minutes. Buns will stick together slightly where they touch. Let cool completely, tear the buns apart, and slice in half crosswise to serve.

BURGER OR HOT DOG BUNS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until very warm, 120 degrees F (50 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
• For Hot Dog Buns: Shape each piece into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly, and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 20 to 25 minutes. Bake as above. These buns are pretty big. I usually make 16 instead of 12.

MOM'S HOMEMADE BUNS

Steps:

• In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the warm water, yeast and sugar.
• Let sit for 10 minutes or until bubbly -- this is how you know your yeast is working. This step is technically not required when using instant yeast, but I do it always anyways, so that I know my buns will be a success.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a very large bowl if you are kneading by hand), whisk together the 2 cups warm water, butter, 1/3 cup sugar and salt.
• Add the bubbly yeast mixture and stir to combine.
• Place the bowl in the stand mixer and put the dough hook on the machine. You can also knead by hand.
• Add the flour, one cup at a time, and mix until nearly combined before adding more. You can use all purpose or whole wheat or a combination. Start with 4-5 cups flour, mixing until each is incorporated.
• The closer you get to your dough being ready, the less flour you will add at once. We want a smooth, soft dough, never stiff, so we need to watch and stop adding flour at just the right moment.
• Add up to 6-7 cups flour total, very gradually at the end, until the dough comes together in a smooth, soft ball and does not stick to the sides of the stand mixer. When you touch it, it should be smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky.
• Place dough in a large lightly greased bowl (you can use the same bowl and grease it), and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
• Set in a warm spot (I use the oven with the light on -- turn the oven on to preheat for 2-4 minutes before turning off and adding the dough) and let rise until doubled, about 1.5 hours.
• Uncover dough, punch down, and roll out 20-24 rounds -- smoothing the top and pinching the seam in the back to smooth (see video for additional details).
• Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let rise (you don't have to cover them) in a warm spot for 30 to 90 minutes (instant yeast will be quicker) until doubled.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown.

STEAMED BAO BUNS

Steps:

• Measure all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand-mixer (if using).
• Measure the warm water and oil into a measuring jug. The water needs to be a bit more than lukewarm to help activate the yeast, but it shouldn't be boiling hot.
• Using the dough hook on medium speed, mixing the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Depending on the type of flour which you have used, you might need more or less liquid that than stated in the recipe.
• Once you have a sticky dough, continue kneading the dough on medium speed until it becomes soft and smooth to touch. This should take about 10 minutes using the stand-mixer on medium speed, or about 5 minutes by hand.
• Once the dough is soft and smooth, I recommend kneading it by hand for a few more minutes on the kitchen benchtop.
• Place the ball of dough back into the (clean) mixing bowl.
• Cover the bowl with some cling film or a re-usable bowl cover.
• Place the bowl somewhere warm for about 60 to 90 minutes for the dough to rise and double in size.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it back and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes to release any air bubbles in the dough.
• Then roll out the dough until it is about 1 cm in height.
• Use your hands to rub some oil onto the surface of the dough.
• Use an 8 cm (3 inch) cookie cutter to cut out rounds from the dough.
• Re-roll the dough as needed.
• Place these rounds onto a small sheet of baking paper - I like to use plain white cupcake wrappers which I flatten with a rolling pin.
• Fold over each round and then use a rolling pin to gently flatten the dough to form the bun shape.
• Place all of the shaped buns onto a large tray, cover with a tea towel, and place in a warm place for about 30 minutes for the buns to rise again. After this time, the bao buns should have puffed up slightly.
• Meanwhile, prepare the steamer on the stove (see Kitchen Notes below).
• Steam the buns in batches for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are puffy and soft, and cooked all the way through.
• Serve the buns immediately.

SOFT FLUFFY CHINESE STEAMED BUNS RECIPE (BAOZI/MANTOU)

Steps:

• I highly recommend watching the video as it really helps to understand the process so much better
• Place the flour/starch combination (either option 1 or 2), instant yeast, sugar, salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add milk and oil in a mixing bowl. If you are using a stand mixer, use a dough hook attachment. You may or may not need more liquid. With option 1 I use close to 200 ml and with option 2 I need about 180 ml. This is just for your reference, you may need more or less
• Turn on the mixer at the lowest speed to prevent flour from flying all over the place. Continue to knead at low speed (speed 2 on KA) for 12-15 minutes (updated for the best result) or until the dough is smooth, silky and elastic. When you stretch the dough thinly, it won't tear (windowpane stage)
• Place the flour/starch combination (either option 1 or 2), instant yeast, sugar, salt, and oil in a mixing bowl. Start with 180 ml of liquid, most likely you will need more liquid than called for in the recipe. I usually need about 180-200 ml of liquid. Mix until you get a rough dough (it's not going to be smooth yet). Cover and rest it for 15 minutes
• Then go back and knead it. You'll be surprised by how easier it is to knead it now. Knead until the dough is smooth and pliable. The kneading motion is like washing a cloth by hands. At any point during kneading, you can always stop and rest the dough if you find it hard to knead and so much resistant. This is to relax the gluten. Then go back to knead again and you'll be surprised by the difference it makes by just resting the dough before kneading again. It's easier for you too. You want the dough that is smooth, silky, and elastic. Just to warn you that it's going to take some time to knead by hands. It may take 20-30 minutes total of time to knead by hands
• Divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions. Flatten and gather the edge to round them up into dough balls. Cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes. This is not to proof the dough. It shouldn't double in size. This is to relax the gluten for easier shaping and rolling the dough, then proceed to next step that's applicable to you
• Lightly dust the work surface with some flour. Work with one dough at a time. Flatten the dough with your palm and then use a rolling pin to roll it out to form a circle about 4-5 inches, with a slightly thicker middle part. This is to support the weight of the filling. Don't roll the dough too thin. If you roll the dough too thin, the filling might make the steamed buns "wrinkle" later when you steam. Place the filling at the center and then gather the sides to enclose the bun and pinch to seal. Flip the bun so the seam side is down now
• Cup the dough with both palms and move the dough in a circular motion to shape it taller. This part is important so your steamed buns come out tall instead of spreading to the side after steaming. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and proceed to proofing
• Divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions. Flatten and gather the edge to round them up into dough balls. Roll the dough into a smooth round ball in between the palm of your hand or as I did in the video. REALLY make sure the dough is smooth.
• Cup the dough with both palms and move the dough in a circular motion to shape it taller. This part is important so your steamed buns come out tall instead of spreading to the side after steaming
• Place on a piece of parchment paper. Lightly dab the surface of the bun with some milk using your finger to smooth the surface. You can also mist with some water using a spray bottle. Loosely cover with clean kitchen towel to prevent drying. Work with another dough and do the same. Proceed to proofing after that
• Roll the dough into a long log and use a dough cutter to cut into 8-10 equal portions using a serrated knife is best so it won't squish the dough down. Lightly dab the surface of the bun with some milk using your finger to smooth the surface or mist with some water using a spray bottle. Proceed to proofing step below
• Let the dough rise at room temperature or at a warm place. If it's winter where you are, you can use your oven "bread proof" function to let them proof in there, or simply turn on your oven to the lowest temperature and then turn off and after 15 minutes, place the shaped buns in there to let them proof. They won't necessarily double in size, but at least puff up to about 50% of the original size. This may take about 1 hour or longer at a warm temperature. Don't go by the time however. Observe the dough instead!
• For active dry yeast and fresh yeast, you may need a bit longer for it to proof compare to instant yeast. If you use more sugar in the recipe, you may need to proof a bit longer too. Do not overproof your dough however
• How do you know if your buns have proofed ? They will be about 50% bigger than their original size AND when you lift them up, they should feel significantly lighter. If not, let them proof a bit longer. They may not visually look bigger. Use a finger test too. When you gently push on the dough, it will leave an indentation but it will spring back slowly. This dough is perfectly proofed. If it springs back right away, it needs to be proofed a bit longer. If it never springs back, then you have over-proofed the dough. Loosely cover them with plastic wrap and put the over-proofed buns in the fridge to slow down the proofing while waiting for the steamer
• An under proofed buns will be very dense and have bumpy surface after steaming. An over proofed buns may widen to the side and much flatter, but they shouldn't be dense and heavy. So, overproof may still be a bit "safer" compared to the buns not sufficiently proofed. Ideally, we want it to be perfectly proofed of course ;)
• Most likely your steamer won't be able to accommodate steaming all buns at one go. You may need to steam in 2-3 batches, which means, the rest of the batches will sit longer and continue to proof while waiting for the steamer. Here's what you can do: Make sure to cover them with plastic wrap and then place them in the refrigerator to slow down the yeast activity until they are ready to be steamed
• Fill up the steamer with water but do not turn on the stove yet. Carefully arrange the proofed buns in the steamer, giving about 2 inches of space in between as they will expand quite a bit. Cover with a lid wrapped with a cloth to prevent condensation from dropping on the surface of the buns. If you use a bamboo steamer, you don't need to wrap the lid as bamboo steamer absorbs liquid
• Please note that I use the largest burner on my stove. Different sizes of burners will produce different amount of heat, so use your largest burner. TURN THE HEAT TO MEDIUM (6/10)
• When the water comes to a simmer, crack the lid open about 1/2 inch gap and start the timer. Steam with the lid cracked open like that for 10 minutes
• After steaming, turn off the heat. DO NOT OPEN THE LID of the steamer. Let the buns sit there for 3 minutes. The buns will not sink or wrinkle due to the sudden change in temperature
• Proceed with the next batch and steam with the same method and setting as I mentioned above. You don't have to wait for the water in the steamer to cool down to start. Just turn on the stove to medium heat, crack the lid open immediately and the time starts when water is back to a simmer again
• Serve them warm or immediately remove the buns to wire rack to let them cool down. This is to ensure the bottom of the steamed buns will not be wet and soggy
• If you make extra and plan to store them, let the already steamed buns cooled down completely and then place them on a baking sheet, not touching each other, and then put the entire tray inside the freezer for about 1 hour. They will harden, but not completely frozen yet. Transfer to a freezer bag and they will not stick to each other anymore. Try not to keep for more than 1 month
• They can go straight from freezer to steamer when you ready to eat them. Steam on high heat for 5 minutes and they are as good as new

HOMEMADE SLIDER BUNS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine the yeast and warm water in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
• In a small bowl, whisk the milk, egg, and melted butter together to blend.
• Add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture along with the sugar, salt, and flour.
• Knead the dough by hand (or using a stand mixer with the dough hook) for 8 to 10 minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands, the countertop, or the sides of the bowl. The dough should be smooth and elastic at this point.
• Generously grease a large bowl with butter or oil. Gather the dough into a ball and place it into the greased bowl. Turn it over a few times to coat the dough thoroughly.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease the pans.
• Punch down and pat the dough into a rectangle.
• Cut the dough into 18 pieces, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 ounces each (or smaller).
• Shape the dough pieces into firm balls, flatten slightly with your hand, and place on the prepared baking sheets 2 to 3 inches apart.
• Cover the buns with a lightweight kitchen towel and let them rise in a draft-free spot for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F and arrange racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. If using the egg wash , whisk the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water until blended.
• Before placing in the oven, brush each roll with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if using.
• Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
• If you didn't use the egg wash and seeds, brush with melted butter if desired. Let the buns cool on a rack.
• Split the buns apart and stuff them with sandwich fillings.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the water, milk, melted butter, and egg.
• Place the milk mixture along with the flour, sugar, salt, and instant or bread machine yeast in the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
• Set to the dough cycle.
• Remove the finished dough to a lightly floured surface. Flatten into a rectangle, cut into pieces, and shape the dough into balls. Place on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Brush with the egg wash and seeds, if using, and bake in a 375 F oven for 15 to 18 minutes.
• If desired, brush with melted butter if the egg wash and seeds weren't used. Let the buns cool on a rack.
• Split the buns in half, add sandwich fillings, and enjoy.

TASTY BUNS

Steps:

• Stir together 2 cups flour and the yeast. In a separate bowl, heat milk, water, oil, sugar and salt to lukewarm in microwave. Add all at once to the flour mixture, and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough, 2 to 3 cups. Mix well. Dust a flat surface with flour, turn dough out onto floured surface, and let rest under bowl for about 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into 12 slightly flat balls, and place on greased baking sheet to rise until doubled in size.
• Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.