Japanese Milk Buns
Japanese Milk Buns are soft and tasty dinner rolls perfect for eating on their own or with a pat of butter. These buns are a blank canvas: once you master the base dough, the only limit is your pantry and cravings. Favorite variations include Sweet Milk Buns (fold in chocolate chips or swirl with Nutella), Cheesy Pull-Apart (layer with mozzarella and herbs before baking), Stuffed Sandwich Rolls (fill with deli meat and cheese pre-bake), Breakfast Buns (top with a poached egg and avocado), and Soup Dippers (serve warm with vegetable soup). Tested substitutions: bread flour for chewier structure; olive oil or margarine for butter; oat/almond milk for milk; 3 tbsp Greek yogurt for the egg; instant yeast for active dry yeast (shorter rise).
Ingredients
| 440 g | all-purpose flour | |
| 2 1/4 tsp | 11 ml | active dry yeast |
| 50 g | sugar | |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | salt |
| 120 ml | whole milk, warm (about 110°F) | |
| 120 ml | heavy cream, at room temperature | |
| 1 | egg, beaten | |
| 60 g | unsalted butter, softened |
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, active dry yeast, sugar and salt.
- Add the warm milk (about 110°F), heavy cream, beaten egg and softened butter. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic and passes the windowpane test (do not under-knead, or the buns will be dense).
- Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until roughly doubled; use fresh yeast and ensure the milk is just warm (not hot) so it rises properly.
- Divide the risen dough into equal portions, shape into smooth balls and arrange in a baking pan. Let them proof again until puffy (proof correctly and bake at a steady temperature to avoid cracked tops).
- Bake at a steady temperature until just golden - do not overbake, or the buns will be dry.
- Brush the buns with butter straight out of the oven for a soft finish. Serve warm on their own or with a pat of butter.