This is a pretty-much-any bun recipe based on Joshua Weissman’s famous multipurpose dough. It’s soft, and works for burger, dinner, hot dog buns, and likely other softish buns.
Mechanic
A tangzhong, a paste of flour cooked with water and cream, pre-gelatinizes the starch before it ever meets the yeast. That lets the dough hold more liquid than a straight-kneaded one without turning slack, which is what keeps these buns soft for days instead of just on the day they’re baked.
Tangzhong
- 20 g all-purpose flour
- 70 ml filtered water
- 20 ml cream
Whisk the flour, water, and cream together in a small pot until smooth. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a paste and reaches 65°C (150°F). Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Dough
- 200 ml water
- 50 ml cream
- 10 g instant dry yeast
- 550 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g sugar
- 10 g kosher salt
- 60 g beaten egg (about 1 large egg)
- 20 g egg yolk (1 large yolk)
- 40 g unsalted butter, melted
- the tangzhong
Warm the water and cream to about 38°C (100°F), combine in a metal bowl, and stir in the yeast. Let sit until foamy, 10–15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in the stand mixer bowl. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and, with it running on low, pour in the yeast mixture. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix until the dough comes together. Add the tangzhong and knead for 3–4 minutes. Add the melted butter and knead until fully incorporated, another 2–3 minutes.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours.
Shaping and baking
- 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
- sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
Divide the dough into pieces using the table below. For each piece, stretch and fold the dough over itself in your palm 6–7 times, then roll between your palms until the surface is taut. Place seam side down and shape according to the bun style.
| Style | Pieces | Weight each | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burger buns | 6 | 170 g | Roll flat with a rolling pin, slightly wider than the final width |
| Hot dog buns | 8 | 130 g | Roll into logs to the desired length, keeping them uniform |
| Dinner buns | 9 | 115 g | Place close enough together to fuse slightly as they rise |
Cover and let proof until visibly puffy and nearly doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a sheet pan with parchment, if not already proofing on one. Brush each bun with egg wash and top with sesame seeds, or score the top for a plain finish.
Bake until golden brown: 15–20 minutes for burger buns, 12–15 minutes for hot dog buns, 28–32 minutes for dinner buns.
Cool in the pan briefly, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- Best fresh, or refrigerated for up to a week.
- Scoring instead of topping with sesame seeds works well for a plainer dinner roll.