Well thanks James17 I make a lot of yeast breads but this is perhaps my favorite dough to work with. It makes a soft, tasty and beautiful bun and really works great for cinnamon rolls.
Rich Bun Dough Recipe - you can shape this dough however you like. I use it to make slider rolls, burger buns. hot dog buns, dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls. Instructions included are for burger buns.
1 cup slightly warm (not hot!) water
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast (I like SAF brand)
1 whole egg, at room temp.
1 egg yolk, at room temp. (reserve the egg white in the refrigerator, you will use it later as a wash before topping with sesame seeds)
3 Tablespoons soft butter
3.5 - 4 cups AP Flour, (this is 420-480 grams of flour, it is best to measure flour by weight. Otherwise, please be sure to sprinkle it into your measuring cup before leveling, to ensure that the flour is not 'packed' in the cup.)
1 teaspoon salt
This is probably quicker in a stand mixer, but it can easily be brought together by hand as well.
Add warm water, sugar and yeast to a large bowl and stir. If you are unsure if your yeast is working, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes to bloom. If it foams up you're good to go. Add the whole egg and egg yolk and stir slightly to break up the eggs. Add softened butter, then 3.5 cups flour. Sprinkle the salt over the flour before mixing. Bring the dough together either in a mixer or with a wooden spoon. You are looking for everything to come together into a shaggy, slightly sticky dough.
At this point, you can add up to 1/2 cup more flour if your dough is too sticky to knead. Once the dough is workable, knead for 7 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, do so on a lightly greased counter with lightly greased hands. This is a rich dough and we do not want to work in too much additional flour, which will make it drier than intended. When you are done kneading you should have a soft, silky smooth ball of dough.
Place it in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise until doubled, usually about 45-60 minutes at room temp. Afterwards, gently deflate the dough and separate into 8 - 12 balls, depending on how big you want them. A scale comes in handy here too. Flatten the dough balls into rounds about 3-4 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. Place onto a parchment lined sheet pan, leaving about 1.5 inches between. Allow to rise until doubled again and preheat your oven to 350°F in the meantime.
Take the reserved egg white and beat it with 1 tablespoon of water to make a wash. Lightly brush this over the rolls and top with seeds of choice. Bake for 15 minutes for 12 smaller rolls, or up to 20 minutes for 8 large rolls. You'll know they are done when the are golden brown.
Here's tonight's hamburger and hot dog buns. They aren't anything fancy to look at but it makes a huge difference in the sandwiches. You'll want homemade all the time if you try this. Sorry for the double post, I couldn't edit to add a pic for some reason.
