These Milk Buns are pillowy, delicate rolls enriched with milk and a touch of butter. Their slightly sweet, tender crumb makes them perfect for afternoon tea, jam-filled snacks or simply slathered with butter. The dough is enriched but not overly sweet, yielding a versatile roll that goes with both sweet and savoury fillings.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 40g caster sugar
- 7g fine salt (1 tsp)
- 7g instant yeast (1 tsp)
- 300ml whole milk, lukewarm (about 38 °C)
- 40g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 1 large egg (about 60 g), beaten (for egg wash)
Method
- Mix the Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the strong bread flour, caster sugar and salt.
- Stir in the instant yeast, keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl initially (to avoid inhibiting the yeast).
- Add the Milk & Initial Mixing
- Pour in the lukewarm milk, then use a wooden spoon or dough scraper to combine into a rough dough.
- The mixture will be quite sticky at first—that’s normal for an enriched milk dough.
- Incorporate the Butter & Knead
- Add the softened butter in small pieces.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10–12 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic and only slightly tacky.
- (Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook: knead on medium speed for 8 minutes, adding the butter halfway through.)
- First Rise (Bulk Proof)
- Lightly grease a clean, large bowl with a little softened butter.
- Place the kneaded dough into the greased bowl, cover with lightly oiled cling film or a damp tea towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Shape the Buns
- Gently tip the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and knock back (deflate) gently.
- Divide into 10–12 equal pieces (each around 75–80 g).
- Shape each piece into a smooth ball by cupping under the dough and rolling it on the worktop with your hand.
- Place the shaped balls on two baking trays lined with parchment, spacing them about 3–4 cm apart (they will expand).
- Second Rise (Proof)
- Cover the trays loosely with oiled cling film or a damp tea towel and leave to prove for 40–50 minutes, until nearly doubled in size and light to the touch.
- Preheat & Egg Wash
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Gently brush the tops of the proved buns with the beaten egg—this gives a golden, glossy finish.
- Bake
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 12–15 minutes, until the buns are a deep golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
- If the tops are browning too quickly, cover loosely with a sheet of foil for the last 5 minutes.
- Cool
- Transfer the baked buns to a wire rack and allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing or filling.
Tips & Variations
- Filling Ideas: Once cooled, split and fill with jam, clotted cream, Nutella or sliced ham and cheese for a savoury treat.
- Milk Swap: You can substitute up to 50 ml of milk for unsweetened yoghurt for extra tang and tenderness, but reduce the milk by the same amount.
- Make-Ahead Option: After the second rise, cover the tray tightly with cling film and refrigerate overnight. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 2–3 minutes to the bake time.
- Freezing: Fully cool the buns, then freeze in an airtight bag. Reheat from frozen in a low oven (160 °C) for 8–10 minutes, or defrost and rewarm in the toaster.
- Optional Tangzhong Method: For an even softer crumb, whisk 20 g flour with 100 ml milk over a low heat until it forms a thick paste. Cool before adding with the other milk in Step 2.