Butter Buns (with Tips on making fresh buns for breakfast)

These butter buns are very popular in Hong Kong restaurants and fascinated by those who love soft and fluffy breads. They are perfect for breakfasts, going with eggs and ham, together with a cup of tea or coffee.

To make these butter buns, it’s pretty straight forward and simple, easier than the Tangzhong bread. Just knead all ingredients into a dough.

The trick to get soft and fluffy texture you’re after is that make sure your dough passes the membrane test (aka windowpane test). You can stretch your dough into a thin translucent membrane without breaking it. That means your dough has been kneaded well and enough gluten is developed.

Upon the first bite of your lovely soft buns, you’d realize it’s worth every ounce of effort.

Top right: windowpane test. 

By spreading more butter on the buns fresh from the oven, if you wish, you’d find yourself more indulged by rich fragrance and buttery flavour.

For those who are crazily busy, yet still want fresh buns from your oven early in the morning, a simple tip below the recipe is especially written for you.

Butter Buns Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Yield: 8 buns (Prepare an 8-inch round baking tin)

Ingredients:

• 250 gm bread flour
• 25 gm cake flour
• 5 gm instant dry yeast
• 15 gm milk powder
• 40 gm caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 ml water, about 36C/97F
• 80 ml milk, about 36C/97F
• 40 gm butter, softened at room temperature
• whisked egg, for brushing the dough

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients (except butter) in a breadmaker or knead by hand. I used my stand mixer this time. When all the ingredients come together, knead in butter until the dough passes the thin membrane test. (The dough could be stretched to a thin membrane, as shown in the above picture). Roll it into a ball. Place into a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Let it proof untill it's doubled in size, about 1 hour.
2. Transfer to a clean floured surface. Deflate and divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Knead each into a ball shape. Place them evenly in a lightly greased baking tin (shown as above picture). Cover with plastic wrap and let it proof until doubled in size, crowded together, almost reaching the rim, about 1 to 1½ hours.
3. About 5 to 10 minutes towards the end of proofing time, preheat oven to 170C/ 335F. Lightly brush whisked egg on each dough portion. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the buns from the oven and let it stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn them out from the tin onto a wire rack. Serve warm with butter if you like. The leftovers can be kept in an air-tight plastic bag or container, at room temperature.

Notes：

• The texture of these butter buns is wonderfully soft and fluffy. The leftovers can be kept soft overnight. Just reheat them with your oven and they taste like those fresh from oven.
• Don’t have time to knead the dough but you still want fresh buns for breakfast? Here’s a workaround. Make the buns the night before, up to the point where they're shaped and put in the tin for the 2nd round of proofing. Wait until the dough has risen halfway, almost touching one another. Yet don’t wait until they are fully risen. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The next morning, remove the buns from the fridge, and let warm and rise, keeping them covered, for an hour or so. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the buns as instructed in step 3.