Fluffy buns
Soft, fluffy buns, perfect for burgers or anything else — dangerously good warm from the oven.
Ingredients
Dough
- 7 g dry yeast
- 31 g sugar
- 285 ml water
- 550 g flour (Manitoba (strong) or 0; 00 also works)
- 6 g salt
- 30 g plant milk
- 28 g margarine
Decoration (optional)
- 30 g plant milk
- 7 g agave syrup
- sesame seeds
Note. Any plant milk works for the brush: soy browns a little more, thanks to its protein, while other milks stay paler. The agave syrup adds shine and helps the seeds stick.
Method
Note. They freeze beautifully and thaw even in the microwave: about 1 minute at 750 W per two buns.
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Dissolve the dry yeast (7 g) with the sugar (31 g) in the water (285 ml) at 37-40°C and let it activate for 10-15 minutes.
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Add all the other dough ingredients. In a stand mixer, knead on speed 2 for 20 minutes; or, by hand, knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
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Let it rise until it at least doubles in volume: it will take about 1 hour, depending on room temperature.
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Weigh the dough, divide it by the number of buns (about 115 g each) and shape them into taut rounds (“pirlatura”). Arrange the buns evenly spaced on a parchment-lined tray (usually up to 8 per tray), cover with a cloth and let them rise until well puffed (30-60 minutes at average room temperature).
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Towards the end of the rise, when the buns are nearly doubled, turn the oven on to 180°C.
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If you’d like to decorate the buns with sesame seeds: mix the plant milk (30 g) with the agave syrup (7 g) and brush a thin coat over the buns. Just dip the brush, don’t soak it: too much and the liquid runs down the dome before it can set — better several light coats than one heavy one. Scatter the seeds straight away.
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Check the oven is up to temperature, then bake for 15 minutes.
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Let them cool covered with a kitchen cloth.
Keeps 1–2 days at room temperature; up to ~3 months in the freezer (they thaw even in the microwave — see note).