Mini Buns
Mini Buns, or also known as “slider buns”, are one of the easiest breakfast buns to make. My family enjoys dipping it in creamy soups, or slathering butter or kaya (coconut pandan egg jam). It’s one of the simplest recipes that can be made in between tasks as well, as it needs 2 hours of proofing, but only 15 minutes of baking.
Ingredients
This mini bun recipe uses the staple ingredients found in most bread-making recipes.
Here are the measurements used in both Imperial and Metric formats:
- 1 cup / 200ml full cream milk
- 1/4 cup / 60g butter, unsalted & softened
- 5 cups / 600g all-purpose flour (divided into half)
- 1/3 cups / 64g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp / 6g salt
- 3 tsp / 10g dry yeast
- 1 tsp / 5g bread softener, optional
- 3 eggs, medium
For substitutions, the milk can be replaced with water if it’s not available. If preferred, skim milk or low fat can also be used. For me, I prefer full cream milk for a richer taste.
However, I’ve not tried substituting the flour for this recipe. I used all-purpose (wheat) flour. If you’re using a different type of flour, let me know how it turned out!
Steps
The brief steps to making the mini buns are as below:
- Melt butter and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Switch off the heat and set it aside.
- Add 1/2 of the flour, all of the sugar, salt, yeast and bread softener to a mixing bowl.
- Mix them all together.
- Add 1/2 of the melted butter and milk to the mixing bowl.
- Mix on low speed until a thick paste is formed, then increase the speed to medium for 1 minute.
- Add the rest of the melted butter and milk. Mix until well-combined on low for 1 minute.
- Add the rest of the flour and 2 eggs. Mix on low for 10 seconds. Increase it to medium speed for 30 seconds. Bring it back to low for 2 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the mixing bowl.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes.
- Proof the dough in cling wrap in a dark place at room temperature for 1.5 hours.
- Deflate the expanded dough.
- Divide it into 12 pieces equal in weight, and shape into a ball.
- Cover with an opaque cloth and let it proof for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/ 302°F. Break and whisk the last egg. Brush the egg wash on each bun.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 150°C/ 302°F.
- Let it cool on a tray slightly, before transferring the mini buns to a wire rack.
Tips
- Use softened butter and room temperature milk to cut down the melting time.
- While I didn’t proof my dry yeast beforehand, the mini buns still rose beautifully. You may want to do so if it’s dry yeast and nearing the expiry date.
- Use a mixer, and a dough hook if possible – it makes kneading so much easier.
- The mini bun dough is very sticky, keep extra all-purpose flour to make it stick less.
- When kneading, push the dough in one direction, before folding and turning it 90 degrees and pushing again.
- When dividing dough, keep them within the same weight range as much as possible. This gives them consistency in size and baking time.
- Make sure to watch the video to see my exact steps on making the mini buns.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled completely, store in an air-tight container for no more than 2 days at room temperature. As the mini buns are made fresh without the use of preservatives, mold forms easily on them.
Otherwise, store in the fridge to last 1 week.
Let’s Eat
The smell of freshly baked buns is amazing. They are soft and squishy, easy to cut and tear.
Dip into a creamy soup, make a burger, or a filling sandwich… so delicious!
Hope you have enjoyed this recipe 😀 Happy cooking!
Mini Buns
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mixer
- Oven
- Silicone Spatula
- Kneading Mat
- Cling Wrap
- Cloth
Ingredients
Melt together
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter, unsalted, softened
Dry Ingredients
- 5 cup all purpose flour, wheat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp dry yeast, active
- 1/3 cup sugar, granulated
- 3 eggs, medium
- 1 tsp bread softener
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter in milk for 1.5 minutes. Switch off the heat and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together 1/2 of the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and bread softener.
- Pour 1/2 of the melted butter in milk to the dry ingredients.
- With a dough hook, start the mixer on low (speed 2) until a thick paste is formed. Increase the speed to medium (speed 4) for 1 minute.
- Stop the mixer. Add the rest of the melted butter in milk. Mix it again for 1 minute on low speed, or until combined.
- Add the rest of the flour and 2 eggs. Mix on low for 10 seconds, then on medium for 30 seconds. When a ball of dough is formed, bring the speed back to low and let it knead for 2 minutes.
- Switch off the mixer. Flour the kneading surface and the hands. Transfer the dough to the kneading surface.
- Knead the dough for 10 seconds. Shape dough into a large ball. Flour a basin and place the dough inside. Cover with cling wrap and an opaque cloth. Proof for 1.5 hours.
- After 1.5 hours, deflate and divide the dough equally into 12 mini buns. Cover with a cloth and proof for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 150°C/ 302°F. Break and whisk the last egg until even in colour.
- Brush the egg wash on the dough.
- Place at the lower rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and serve!
Notes
Tips
- Use softened butter and room temperature milk to cut down the melting time.
- While I didn’t proof my dry yeast beforehand, the mini buns still rose beautifully. You may want to do so if it’s dry yeast and nearing the expiry date.
- Use a mixer, and a dough hook if possible – it makes kneading so much easier.
- The mini bun dough is very sticky, keep extra all-purpose flour to make it stick less.
- When kneading, push the dough in one direction, before folding and turning it 90 degrees and pushing again.
- When dividing dough, keep them within the same weight range as much as possible. This gives them consistency in size and baking time.
- Make sure to watch the video to see my exact steps on making the mini buns.