Soft Buttery Double Cheeked Buns

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Well, if the name didn't intrigue you, the photos certainly will! These Soft Buttery Double Cheeked Buns are delicious, soft and will be the talk of your next dinner party!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Rise Time2 30

Total Time3 5

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Buns

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $5

Equipment

Muffin tin - Affiliate Link

Ingredients

Base Dough

3 cup All purpose flour - 450 grams
2¼ tsp Instant yeast - 7 grams or 1 packet
1 tbsp Sugar - 12 grams
1½ tsp Kosher salt - 8 grams
1 cup Lukewarm whole milk - 240 ml
4 tbsp Melted unsalted butter - 56 grams
1 Large egg

Topping

Melted Butter
Flaky salt

Instructions

Add Dry Ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 cup All purpose flour, 2¼ tsp Instant yeast, 1 tbsp Sugar, and 1½ tsp Kosher salt. Mix to combine. You can also knead by hand using a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon.
Mix Wet Ingredients. In a measuring cup, whisk together 1 cup Lukewarm whole milk, 4 tbsp Melted unsalted butter, and 1 Large egg.
Knead. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and knead using the dough hook on medium-low speed until a soft dough ball forms, about 7-9 minutes. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, increase to medium speed. The dough should pull away from a loose ball. Try not to add more flour unless you must.
First Rise. Using your hands, gently form a tight smooth ball with the dough and drop it back into the mixer bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Divide. Punch down the dough and divide it into 24 equal pieces using a knife or bench scraper. Use a scale for precision; each piece should weigh about 32-35g.
Roll. Roll each piece into a tight ball by cupping your hand over the dough and moving it in a circular motion on the countertop. Only lightly flour the work surface if you need it.
Arrange. Take two pieces and place them together, seam side to seam side. The goal is to create the "bun" shape. Butting the seam sides together (or squishing he dough balls together so the seams are pointing down) ensures that the dough balls don't unravel as they rise. Place each dough ball pair in a greased muffin tin. You should end up with 12 pairs.
Second Rise. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 1.5 hours, until puffy.
Bake. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). The rolls should now have risen and filled the baking tray. Bake the buns for 20-24 minutes, or until golden brown. They will seem overbaked at first, and hard to the touch, but don’t worry, they will soften when you brush them with butter.
Brush Butter. Brush the hot rolls with Melted Butter and sprinkle with Flaky salt if desired. Enjoy while still warm.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step by step recipe photos, tips and advice.

Key Ingredient Notes:

- Flour: I use all purpose flour most of the time. Bread flour can also be used for a chewier texture. You can also substitute in some whole wheat flour if you prefer.

- Yeast: I recommend using instant yeast. It can be mixed into the dry ingredients without pre-blooming in liquid. It helps the dough rise quickly and efficiently. Active dry yeast can be used of course, but you will have to bloom it the milk. To do that, warm up the milk slightly, add the dry active yeast to it along with the sugar, stir to combine and set aside.

- Milk: Adds richness and tenderness. Use whole milk or 2%. If you are using instant yeast, you don’t need to use warm milk. You could use water instead of the milk, but the rolls won’t be as rich.

Other Tips:

Weigh Everything. Using a kitchen scale ensures consistency in ingredient amounts and perfectly uniform dough balls.
Don’t skip the second rise. It’s key to these fluffy buns. Dough should be puffy and marshmallow-like when ready.

Nutrition