Love Me, Love my Buns.... Bread Buns (Rolls) Silly!

I love bread. I love buns (rolls) equally as much.  My Step-Mom Irene makes the best (bar none) bread rolls I have ever eaten... anywhere.  After years of fits and starts (and half-hearted attempts) to make my own I have been able to replicate it... almost.  She does this all by hand (including the kneading), I do it all by my trusty Kitchen Aid.

Irene also calls the buns Cloverleaf Rolls. She's fancy that way.

Great with soup, baked beans, dipping oils or on its own, these buns will ROCK YOUR WORLD!

You need to know that this isn't a quick roll process.  It takes 3 rises (of about 45 mins-1 hour each). Judge yourself accordingly.

If you want to see the versatility of this recipe - check out my YouTube video

Mixing Time - 20 minutes
Rising Time - 2 1/2 - 3 hours
Baking time - 10-15 minutes

Things You'll Need (Otherwise Known as Ingredients and Supplies)

1 cup Hot Water (as hot as you can stand)	¼ cup Salted Butter, cubed
1 tsp Salt	¼ cup Sugar
1 ½ pkgs Traditional Yeast (or 1 ½ Tbsp)	4 cups All Purpose Flour, sifted*
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp Lukewarm Water (you may need a little more)	2 Eggs

Muffin tins (1 or 2)
Bread Pan (1 if not making all buns/rolls)
Butter or non stick spray
Wax paper
Dish towel/towels

*Sifting - you do not have to sift the flour but I always do. I find it makes a difference to the texture of the bread.

Things You'll Do (Otherwise known as Directions)

In your mixing bowl, combine Hot water, salt, butter and sugar with a sturdy beater.  Mix until melted and combined. Allow to cool to lukewarm.

In a small bowl, add yeast to 1&1/2 tbsp of lukewarm water and mix. Let sit for about 5 mins. It should look like creamy peanut butter. If you need to add a tsp or 2 more warm water-go for it! (Thanks Rosie for the heads up)

Add yeast to slightly cooled mixture. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating them slightly before adding.  Mix well.

Add 1 cup of flour and mix. Keep adding flour until the beater is slightly struggling to mix and switch to dough hook (3 cups total to this point)

Switch to dough hook and add last cup of flour. I usually have the mixer set to 2. If you find that the flour is not incorporating, then add warm water, a tbsp at a time until all flour is mixed in. Let the hook turn a couple of times before you add the next bit of water - the dough can't be too wet.

Once you see the dough pull clean from the sides of bowl, start your timer for 8 minutes. Mixer on 2. Grab yourself a coffee or tea and wait.

Ding! Your dough should look very similar to this after the time is up.

I take some butter (or canola oil) and grease up my hands.  I then smooth this dough in a ball to rise.

I spray some non stick spray on a piece of wax paper and lay on top of bowl.

Then I put 2 tea towels on top.  Loosely.

Set it in a warm spot. I most often heat the oven to 170F (if you don't have a bread proof setting on your oven), set a tea towel on the oven vent, place the bowl over it and leave it for 20 mins. Turn off oven, let sit for 20 mins. Turn oven on 170F for 20 mins. (For a total of an hour).

After 30 minutes

First rise complete (about 1 hr total)

Now punch down on the dough and get ready for 2nd rise.

Now grease hands again and form into a ball for 2nd rise.  My dough isn't quite as smooth this go round.  Meh... Doesn't matter.  Refer to above (1st rise) for my warm place method to let dough rise.

One hour later...

Yeah, yeah, it isn't as pretty but I am going to cut this stuff up so I don't think it matters.

Have your pans greased? Have your hands greased?  Let's make some rolls!!!

Take a sharp knife and cut a small ball of dough off.

Not a lot because 3 of these must fit in a muffin tin. If you have a scale I would say about 55grams each.  Form into a ball with a little tail at the end.

The ball should be smooth. Makes for a prettier bun.

Repeat until all the muffin tins are full.  Now we set aside for final rise of about 30-45 minutes.

If You Want Bread

Take the bread pan and form the bread roll . I do a 3 bun loaf so and use the foil pans so each dough ball is about 180-185 grams. Makes 2 loaves and one small amount leftover.

Try to make them as smooth as possible. Set aside and let rise for 30-45 minutes until the dough rises about 1.5 & 2 inches above the pan.

Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming

Preheat oven to 375-400F. Once heated. Put in buns for 10-12 minutes.

Remove from pan immediately, set on cooling rack and spread butter on top.

Baking Bread?

Put in oven at 400F for 17-20 minutes. Gauge and you may need to add 2 minutes... NO MORE!

Remove from pan and butter up!

I like my bread really brown so it was in for 23 minutes... I'm a rebel

Cool completely... or eat immediately. I do either, OR BOTH!

Please try, share and make this a tradition. This recipe is too good not to do so.


Wait, Wait, Wait... I have dough left over!

What am I going to do with this?  Ohhh... You wait.  You. Just. Wait!


Cheers and Enjoy!
Lori