Rolls and buns are little individual bread that can be served in countless ways, you can make the braided egg buns as one large braid bread or you can make it into small individual braided egg bread. Start this soft dough recipe with milk that you will have heated to just above the body temperature. Pour the milk to a bowl and to it add yeast (this egg bun recipe is based on hollow style bread that means it has got a beautiful richness from the egg a little bit of oil and also a hint of sweetness with sugar). So this recipe calls for 2 whole eggs and as well as egg yolk.

In order to get that tenderness and richness in hollow dough recipe use oil, you will need to use oil instead of butter and all-purpose flour, and lastly salt. The egg bun recipe takes the same kneading time and achieves the same consistency but you will see that beautiful yellow color coming through. Usually, it takes about 3 minutes to knead the dough beautifully. Once you are done the dough should be elastic and clean the bowl nicely and comes out easily.

It is a little stickier and softer than that packer house rolled dough because of that egg in there. Just give it a nice kneading just to shape it into a nice round before you let it sit and rise. Now oil your bowl and place your dough inside and cover it with the plastic wrap and let it sit for 90 minutes to rise and double in size. After 90 minutes take the soft dough give it a little sprinkling of flour and start by dividing the dough in half and then each half in half and each divide into three pieces each.

Take one piece and divide it in half and roll it out using your hand, the dough is easy to handle because of the vegetable oil. Create a cross with two pieces of the dough and cross them right in the middle with the horizontal one on top start with the opposite and overlap and you can see the braid taking shape. Tuck in the end pieces and just give them a little pinch and there you have got a beautiful braid. Do the same braiding for the remaining pieces of the dough.

Place the braided pieces on a tray lined with parchment paper and cover them with plastic paper and let them rise up for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes take the plastic paper out and brush them with an egg yolk into which a little bit of milk has been added and brush evenly so that you can get to every little nook and cranny of the buns. Classically you see the braided egg bun topped with sesame seeds or poppy seeds you can do half sesame seeds and half poppy seeds.

You can use untoasted sesame seeds because it will brown in the oven. Take the braided buns into the oven and bake them in a preheated oven at 350F for about 20 to 25 minutes and you look for an even rich golden brown color to know they are ready. Once baked take them out of the oven they should have the beautiful rich golden brown color.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (175 ml) 2% milk, just above body temperature (105 F)
  • 2 ¼ tsp (1 pkg or 8 g) instant dry yeast
  • ¼ (50 g) cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
  • 3 ¼ (485 g) cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ (3 g) tsp salt
  • 1 egg yolk whisked with 2 Tbsp (30 ml) milk, for brushing
  • sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds for sprinkling

Instructions;

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl or in a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment.
  2. Combine the dough until it comes together and then if mixing by hand, turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes – if using a mixer, knead the dough for 3 minutes.
  3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, roll into a log, and cut into 12 equal pieces. To create the braided buns, cut each piece of dough in half and roll out each half into a thin rope about 12-inches long.
  5. Place one rope of dough over the second, creating a cross. Bring the ends of the bottom (vertical) rope over the top rope, crossing over completely.
  6. Repeat this with the horizontal piece of dough and continue crossing the ropes over until you reach then ends of the dough (the bun will be about 4-inches long).
  7. Tuck in the end pieces and place the bun on a parchment-lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining buns, spacing them at least 2-inches apart on the tray. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and let the buns rise for about 45 minutes until almost doubled in size.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and brush the buns with the egg wash. Sprinkle the buns with sesame seeds and /or poppy seeds and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a rich golden brown.
  9. The buns are best served warm but can be reheated for 5 minutes in a 300 F (150 C) oven.