Burger Buns by Pavel Berky

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Take 40 g of flour and put it in a saucepan. Add water and cook a thick paste (tangzhong) while stirring constantly. Let it cool and then refrigerate for at least 5 hours. Take it out of the fridge an hour before preparing the dough to bring it to room temperature.
• 2
  Put all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. In another bowl, mix the milk with the egg. Turn on the mixer and combine the dry ingredients. Add the milk with the egg and the chilled tangzhong, and mix on medium speed until everything is combined. Finally, add the softened butter and work into a smooth, elastic dough. Transfer it to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 40–60 minutes, or until it doubles in size.
• 3
  After rising, divide the dough into equal parts and shape them into buns. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for another 30 minutes. Then brush them with beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 20 minutes. The surface should be dark golden brown.
• 4
  TIPS: Do not burn the tangzhong – cook it over low heat and stir until it thickens like pudding. Add butter only after the dough has combined – otherwise, it will disrupt gluten formation and the dough will not be elastic. Monitor rising by volume, not time – ideally, the dough should double in size.