About two weeks ago, I ordered 50 pounds of meat from Sussex Meat Packing. Naturally, I neglected to add any buns to the order. Not wanting to run out to ShopRite, and necessity being the mother of invention, I undertook to make my own. I discovered — on YouTube — Jonathan Weissman’s video of what claimed to be the Best Burger Buns Of All Time. So, I bit — and it was delicious.

Though they look the part, these buns are not quite a classic brioche, to the extent that they incorporate a TangZhong into the recipe. What is a TangZhong, you ask? A TangZhong is a semi-cooked, pre-gelatinized flour/water mix, resembling a roux, that holds more moisture, making breads, like the Japanese milk breads, incredibly soft and fluffy.

There’s a few steps in the process, but worth the effort. Please see recipe and directions below.

The Recipe:

Start with the TangZhong:

2 tablespoons (20g) bread flour

2 tablespoons (27g) water

4 tablespoons (60g) whole milk

Dough:

1/2 cup(120g) whole milk @ 95F

1 tablespoons (9g) instant yeast

2.5 cups (320g) Bread flour

1 teaspoon (7g) fine sea salt

2.5 tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, softened

Egg wash: 1 whole egg splash of whole milk

Directions:
Make the TangZhong.  Combine flour, milk, and water in a small pot over medium heat.  Whisk continuously until thickened, approximately 45 seconds. Remove pot from heat. 

Next, heat a half cup of whole milk to approximately 95 degrees and sprinkle yeast.  Stir gently and let sit for approximately 8 minutes.  

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt and stir to incorporate.  Fit stand mixer with dough hook. Running on low, add milk/yeast mixture to the flour, allow to mix for about 30 seconds. Add the Tangzhong, mix, then add one whole egg, followed by one egg yolk (ideally at room temp). Increase mixer speed to medium until completely incorporated.  Once incorporated gradually add 3 tablespoons of softened, unsalted butter 1 tablespoon at a time and allow to mix until incorporated, approximately 5 - 8 minutes or until nice and smooth. 

Gently fold in the sides of dough and place that seam side down on a work surface, gently form into a bowl and place it in medium sized greased bowl. Cover bowl with a warm towel and place in a warm area (inside the oven with light on), and allow it to double in size, approximately 1.5 - 2 hours.  

Once doubled, uncover, punch down, and turn out onto a clean work surface.  Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Here, I use a digital scale until all even.  

For shaping, take a segment of dough and gently stretch and fold it to the center and repeat that motion around the whole segment, then flip it over so it's seam side down.  Now, give the dough segment tension by pulling the dough towards you, keeping constant contact with the work surface.  Rotate the dough 90 degrees and pull in again, repeat that two more times until you have a smooth round ball. Repeat with all segments.  

Place segments evenly spaced on a rimmed baking sheet tray lined with lightly greased parchment. Cover the baking sheet  with an inverted baking sheet or greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise at room temp until doubled in size, about an hour or two depending upon conditions.   

Pre-heat oven to 375 F.  

Then, make an egg wash consisting of one whole egg and a splash of whole milk. Whisk, then brush the entire top of the buns with egg wash.  Bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 16 to 18 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with melted butter.  Remove from the baking sheet and allow to cool at room temperature on a baking rack.