Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns
At last, the quintessential soft, buttery dinner roll. I add a tablespoon of lecithin for extra sponginess. Nestled, we might even say "crowded," into a couple of 8-inch round pans, the shaped buns rise into one another as they bake. The result? Soft-sided pull-apart buns, ready for melting pats of soft butter. I let these rise overnight in the refrigerator and brought them to room temperature before baking. It was wonderful to have fresh rolls for our Thanksgiving meal.
At last, the quintessential soft, buttery dinner roll. I add a tablespoon of lecithin for extra sponginess. Nestled, we might even say "crowded," into a couple of 8-inch round pans, the shaped buns rise into one another as they bake. The result? Soft-sided pull-apart buns, ready for melting pats of soft butter. I let these rise overnight in the refrigerator and brought them to room temperature before baking. It was wonderful to have fresh rolls for our Thanksgiving meal.
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- buns
- 3 1/2 cups king arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons potato flour or 1/4 cup instant potato flakes
- 3 tablespoons baker's special dry milk or nonfat dry milk
- 4 tablespoons butter soft
- 2/3 cup lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup milk lukewarm
- Carbohydrate 41.7081308333333 g
- Cholesterol 23.17203125 mg
- Fat 9.17612927083333 g
- Fiber 1.66831252455711 g
- Protein 6.03195885416667 g
- Saturated Fat 5.56216227083333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 ea (86g)
- Sodium 71.6481337666667 mg
- Sugar 40.0398183087762 g
- Trans Fat 0.774638729166664 g
- Calories 275 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead ? using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle ? to make a soft, smooth dough.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased container ? an 8-cup measure works well here ? and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it's just about doubled in bulk.
- Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece into a smooth ball.
- Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans. Space 8 buns in each pan. Can you use 9" round cake pans, or a 9" x 13" pan? Sure; the buns just won't nestle together as closely, so their sides will be a bit more baked.
- Cover the pans, and allow the buns to rise till they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350F.
- Uncover the buns, and bake them for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown on top and the edges of the center bun spring back lightly when you touch it. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the center bun should register at least 190F.
- Remove the buns from the oven, and brush with the melted butter. After a couple of minutes, turn them out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
- Serve warm. Store leftovers well-wrapped, at room temperature.
When space is limited to standard eight-inch round cake pans, crowding sixteen dough portions into the vessels forces the rising yeast structures upward into one another rather than outward, creating soft, tender side walls that characterize true pull-apart bread. Achieving this pillowy interior relies heavily on incorporating potato flour or instant potato flakes into the all-purpose flour base, as starch molecules retain moisture far longer than wheat proteins alone, effectively preventing the crumb from drying out prematurely on the counter. Careful temperature monitoring during the final stages ensures that the internal thermometer reads at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit, signaling that the starches have fully gelatinized and the interior structure is set without yielding a tough, overbaked exterior. Brushing the hot crust with melted butter immediately upon removal from the oven softens the top layer while trapping residual steam within the crumb, and wrapping leftovers securely maintains room temperature freshness for days.
