Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.

• Make the dough. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer with dough hooks), place the bread flour, yeast and granulated sugar, and use a handheld whisk to combine well. Add the salt and whisk to combine well. Add the water, butter and egg, and mix on low speed with the dough hook(s) until combined. Raise the mixer speed to medium and knead for about 5 minutes. The dough is a smooth, enriched dough, but it is very thick. Spray a silicone spatula lightly with cooking oil spray, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes to make the dough much easier to handle.

• Shape the rolls. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and transfer it to a surface lightly sprinkled with bread flour. Sprinkle the dough very lightly with more flour and turn it over on itself a few times until the dough is smoother. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape the pieces into rounds of dough following the Directions for Shaping Small, Round Rolls, and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart from one another. With wet fingers in a circular motion on the top of each roll, press it into a disk about 1/2-inch thick. Brush the rolls generously with the egg wash, then slash the tops about 1/8-inch deep with a lame or sharp knife at a 45° angle.

• Bake. Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the rolls are lightly golden brown all over and the internal temperature of the buns reaches about 185°F (about 20 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool briefly before serving.

• Adapted from Taste of Home.