To make the dough: Combine all dough ingredients except for the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed for a minute or two until the flour is all absorbed, then mix on high speed for about 10 minutes until you have a soft, smooth dough that’s close to passing the windowpane test.

Add the softened butter & mix well until all combined and the dough is strong again (it might look stringy at first, keep mixing). If you’d like to give your mixer a break, you can mix by hand for this last stage (it will be a workout and take longer).

Mix until the dough is smooth, strong, and shiny. Shape it into a ball in the mixing bowl and cover. Let rise until it’s nearly doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours. If your house is cold make sure to let it rise somewhere warm like in the oven with the light on.

To shape the buns: Gently divide into 8-9 buns (I did 9 buns, each weighing around 90g). Shape each piece into a ball. Cup your hands & pull the dough ball towards you to tighten the outer layer and create a smooth, round dough ball. Place buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover & let rise in a slightly warm environment until very puffy, about an hour or more depending on the temp of your house. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Once risen, paint on some egg wash & sprinkle w/ coarse sea salt or sesame seeds before baking.

Bake for about 18-23 minutes, or until the middle of a roll reads 190F on a thermometer. Enjoy!