Tuna Bun with corn and Mozzarella Cheese
The pillowy milk buns filled with savory tuna, corn, and mozzarella cheese make these the perfect delicious grab-and-go snack or picnic meal. Follow my detailed step by step instructions with pictures and tips and you can also recreate these delicious buns at home!
- Prep time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 13 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 30 g boiling water
- 25 g bread flour
- 250 g bread flour (plus more for dusting.)
- 30 g cake flour
- 10 g dry milk powder (1 tablespoon)
- 30 g sugar
- 15 g honey (a bit less than 1 tablespoon)
- 25 g beaten egg (about ½ large egg, ⅛ cup. Save the other half for brushing. )
- 80 g cold whole milk
- 60 g cold water
- all the Yudane (water roux) paste
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast (preferably saf instant yeast)
- 4 g sea salt (½ teaspoon)
- 30 g unsalted butter (softened) (cut into 6-8 pieces. )
- 1 7oz canned tuna (I used chunk light tuna in water, which has lower mercury level. )
- 1 cup corn kernel (frozen or canned both work. )
- 3 tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper (or to taste. )
- leftover egg from the dough
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- dried oregano (optional. )
Instructions
- 1
Measure 25 grams of bread flour in a bowl. Set the kitchen scale to zero with the flour and bowl on it and pour in 30 grams of boiling water. Stir until combined to form a sticky dough.
- 2
Let it cool down before storing in the fridge overnight or for 12 hours. Use it within 48 hours.
- 3
In a stand mixer, mix all the dough ingredients except yeast, sea salt and unsalted butter until a rough dough is formed, about 3-5 minutes.
- 4
Cover and and let it rest for 30 minutes. This step is called the autolyse method, which will help shorten the kneading time later and prevent the dough from getting too warm (which negatively impacts the texture of the buns).
- 5
After resting, add yeast and knead for 1-2 minutes on medium speed before adding salt. Knead for another 2-3 minutes before adding unsalted butter, one piece at a time.
- 6
Knead on medium high speed until the dough is smooth and able to pass the windowpane test (see FAQ for more details). About 8-10 minutes. Make sure the dough stays cool during the entire kneading process. If the temperature of your dough becomes higher than 82°F (28°C) when it's done kneading, place it on a tray and chill it in the freezer for 1-2 minutes before proofing.
- 7
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and proof in a warm place (82°F / 28°C) for an hour or until the dough just about doubles in size. You can also let it proof in the fridge for 12-24 hours, see FAQ for more details.
- 8
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions with dough cutter (don't tear it!)
- 9
Flatten the dough with your palm before folding the edges to the center, pinch them together to form a ball and flip it over so the seam side is down. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- 10
Take one piece of dough ball, dust a bit of flour on the working surface and the dough before rolling into a 4" round. Repeat the same for the rest of the dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 11
Cover with greased plastic wrap (I use oil spray, but you can also use your hand and apply a thin layer of vegetable oil on it.) and let them proof in a warm place (82°F / 28°C~ 95°F / 35°C) for 50 minutes.
- 12
In a bowl, stir all the filling ingredients together until well combined and store it in the fridge. When mixing, try not to smash the tuna too much.
- 13
Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C, adjust the oven rack to the middle.
- 14
Mix the leftover egg with water and set it aside.
- 15
Use a cup that's around 2" (5cm) diameter on its bottom and dip it in the flour. Place the cup in the center of the dough and press it down to make a dent before brushing the surface of the dough with egg wash.
- 16
Place some tuna and corn filling in the indented area before topping with shredded mozzarella cheese. I sprinkled mine with some dried oregano to add more flavor, you can also sprinkle other kinds of herb you like or sliced scallion.
- 17
Bake the buns for 13-14 minutes or until golden brown. When it's done baking, transfer the buns to a cooling rack and let them cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.