These easy-to-make, soft and fluffy high altitude milk buns are lightly sweetened and make a perfect pull-apart dinner roll that stays soft for days. By adding a simple tangzhong starter to the yeast dough, these buns remain light and pillowy, so they’re just as great leftover as they are freshly baked. Be sure to scroll through the whole post for step-by-step photos on making these delicious buns.
Looking for more recipes like this? You’ll love these Parker House dinner rolls with salted maple butter, cardamom almond star bread, and homemade yeast doughnuts.
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Why You’ll Love These Buns
So Light and Fluffy. You’ll love the fluffy, pillowy texture of these pull apart rolls.
Stays Soft for Days. Thanks to the tangzhong starter in the dough, these milk buns stay soft for days, and are so good made into sandwiches with leftover ham or turkey after a holiday dinner.
Versatile. You can even add herbs, garlic or cheese to the dough for more flavor.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- The tangzhong starter is a simple mixture of water, milk and flour. Added to the dough, it keeps the buns soft and pillowy, and helps them rise higher and fluffier.
Dough
- Butter. Unsalted butter adds moisture, richness and flavor to the buns.
- Milk. Be sure to use whole milk for the best flavor and texture.
- Yeast. The yeast is the leavening agent which makes the buns rise.
- Sugar. Adds sweetness and helps to activate the yeast.
- Flour. For the best texture, use bread flour, not all-purpose flour.
- Salt. Flavor.
- Egg. Gives the dough structure and a richer flavor.
Egg Wash
- An egg beaten with a little milk and brushed over the buns before baking makes them golden brown and shiny.
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water, milk and flour. Cook over medium heat for several minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a paste.
- Remove from the heat, scrape the tangzhong into a small bowl, and refrigerate to cool it down while you make the dough.
Make the Dough
- In the same saucepan you used to make the tangzhong (no need to wash the pan first), melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the milk, and warm the mixture just until it reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let sit for a few minutes until it starts to get bubbly.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine all but 1/2 cup of the flour with the remainder of the sugar, the warm yeast mixture, the cooled tangzhong, salt and egg.
- With the dough hook, knead the dough for 10 minutes, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. The dough should be smooth, and will wrap around the dough hook, but may still stick to the bottom of the bowl. Don’t be tempted to add more flour, though, or the buns will be dense.
- Scrape the dough into a greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This could take anywhere from 45-90 minutes, depending on the freshness/brand of yeast, and how warm your kitchen is.
TIP: If your oven has a bread proof setting, you can use that. Otherwise, preheat your oven to the lowest setting, turn it off, then set the dough inside to rise.
Shape the Buns
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and flour the top of the dough, too. Gently roll the dough out into a square, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 9 equal portions for large buns, or 12 portions for medium sized buns.
- Take a piece of dough, cup it in your hand, and pinch the dough together to form it into a bun, so that it’s smooth on top and pinched on the bottom.
- Place the buns, smooth side facing up, into a greased 9-inch baking dish (or a 9×13 baking dish for 12 buns).
- Cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside until the buns are starting to puff up, about 20-30 minutes.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the egg and milk, and brush the egg wash over the buns. This will give them a beautiful golden brown shine as they bake.
- Bake the milk buns for about 22-25 minutes, until golden brown on top and baked through.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then pull the buns apart and serve warm.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tangzhong?
Tangzhong or tang zhong is a simple roux or paste made of water, milk and flour. The tangzhong method is quick and easy. Just cook the ingredients in a saucepan for a minute or two until the mixture thickens into a paste. When this paste is added to yeast dough, it plays a very important role in improving the texture of the dough and the baked bread.
- It helps the starches in the flour absorb more liquid, which in turn makes the dough less sticky and easier to knead and shape into buns.
- It can help the bread rise higher and fluffier as it bakes.
- The baked bread, rolls or buns will stay soft and fresh for longer.
Why are they called milk buns?
Milk buns, or milk bread originated in Japan, using the tangzhong method to make buns and bread characterized with a soft, light fluffy texture and rich, milky flavor.
Can I use honey or another sweetener instead of granulated sugar?
Yes, honey will work just fine in this recipe.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
If all-purpose flour is all you can get your hands on, you can use it. But bread flour has a higher percentage of protein, which makes for a chewier texture in yeast dough.
Can I make more than 9 buns with this recipe?
Yes, you sure can. I made 9 large buns to fit into a 9-inch baking dish. For a few more buns that are slightly smaller, just divide the dough into 12 portions, and bake the buns in a 9×13 pan.
What’s the best way to reheat these buns?
You can microwave them at 50% power for 30 seconds, or reheat them in the oven at 300 F for about 5-7 minutes.
What can I use the leftover buns for?
- Sandwiches
- Bread Pudding
- Croutons
- Bread Crumbs
- Baked French Toast
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Soft and Fluffy High Altitude Milk Buns
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
- Small Saucepan
- Medium-Sized Bowl
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 2 tbsp bread flour
Dough
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry or instant/rapid rise yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 3 cups bread flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water, milk and flour. Cook over medium heat for several minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a paste.
- Remove from the heat, scrape the tangzhong into a small bowl, and refrigerate to cool it down while you make the dough.
Make the Dough
- In the same saucepan you used to make the tangzhong (no need to wash the pan first), melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the milk, and warm the mixture just until it reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let sit for a few minutes until it starts to get bubbly.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine all but 1/2 cup of the flour with the remainder of the sugar, the warm yeast mixture, the cooled tangzhong, salt and egg.
- With the dough hook, knead the dough for 10 minutes, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, only if needed. The dough should be soft and smooth, and will wrap around the dough hook, but may still stick to the bottom of the bowl. Don't be tempted to add more flour, though, or the buns will be dense.
- Scrape the dough into a greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This could take anywhere from 45-90 minutes, depending on the freshness/brand of yeast, and how warm your kitchen is.If your oven has a bread proof setting, you can use that. Otherwise, preheat your oven to the lowest setting, turn it off, then set the dough inside to rise.
Shape the Buns
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and flour the top of the dough, too. Gently roll the dough out into a square, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 9 equal portions for large buns, or 12 portions for medium sized buns.
- Take a piece of dough, cup it in your hand, and pinch the dough together to form it into a bun, so that it's smooth on top and pinched on the bottom.
- Place the buns, smooth side facing up, into a greased 9-inch baking dish (or a 9×13 baking dish for 12 buns).Baker's Note: If you want to make the dough and shape the buns the night before a holiday, complete all the steps up to this point, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, proceed to the next step. The buns may need an hour or longer to come to room temperature and warm up before they start to puff and fill the pan. Once they do, they're ready to bake.
- Cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside until the buns are starting to puff up, about 20-30 minutes.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the egg and milk, and brush the egg wash over the buns. This will give them a beautiful golden brown shine as they bake.
- Bake the milk buns for about 22-25 minutes, until golden brown on top and baked through.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then pull the buns apart and serve warm.
Excellent! Followed exact recipe. I think the dough was a tad dry. I am at 6700’ ft altitude and the mixer had a hard time kneading the dough. I think a bit of water or extra milk might help. I drizzle it it during the kneading.
It sounds like you scooped too much flour. Be sure you measure your flour correctly by lightly spooning it into your measuring cups and then sweeping it off the top. I made these buns again yesterday, and my dough was very soft, not stiff or dry at all. With yeast doughs, the humidity level of where you live can also make a difference, so definitely don’t add all the flour if you feel like your dough is the right consistency with less.
Could you make this recipe into a loaf instead of rolls? If so, how would I do that? Total newbie here! I love your website ❤️
Since I haven’t tested the dough as a whole loaf, I couldn’t really say if it would work or not.
just moved to the suburbs of The Mile High City. I followed your recipe twice and both times work fantastic. Your recipe has very detailed instructions, and it is easy to follow! I can’t wait to try your other recipes! Thank you!