To make the dough: Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients with wooden spoon or spatula, add butter last by hand,
mix and knead until smooth. I use a folding acton in the bowl. olding each corner in turn about 5 times.
Cover the dough and let it rise until it's nearly doubled in bulk, about1 to 2 hours.
To shape the buns: Gently deflate the dough and divide it into eight pieces (about 100g each);
more pieces, more buns
Shape each piece into a ball.
Flatten each dough ball with the palm of your hand until it's about 3" across. I use a cookie cutter to get a food shape. Place loured dough in cutter and use something round (like a can or jar lid) to press down inside ro make a round bun
Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy, about an hour. Toward the
Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter.
Bake the buns for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden.
Remove them from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter; this will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust.
Cool the buns on a rack before slicing in half, horizontally.
Notes
For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate); and something in between the rest of the time.Hydration Table I use 170 water