Super Soft Milk Buns with Chocolate Chips, a small delicious variant of the classic milk buns. These buns are so soft that they are enjoyed greatly on their own but can also be filled with your favorite creams and jams, served as a snack, after a meal, or at buffets.
The preparation of these buns is very simple and rather quick, I prepared them with brewer’s yeast therefore the rising occurred in less than two hours. The dough is quite hydrated and soft enough to be worked entirely by hand.
I usually use a stand mixer with a dough hook for kneading and I must say it took only a few minutes to knead and I immediately obtained an elastic and easy-to-handle dough.
These buns are so soft that they stay soft for a few days if kept in food boxes with lids or food bags, but my advice to enjoy them as freshly baked is to freeze them. Thanks to their small size and soft consistency, they will return perfectly with just an hour at room temperature or a few seconds in the microwave.
For those who love kneading, I remind you of other recipes to delight us with small sweet and savory snacks
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 12 buns
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 238.45 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 39.37 (g) of which sugars 8.86 (g)
- Proteins 6.27 (g)
- Fat 7.19 (g) of which saturated 1.54 (g)of which unsaturated 3.79 (g)
- Fibers 1.15 (g)
- Sodium 134.13 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 75 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (lukewarm)
- 0.42 oz fresh yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (you can increase up to 1 cup)
- as needed egg (for brushing the surface)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand Whisk
Preparation
Whether you knead by hand or with a stand mixer, start by placing the flour and sugar in the bowl, temper the milk and dissolve the yeast in it. Do not overheat the milk, it should be just lukewarm. Start mixing the flour with the sugar and gradually dilute it with the milk. Mix until the dough begins to come together, then add the two pinches of salt and, while still mixing slowly, let all the oil absorb. When the dough is nice and soft, compact, and elastic as you see in the photo, add the chocolate chips. The chips should be added at the end and mixed for a short time so as not to break the dough.
Whether you kneaded by hand or with a stand mixer, bring the dough to a work surface. Without adding more flour, work the dough with inward rotating movements and form a ball that you’ll let rise in a bowl covered by plastic wrap or a lid. If using mixing bowls, make sure the lid seals well: for optimal rising, the dough should not dry out on the surface. To prevent the dough’s surface from drying, I brush a little oil on the dough ball before sealing it for rising.
Let it rise until doubled, it will take about 2 hours at a moderate temperature without drafts. My favorite place for rising remains the turned-off oven.
When the dough has doubled, bring it back to a lightly floured work surface. Stretch the dough into a log with movements that do not flatten it too much. Tear off uniform pieces of dough by hand to get the number of buns you want. Round each piece of dough and form your buns, which you will place directly on the oven tray covered with parchment paper.
Let the buns rest covered with a cloth for about half an hour. After this resting time, brush them with beaten egg.
Bake in a preheated oven at 392°F (200°C) for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.
NOTES
Milk buns are truly soft clouds suitable for both adults and children, ideal as a snack and perfect for snacks and buffets, the addition of chocolate chips makes them even more delicious and perfect for consumption on their own.
If you liked the recipe or if you have questions, feel free to comment here or on social media Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and X.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I substitute the chocolate chips?
Absolutely, you can replace the chocolate chips with an equal amount of raisins, candied fruit, or chopped nuts.
