Pastry by Saloni

0 In a mixing bowl combine warm milk at (110°F or 43°C), sugar and active dry yeast. Let it sit for 10 min until yeast is activated and appears foamy.
1 To the same bowl add half of the flour and mix with a dough hook attachment in a stand mixer or you can mix it by hand using a spatula (but I would recommend using a stand mixer)
2 Once the flour is mixed in then add the remaining flour, and salt and mix until flour is absorbed and incorporated.
3 Add soft butter in small pieces to the dough while it is kneading and mixing on medium speed until a dough ball forms and doesn’t stick on the sides of the bowl. It should come together into a soft yet tacky dough (should not be unbearably sticky). This will take around 8-10 minutes.
4 Avoid adding too much extra flour because it will create tough buns, add a tablespoon at a time and mix.
5 Transfer the dough into a lightly greased bowl covered with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size or about 60-90 minutes.
6 Lightly flour your work surface, rolling pin and the dough. Lightly grease and line 2-3 baking sheets with baking paper.
8 Toss the dough onto the floured surface. Roll it out and Divide the dough using a bench scraper or a sharp knife into 16 equal parts roughly (65g - 70g each)
9 Form each piece into a ball by rolling on the countertop with a cupped hand and placing them on the baking sheet, 2 to 3 inches apart. If your dough is sticky, lightly dust the tops of each dough ball with flour before rolling it by hand.
10 Cover with a clean towel and let it proof until puffy and almost doubled for about 60 minutes.
11 Preheat the oven to 375f. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with maple syrup or cream.
12 Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake the buns for about 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
14 Remove from the oven and let them cool on a rack to cool.
15 Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.