Bread Buns & Rolls

A bun is a small, sometimes sweet, bread-based item or roll. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, they are most commonly hand-sized or smaller, with a round top and flat bottom.

Buns are usually made from flour, sugar, milk, yeast, sometimes with healthy amount of  butter. Common sweet varieties contain small fruit or nuts, and may topped with icing or caramel, or filled with jam or cream. Some types of buns are filled with various meats or used to serve meats (such as hotdogs or hamburgers). But there is plenty of buns, that is almost like mini breads. Made with good and healthier flour, with addition of seeds or spices.  Well, they are definitely part of the bread kingdom, together with the filled, sweet ones.

“Bun” may also refer to particular types of filled dumplings, such as Chinese baozi. Some of these types of dumplings may be bread-like in texture.

A bun is normally made from dough that has been enriched with sugar and butter and occasionally egg. Without any of these, the dough remains to be ‘bread dough’ rather than “bun dough”.

A roll can be served and eaten whole or cut transversely and dressed in filling between the two halves. Rolls are also commonly used to make sandwiches similar to those produced using slices of bread. They are found in most cuisines all over the world.

Well, one of my latest posts was about the bread, so I thought that it is time, to take a  closer look at the bread rolls and all kind of buns.  So, without a further ado, let us see, what’s baking!

Cinnamon roll

An American variation, of cinnamon buns, known all over the world.  Rolled sheet of yeasted dough.  The layer of cinnamon and sugar mixture (and sometimes  raisins) is  sprinkled over a thin layer of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual  thick snail looking buns, and baked. Traditionally served hot, topped with  sweet cream cheese icing.

Pan Cubano

Cuban roll used as the only allowed vessel for the famous Cubano sandwich in Miami. The bread is an oblong shaped roll. In the look and list of ingredients, remarkably similar To the French bread. The main difference is an addition of Lard ( pork fat) and sugar, while making the dough. That make it like no other.

Chelsea Bun

It is believed that this classic English dessert was invented at the London’s Chelsea Bun House in the 18th century. The bun is made with a rich egg-based yeast dough flavored with lemon peel, and either cinnamon or mixed spice. Before baking, the dough is smeared with a combination of butter, brown sugar, and currants. A perfect tea-time treat, Chelsea bun is typically enjoyed warm, cut into slices, and smeared with even more butter.

Beef, Curry or Tuna Bun

• 

• 

One of the most popular street food to be found in Vietnam. It comes in large variety of meat and fish filling , with large assortment of spices mixed into the filling. Leavened bread dough, stuffed with the savory filling, egg washed and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

French Torpedo Roll

remarkably close cousin of the Italian Hoagie roll, but as always there is a twist. The dough made standard way, by French Law, cannot be mixed with any oil or fat. That basically means,  that in opposite to the  soft Italian roll, the French roll is a lot more crispy and crusty on the outside.  The idea of use is pretty much the same – to make a sub sandwich, with any ingredients you can only dream of.

Hot Cross Bun

Traditionally prepared and eaten on Good Friday and during Lent.  These delicately sweet, spiced buns are made with rich yeast dough and dry fruit such as raisins or currants. The top of each bun is marked with a cross. The topping mixture is typically made from short crust pastry, a mixture of flour and water, or icing sugar. It is assumed that the cross was originally simply carved with a knife. While the bun is baking, the pastry making the cross, stays pale against the darker composition of the roll. There are examples of the cross, being traced with sweet icing on top.

Kaiser Roll

(Emperor roll, German: Kaisersemmel), also called a Vienna roll (Wiener Kaisersemmel) originally, rolls made by a Viennese baker in about 1487 for Emperor Frederick V.  They are large and round, crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside, they have a five-point pinwheel design on top, which is meant to represent a crown. The crisp Kaisersemmel is a traditional Austrian food officially approved by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

Oatmeal Dinner Roll

delicious and healthy alternative to ordinary dinner roll. This one, is made from oatmeal and whole wheat flour, with an addition of honey.  Soft and fluffy. So  quick and easy to  make, at home.

Cocktail bun

is a Hong Kong-style sweet bun with a filling of shredded coconut. Created in the 1950s in Hong Kong, and till this day it is one of several iconic types of baked goods originating there.  The day-old buns are ground up, mixed with sugar and coconut, to create a tasty filling mixture; fresh bread dough was wrapped around this mixture to make the first filled “cocktail bun”.  Each bun is approximately 6 to 8 inches long and 2 to 3 inches high in the shape of a small French  baguette. The bun itself is soft and lightly sweet. The coconut-based filling is dense and has a rich, buttery, and sweet flavor. A shiny, golden-brown top finished with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Brioche

Brioche is a bread of French origin that is like a highly enriched pastry, and whose high egg and butter content gives it a rich and tender crumb. This type of bread, or you can shape it into buns as well, is “light and slightly puffy”. For the sandwich use, the brioche is formed din the smaller bun shapes, instead one larger loaf.

Burger bun

as the name suggest, this bun is generally used to hold a burger patty inside. Traditionally yeasted roll, traditionally with sesame seed s on top. The buns can be from enriched dough, like Brioche, or simple bread dough.  It can come as whole wheat, multigrain, sprinkled with mixture of seeds, or spices.

Lobster roll

it is  basically a Hot Dog roll, with the difference of the  size and way of cutting. It is mainly used to hold Lobster, hence the name, in all places in New England ( such a rich lobster fishing and eating  culture). The bun itself, is maybe 1/3 smaller, compare to the one used for sausage, but the main difference is the wide opening on top, creating almost a pocket, to stuff the lobster in.

Kanelbulle in Sweden

famous pastry that is generously flavored with cinnamon. The dough consists of flour, milk, yeast, water, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Sugar is often kneaded into the dough or sprinkled on top of the baked roll. Cinnamon rolls are traditionally served for breakfast, and it is best to pair them with a hot cup of coffee. Although the origin of these tasty swirls is still subject to considerable debate, the pastry has its own day in Sweden – October 4th, known as Cinnamon Roll Day.

Fan roll

 this pretty looking roll, originated din New England. Enriched yeasted dough, that is mixed with additional dairy products: sour cream or buttermilk. The dough is rolled up into strips, and folded from 5 to 7 times, to create that characteristic fan shape. Bake in a muffin tin.

Hot dog bun

type of soft bun shaped  designed specifically, for one job only,  to contain a hot dog or another type of sausage. The bun, keep the hot sausage inside,  allows eaters to enjoy the hot dogs without burning their hands. Invented on Coney Island in 1871, by Charles Feltman.

Tiger bun

The bread is generally made with a pattern baked into the top made by painting rice paste onto the outside before baking. The paste dries and cracks during the baking process. The rice paste crust also gives the bread a distinctive flavor. It has a crusty exterior but is soft inside. Typically, tiger bread is made as a white bread loaf of bread roll.

Parker House roll

They were invented at the Parker House Hotel in Boston, during the 1870s.

The unique bread rolls are made by flattening the center of a ball of dough with a rolling pin so that it becomes an oval shape and then folding the oval in half.  When they are baked, they stay flat, with brown and crispy edges. They are made with milk and are generally quite buttery, soft, and slightly sweet with a crispy shell.

Fogaça da Feira

This baked delicacy from  Portuguese town of Feira. Sweet bread traditionally made for the Feast Day of San Sebastian and the Feast of Fogaceiras, held every year in January. The bun shape represents the tower of a castle with four pinnacles, and it is baked daily in various bakeries in the region. It is made from wheat flour, eggs, sugar, butter, yeast, cinnamon, lemon juice, and lemon peel. The texture is somewhat denser than bread, while the flavor is delicately sweet and unique.

Baozi

or bao, is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings (meat or vegetarian) and preparations, though the buns are most often steamed. Two types are found in most parts of China and Indonesia: “ Bog Bun”(Dàbāo) , measuring about 3,9 inches across ( 10 centimeters). The other type the “Small Bun” (Xiǎobāo), measure approximately 2 inches (  5 centimeters) wide.  They are immensely popular throughout  China, with many  local variations, when  it comes to filling, stuffing and the spices blended into dipping sauce.

Concha

literally meaning “shell”  in Spanish. This is a traditional Mexican sweet bread roll (pan dulce). Conchas get their name from their round shape and their striped, seashell-like appearance. A traditional  concha is made of two parts:  a sweetened bread roll, and a crunchy topping (composed of sugar, butter, and flour). Their distinguishing pattern is made by a bread stamp, pressed on top, while proofing. Even Though the roll and topping are usually the same flavor, the top layer may have different flavorings or colors (strawberry, coffee, chocolate, etc.).

Pretzel sandwich bun

Soft pretzels, pretzel bread (which is simply soft pretzel dough shaped into little loaves) and bagels are like each other, and different from most other breads, because they are boiled before baking. On contact with the hot water, the starches on the surface of the dough gelatinize, forming a protective crust. For the sandwich purposes, the size of the bread is adjusted do the bread roll sizes. They can be round, oval, or longer oblong shape.

Pão de Deus  

Literally translated as the bread of God. Portuguese favorite breakfast is a soft brioche with a topping made of  desiccated coconut and eggs. The dough itself, is traditionally  flavored with lemon zest, rum, or vanilla. The buns are baked until the topping turns golden and crispy.

Lotus seed bun

is a sweet bun found in China. It is made steaming a yeast-leavened dough, which  is filled with  lotus seed paste. Because  of the large regional variety, the bun has plenty different appearances. The dough itself, due to the regional differences, can be different depending on where it is made.

Icebox rolls

one of unique types of dinner rolls. The bread dough is made with yeast, traditional way. When the dough is second proofed, it is portioned into golf size balls. 3 of those balls, goes together into metal muffin tin. When all of them are placed, the tray must be covered, and it goes to cold fridge ( icebox) overnight. Take out of the fridge , about 1 -2 hours prior to the baking.

Sourdough sandwich roll

as the name suggests, it is an old-fashioned  sourdough bread mixture , but this time formed into shaped of sandwich rolls.  Light and airy, with large airholes, and with its so distinctive flavor. Crusty, and brown on the outside, and soft inside. Perfect for any types of sandwiches, sweet or savory.

Boston Bun

A Boston bun is  one large, spiced bun.  Frequently consumed throughout Australia and New Zealand. The traditional version is made using mashed potatoes,  characterized by a thick layer of coconut icing on the exterior.  The modern version will sometimes include raisins.  It usually served sliced with a  tea.

Tea cakes

England, a teacake is a light, sweet, yeast-based bun containing dried fruits, most usually currants, sultanas (raisins), or orange peel. It is typically split, toasted, buttered, and served with tea. It is flat and circular, with a smooth brown upper surface and a somewhat lighter underside.

Big pau in China

The largest in size variety of baozi, the famous Chinese steamed buns. Soft delicate bun and a delicious savory filling. The pastry is made with yeasted dough, that  develops its characteristic springy texture when steamed. The filling is a mixture of minced meat (mainly pork or chicken), shiitake mushrooms, and green onions, all mixed with sauce (soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil). Some versions might include Chinese sausage, whit quarters of hard-boiled eggs.

English muffin  

These are small, round, flat types of bread that can be made of either white or whole wheat. You can eat them with poached eggs, bacon, or even a Hollandaise sauce. Often, English muffins are healthier than many other types of muffins and bread. 

Dampfnudeln

Dessert German-style, these little dumplings, or “dampfnudel”, can be sweet or savory. They are made from a dough comprised of white flour, water, yeast, salt, butter, or margarine, and sometimes also eggs and a little sugar. The dough is formed into balls about the size of an egg or a fist, left to rise and then cooked in a closed pot. Traditionally poached to perfection and bathed in vanilla custard – a comfort-food classic.

Pão  de Queijo

The name literally translated to cheese bread. This snack/appetizer has its direct origins in the culinary inventions of African slaves, when they started to use the residue of the cassava plant, in baking.  At the end of the 19th century, cheese and milk started to be added to the starchy balls, and Pão de queijo was created. Today, it is a popular Brazilian snack or breakfast food that is also widely consumed in northern Argentina, sold at numerous coffee shops, snack bars, and bakeries.

Torta delle rose

its  literal mean in Italian “the cake of roses”. It looks like a delicious bouquet made of rose-shaped yeasted bread rolls filled with sweetened buttercream. This simple, yet extremely attractive cake is perfect when served for breakfast or when it is reserved for special occasions – just detach a single rose and enjoy it with a good cup of coffee or a hot chocolate.

Cream Bun

• 

• 

know all over the world, in many regional varieties. Typically made with an enriched dough bread roll that is split after baking and cooling and filled with cream. Th buns ca be round, or elongated din shape. Cut in the middle ( in a  case of the round one), or on top. Filled with vanilla cream, pastry cream, cream with addition of coconut , or simply layered  with fruit jam or jelly, and then filled up with cream.

Pineapple Bun

those golden and crispy buns, originally were invented in Hong Kong. The name comes from the outer look, with the cracked crispy shin, so resembling pineapple, eve thou there is no pineapple in the list of ingredients. Made with only sugar, oil, flour, and eggs. Traditionally they are a breakfast item or eaten for lunch.

Iced Buns

also known as Swiss bun or iced finger is a bread bun with a white or pink icing sugar glaze covering the top.  The dough is usually enriched (made with eggs, milk, and butter), even thou you can see a usage of a  simply an oblong bread roll. In some bakeries or recipes, iced buns are garnished with additional sweets or are decorated as ballet slippers or other whimsical shapes.  They  are traditionally  filled with vanilla cream, and with raspberry or cherry jam; or simply with lemon custard.  They are extremally popular in United Kingdom.

Rum roll

vert sweet yeast bread topped. Always topped  with rum frosting,  therefore the name. Sometimes also additionally stuffed  with raisins or currants. In the olden days, they were a specialty of Washington, D.C. and have been included on the menus of numerous historic Washington restaurants. Unfortunately , they are not commonly found in the present day.

Mandarin roll

Steamed Mandarin rolls, Flower Buns, are a kind of steamed bun originating from China. The rolls are cooked by steaming. It is one of the staples of Chinese cuisine; an equivalent of a white bread in western cuisine. The rolls are made of wheat flour, water, sugar, soybean oil, vegetable shortening, milk powder, salt, yeast and baking soda. The elaborate outer design make them look like  a flower. Some varieties are slightly sweeter, so , they can be eaten plain. The usual way is to eat it with sweetened condensed milk.

Pampushka

very popular in Ukrainian Cuisine. It is  basically a small savory or sweet yeast-raised bun. Traditionally hey are made of yeast dough (wheat, rye, or buckwheat flour). Baked but may also be fried.  The savory pampushky have no filling. They are usually seasoned with garlic sauce and often served as a side dish with red borscht. The sweet pampushky may be filled with fruits, berries, jam, or poppy seeds, and topped with powdered sugar.

Potato roll

very popular type of roll, and very tasty at the same time. It is made almost the same way, as any other flour roll. But there is a difference. The potion of flour, while making the dough, is swapped for mashed potatoes, or simply potato flour.  Baked till its golden brown. Perfect for any type of sandwiches, as well for being a hamburger bun.

Onion Roll

they are a rolls of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. They are quite similar to a  regular bun, made of yeasted eggy dough. The difference comes from adding dried onions into the dough mixture,  which create its signature flavor. The roll  before baking is often topped with dried onions, and occasionally poppy seeds. Onion rolls are immensely  popular in the Jewish  culinary world.

Longevity peach

or shoutao, is  one of the types of lotus seed bun. The longevity peach is a representation of Peaches of Immortality . It  sometimes contain a filling made of red bean paste or lotus paste. It is white in color,  with a red dyed tip, mimicking the shape of a peach. According to Chinese folk legends, these peaches ripen every thousands of years, and grant immortality to the person who eat t. The pastry is typically served at the birthdays of elderly people to celebrate their achievement in having reached old age.

Anpan

Japanese sweet roll most commonly filled with red bean ( Azuki legume) paste. It can also be filled with a white bean, green been, sesame or chestnut mixture. The sweet dough is made from Japanese sweet milk bread dough.it is quite similar to brioche dough.

Pan de Muerto

is a type of pan dulce ( Mexican Sweet Bread) traditionally baked in Mexico during the weeks leading up to the Día de Muertos. Simple sweet bread recipe, often with the addition of anise seeds, and other times flavored with orange flower water or orange zest. Often decorated with bone shaped pieces, sculls, and crossbones . Pan de Muerto is eaten on Día de Muertos, at the gravesite.

Sticky Bun

another type of dessert or breakfast sweet roll.  Generally, it is made  of rolled pieces of leavened dough. It is remarkably similar to the cinnamon roll, with an addition of  caramel, brown sugar, and pecans.  The individual rolls are cut from previously rolled up dough, with cinnamon  sweet and buttery spread, between the layers.  Before the dough is placed in the baking-pan, the bottom  is lined with the “sticky” ingredients, such as:  brown sugar, honey (or both), caramel, nuts, and raisins etc. After the buns are baked, they are inverted so that the pan lining then becomes a topping

Belgian bun

it is a sweet bun, where the dough is filled with sultanas. The bun is usually topped with fondant icing and half a glace ( candied)  cherry. Some recipes also include lemon curd. The bun is round or square shaped, with rounded off edges, making it similar in appearance to a Chelsea bun. It is also sometimes served with cream.

*Fun Fact: the bun, does not have any connection with Belgium!

Polish breakfast roll

white wheat bun, which is the most popular breakfast vessel. They come pretty large in size, even up to 4 inches. White crispy exterior, with soft and fluffy interior.  The top, has characteristic crack, running through the middle . It easily allows you to the bun in half.

Milk bread roll

Milk Roll is a soft, round type of bread from Blackpool in Lancashire England. It is traditionally it is made using milk instead of water, as well as white flour, yeast, and sugar. Milk Roll is soft, light textured with a soft crust. Instead of making one large loaf, the idea is to make individual, small, portioned rolls.  The size is different, but the flavor and the texture stays the same .

Jagodzianki

sweet yeast buns, made in summer in Poland. The seasonality is due to fact that is the bun is stuffed with fresh, blueberries ( which grows naturally during the summer months), therefore the name  ( Jagoda in Polish mean berry). The enriches, yeasted dough ( some recipes calls even to substitute the water with warm milk), is  generously filled up with mixture of blueberries and sugar. Formed into oval shape and bake until golden brown.

Challah roll

particularly important part of Jewish culinary tradition. The enriched dough is usually parve (containing neither dairy nor meat—important in the laws of Kashrut), unlike brioche and other enriched European breads, which contain butter or milk. Nevertheless, that is does not stop, the texture of the bun to be , immensely soft, with rich golden crust.  Traditional the rolls are in knotted form, with sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.

Sweet roll

A sweet roll or sweet bun refers to any of a number of sweet, baked, yeast-leavened breakfast or dessert foods. They may contain spices, nuts, candied fruits, chocolate, etc., and are often glazed or topped with icing.  Compared to regular bread dough, sweet roll has much higher levels of sugar, fat, eggs, and yeast. They are often round and are small enough to comprise a single serving. These differ from pastries, which are made from a paste-like batter;  from cakes, which are typically unleavened or chemically leavened; and from doughnuts, which are deep fried.

Italian Hoagie roll

or hero roll is a type of long flat roll used to prepare hoagie sandwiches. The dough is made from the standard ingredients: flour, egg, milk, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, and yeast. Of course, there are some versions, with the whole wheat flour, sourdough, multigrain, as well some will  include sesame seeds atop the roll, which may add extra flavor and textural elements.  The bin is soft and fluffy, without very thick crust. Hoagie rolls are sometimes toasted before being used to prepare a sandwich

Tahini Roll

A tahini roll or tahini bread roll is a sweet pastry found commonly in the cuisines of Armenia , Cyprus and Greece, Turkey,  and in Arab cuisine . They are a popular street food in Cyprus. The dough includes sugar and oil and has a texture between a bread and a cookie. It is leavened with yeast and can be baked after the first rise.  Sometimes the pastry may be soaked in syrup of sugar or honey, and flavored with cinnamon. Tahini rolls are made by rolling the dough flat, spreading it with the tahini mixture, sprinkling with sugar, and rolling into a log shape. The idea is remarkably similar to making cinnamon roll.

Saffron bun

rich, spiced yeast-leavened sweet bun that is flavored with saffron and contains dried fruit including currants and raisins similar to a teacake. The main ingredients are plain flour, butter, yeast, caster sugar, currants, and sultanas. Larger versions baked in a loaf tin are known as saffron cake.

Croissant

A croissant is a buttery, flaky pastry of Austrian origin, named for its historical crescent shape. Croissants are made of a layered yeast-leavened dough. The dough contains huge amount of utter, to create those characteristic layers.

Ciabatta bun

Ciabatta is the Italian word for “slipper”, and this Italian-made bread made entirely of just a few basic ingredients, including water, salt, yeast, and wheat flour. Depending on where in Italy you find this type of bread, its crust and even its texture can vary, but the main ingredients are the exact same in every loaf you find. Ciabatta bread is perfect for paninis and sandwiches, as well as many other dishes.  For sandwiches, ciabatta will be formed in 2 varieties: square bins, and oblong ones.

Honey bun

fried yeast pastry that contains honey and a swirl of cinnamon in the dough and is glazed with icing. Unlike most sweet rolls, which are generally the product of bakeries, honey buns are common convenience store and vending machine fare. Normally sold individually wrapped, alone or in boxes of 6 or more, they are a popular grab-and-go breakfast, eaten cold or heated in a microwave oven. Well, unfortunately , the highly processed , bun in a package, is a truly American invention.

Papo secos 

These are light and airy Portuguese rolls.  They are the perfect vehicle for the classic bifana sandwich fillings or simply a smear of butter. The bread dough is made in very traditional way. The only difference is in the appearance when it comes to shaping the buns.  They have slightly elongated shape, with a pointy end on both sides … the bun also has a crease, running through the middle, that has made its look so characteristic.  The crusty, exterior, and soft inside make for the perfect combination.

Dinner roll

the whole category , of small rolls, rather not for making sandwiches, but as an accompaniment to the dinner, as the name suggest. It is a very wide space, of plenty of varieties. The rolls can be white, whole white, multigrain, sourdough, graham, with seeds on top or without , flavored with herbs, round, knotted, bake as traybake, nicely shaped, and so much more…

Graham roll

the healthy graham flour ( almost like the whole wheat, but a little better for you), turned into bread dough. Traditional use of after, flour and yeast, to create delicious treats. Graham rolls can be flavored whit herbs ( rosemary, thyme, etc.), they can be topped with seeds, or even oats on top, before baking. The crust is nice, and crunchy, without being overly thick. The rolls are great for sandwiches, or just with a smear of butter.