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Fluffy and light fresh buns or rolls.
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Air Buns Recipe with Yeast

Fresh homemade air buns with a golden outside and a light, airy inside. Make them crusty or soft sided, whichever your family prefers.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Canadian
Keyword Air Buns, air buns recipe, dinner rolls, homemade buns, yeast buns
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rising Time 5 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg active dry yeast traditional yeast, 2 1/4 tsp
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • ½ cup lard soft at room temperature
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 ½ cups lukewarm water
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 9-10 cups al-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Make sure your bowl is warm. If it isn't, swirl some hot water in it, then empty it.
  • Add 1/2 cup lukewarm water to the bowl and mix in 1 teaspoon of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let soak for 10 minutes until the yeast is soft and foamy.
    A large ceramic bowl filled with yeast that is all soft and bubbly, ready for making butterhorns.
  • In a second large, warm bowl, add 3 1/2 cups lukewarm water, 1/2 cup lard, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir together until the lard melts.
  • Add the softened yeast to the lard mixture, then add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Stir to combine.
  • Add the flour two cups at a time, stirring after each addition. 
    Mixing bread dough for making a bun recipe sometimes called a rolls recipe.
  • Once you’ve added 8 cups of flour, add one more cup. By now, the dough will be getting thick. Wash your hands, then slide your hand under the dough and fold it over into the middle.
  • Continue folding the dough into the middle, turning the bowl 1/4 turn after each fold, until most of the flour is incorporated.
    Kneading bun dough for making dinner rolls.
  • Once all the flour is incorporated, sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour onto a clean counter and keep another 1/2 cup nearby for dusting as needed. Place your dough onto the floured counter and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, folding it over, pushing down and forward with the heels of your hands, and turning it 1/4 turn. As you knead your dough, it will become less sticky. Eventually, when you fold the dough over, the flour will no longer stick to the dough ball. This is when I quit kneading. Your dough should be a nice round ball.
    A bowl full of fresh bun recipe.
  • Clean the large dough bowl and your dough covered hands. Grease the inside of the bowl with butter. Place the dough in the bowl with the smooth surface on top. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm spot away from drafts.
  • Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
    Easy buns recipe dough being made into fresh homemade dinner rolls.
  • Punch the dough down, fold the sides into the middle, and form it into a ball again. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
    Bun dough that is being punched down while making a bun recipe.
  • Shape the dough into balls. For crusty buns, place them a couple of inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. For soft dinner rolls, place them 1 inch apart in well greased pans.
  • Let the shaped buns rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Remove the buns from the oven and transfer to a wire rack or clean towels to cool. For soft tops, brush with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. For crusty buns, skip the butter.

Notes

  • Use traditional active dry yeast, not quick-rise or instant yeast
  • Rising times are approximate and will vary with the temperature of your kitchen. Let the dough double in size at each rise.
  • Scoop the flour into your measuring cup and level it with a knife. Use only as much of the reserved flour as needed when kneading.