This recipe has been with my mom since 1950 given to her by her good friend Pat. Aunty Pat was known for her excellent cooking and making the best buns in town. This is the classic homemade Canadian prairie dinner bun recipe. Helen McKinney's Canadian Prairie Dinner Buns: mom's classic recipe served at picnics and potlucks and Sunday and church dinners now and when I was a child.
Place the next four ingredients (butter, sugar, salt and egg) in mixing bowl; beat to combine well
03Heat the milk to room temperature in the microwave; add to bowl and whisk to combine
04Add 3 cups of flour one at a time; whisking to combine with the mixer until batter leaves ribbon in the bowl (the batter is beginning to gain substance and a spoonful of it can be seen when poured back onto the surface of it for a moment or two)
05Stir the yeast mixture to combine; add it to the flour mixture and whisk to combine well
06Remove bowl from mixing stand; continue to fold in remaining 2-21/2 cups of flour by hand with a large spoon until a sticky dough ball has formed
07Lightly flour a work surface; place dough onto the work surface and knead until no longer sticky
08After kneading for 7-8 minutes; rest for 3-5 minutes
09Knead again until you hear popping sounds as the rise in the dough crackles with the knead
10Dough will be soft like a baby's bottom and elastic
11Butter the bowl; place the dough in the bowl face down, work it a bit and turn it over to proof
12Cover with a warm damp cloth and place in a warm place until double in size
13Instructions for Making the Buns: Preheat the oven to 375 F
14Lightly flour the work surface; turn the risen dough upside down onto the work surface
15Fold over onto itself three times; pat it into a rectangle about 12 x 15; dust a large biscuit cutter with flour and cut the buns out of the dough
16Please the buns on a parchment covered cookie sheet; let raise until double again )a good 30 minutes)
17Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown; remove from oven and gloss tops of each with butter
18Cool
19Instructions for the Thermomix: Leaving out the yeast, weigh next seven ingredients into the Thermomix bowl (water, sugar, butter, salt, sugar again, egg and milk); combine for 8 minutes at 40 degrees C, speed 2 (this ensures all ingredients are at good proofing temperature)
20Weigh in yeast; proof for 3 minutes 40 degrees C, speed 2
21Rest for 10 minutes (not really necessary, but a nod to honour those who came before and nice to watch the batter grow)
22Weigh 250 grams of flour into the TM bowl; combine for 2 minutes at 40C speed 2
23Weigh remaining 500 grams flour into TM bowl; mix until dough forms a ball for 10 seconds, speed 0-4
24Knead for 4 minutes
25Dough will be soft like a baby's bottom and elastic
26Butter the bowl; place the dough in the bowl face down, work it a bit and turn it over to proof
27Cover with a warm damp cloth and place in a warm place until double in size