Do you want to make homemade hamburgers or feel like a fluffy bun to eat with your meal? Does the thought of kneading put you off? Well, these fluffy, no-knead bread buns are just what you need. Make the dough, keep it in the bowl and activate the gluten in a few simple steps. Are you ready? Let’s bake.
These No-knead Bread Buns will certainly become a part of your weekly baking rotation. They are the no-knead version of the most popular recipe in my cookbook; my kneaded Parāoa Iti Tuatangata (Superhero buns). I love kneading but I also have a large mixer that kneads my dough and I often use that option. However, for this recipe, we leave the dough in the bowl and stretch and fold it instead.
What is stretch and folding in the No-knead Bread Buns?
Stretch and folding is a sourdough technique which I use all the time because it means the dough stays in the bowl. The process is super simple to do once you understand the basics. Combine the dough ingredients in the bowl. Then pull the dough high in the air and fold it back in to the centre of the bowl, turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Eventually, the repetition of this motion creates gluten strands which gives us a lovely, stretchy dough. The dough is slightly wetter when we use this technique but do not add more puehu parāoa (flour), just trust the process. Feeling like you love this idea but need a cheese injection? Kei te pai – all good, I got you! Try my cheesy no-knead bread buns recipe!
Have you got any other no-knead recipes?
Āe mārika – sure do! No-knead bread recipes have become a favourite of mine. Do you want a light, fluffy bread infused with kāriki (garlic), rēmana (lemon) and tāima (thyme)? Make this no-knead focaccia recipe. Or do you want a simple white loaf? Bake this no-knead bread loaf in a loaf tin or this rustic no-knead bread in a cast iron pot. If you want a sweeter variety, why not try my no-knead chocolate stuffed fry bread. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions), I am more than happy to help!
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
No-knead Bread Buns – Parāoa Iti Poke-kore
Ingredients
The Dough – Te Pokenga
- 2 ¼ C (565 ml) wai aromahana (lukewarm water)
- 2 ½ tbsp huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 1 sachet (8 g) īhi tere (instant yeast) OR 2 tbsp, double the amount of Surebake/breadmakers yeast.
- 5 C + 2 tbsp (770 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- 1 tbsp tote (salt, fine)
- 65 g pata kua rewaina (melted butter). If you don't want to use butter, replace it with the same amount of noni ōriwa (olive oil).
Instructions
The Dough – Te Pokenga
- Add the wai (water) and huka (sugar) in to a large bowl. Stir it until the huka (sugar) is dissolved. Sprinkle over the īhi tere (instant yeast), stir again and leave until foamy for 5 minutes.
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour), tote (salt) and pata (butter). Stir it all together with a bread and butter knife for 1-2 minutes until combined, use your hands to make sure all the puehu parāoa and pata (butter) are combined well. It will be sticky, don't add any more flour.
- Cover the bowl with a bowl cover or tea towel. Leave to rise for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, stretch and fold the dough. (Refer to the video for a guide).
- With wet hands, take a handful of dough from the side of the bowl, pull it high in the air and then place it in to the centre of the bowl. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat that process. Every time you place the dough in to the centre it is one count. In total do 30-35 stretch and folds. This should only take a minute.
- Cover the bowl again and leave for 30 minutes. Then repeat the stretch and fold process. This time do 25 stretch and folds.
- Cover again and leave the dough for 15 minutes to rise.
- Lightly grease a 25 cm by 35 cm tray with a little noni (oil). Try and get a tray close to this size as it helps the buns rise in a more uniform way.
- Tip the risen dough on to lightly floured bench. Divide the dough in to 12 equal pieces. Don't be tempted to knead the dough again here, we want to handle the dough lightly so the buns stay nice and fluffy.
- Take each piece, fold all the corners in to the centre until you have a tight ball, seal the seams by pinching them with your fingers. (Refer to the video for a guide).
- Flip the dough over and use your hands to tuck it in to a ball shape. Place it on to the oiled tray. Repeat with each piece of dough.
- Cover the buns with a tea towel and rise for 45 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 175 °C. Bake for 25 – 27 minutes until baked and golden.
- To test if the buns are done, press the bottom part of one of the buns. If the buns springs back, they are ready. If when you press it, the dough stays indented, bake for a couple more minutes.
- When the buns come straight out of the oven, brush them with a knob of pata (butter) for a glossy finish. These are at their best eaten immediately or cut open and toasted the next day.
I have been a fan of your super hero buns recipe for a while now so couldn’t wait to try the no knead version. Oh my GOSH, these were so easy to make! I will never go back to the kneading 😉 HA! I love that all your tips work! (Like make sure you incorporate the butter – I may have missed that step… still delicious tho) My family loved having fresh buns for lunch! Thank you for always sharing your tips and tricks with us!
Yes Sheridan! Best feedback EVER!!!
I loved this parāoa recipe! Great instructions in te reo and english with awesome results. Yum!
Wonderful to hear that Rach – I love this recipe too. So stoked you enjoy it. Ngā mihi, Naomi
Morena, can you freeze the buns for later use? They look delicious.
Kia ora Jenny, yes you totally can. I would make sure that they cool right down and then cut them through the middle for ease of opening after they are frozen. Store in a plastic bag.
These have quickly become a whānau fave!! Easy to make and light fluffy buns.
Ngā mihi Naomi.
So glad that you enjoy this recipe Ngawaiata, there is nothing quite like a homemade bun! Ngā mihi!
These are easy (I did use my Kenwood and dough kneading function) and so yummy! Did not disappoint!
I am also making the cottage cheese and cumin loaf to go with soup for dinner and can’t wait to try that. And I found a copy of your cookbook to order and am very excited to get it!
Kia ora Nic, so stoked to hear that you enjoyed the bread buns recipe. I have been making them heaps lately too. The Cumin and Cottage Cheese Loaf is so delicious as well – let me know what you think! And yay, regarding the cookbook. I really hope you love it!