Tuna Bun with Corn and Mozzarella Cheese

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The pillowy milk buns filled with savory tuna, corn, and mozzarella cheese make these the perfect delicious grab-and-go snack or picnic meal. Follow my detailed step by step instructions with pictures and tips and you can also recreate these delicious buns at home!

Tuna bun is a classic item in Asian bakeries that appears in various forms in different areas. In Taiwan, we usually make the filling with a mixture of canned tuna, corn and mayo. I like to top them with some shredded mozzarella cheese, as the baked mozzarella adds some nice textural contrast.

Just like my Taiwanese milk butter bun and Taiwanese pineapple bun, this recipe also uses Yudane method, which is an easy way to improve the texture of the bun while allowing it to stay soft longer.

If you don't want to make the water roux in this recipe, you can also just follow the instructions for the dough from my baked custard bun or milk bun recipes.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

These delicious tuna buns are the ideal breakfast/brunch or afternoon snack, especially if you freeze some ahead of time.
I will teach you all the secrets I've picked up through the years of how to make delicious Asian style buns with step by step pictures and instructions.
They freeze and reheat well! You can make a batch and enjoy later whenever you want.

Ingredients You'll Need

Here are the main ingredients you'll need for making this recipe. Check the recipe box below for the full ingredient list with actual measurement.

Notes

Yeast - use instant yeast, I recommend using saf-instant yeast.
Milk - use whole milk for the best result.
Kewpie mayo - this has a richer flavor and thicker texture than the regular kind of mayo, you can find it online or in your local Asian grocery store.
Cake flour - adding a small amount of cake flour into the dough is an easy way to make the bread lighter and fluffier.
Corn kernel - frozen or canned both work.
Dried milk powder - dried milk powder improves both the flavor and texture of the bun, you can skip it if you don't have it, but I highly recommend using it. You can also use this to make snowflake crisp and Taiwanese milk butter bun if you need more reasons to get some.
Honey - honey helps keep the bun moist.
Canned tuna - I used chunk light tuna in water, which has lower mercury level.
Butter - use good quality unsalted butter

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 - Make yudane roux paste the day before.

Pour boiling water into a small bowl with bread flour and immediately mix well. Cover and store in the fridge after it's cooled for between 12 and 48 hours.

Step 2 - Make milk bun dough.

In a stand mixer, mix all the dough ingredients except yeast, sea salt and unsalted butter until a rough dough is formed. Cover and and let it rest for 30 minutes.

This step is called the autolyse method, which will help shorten the kneading time later and prevent the dough from getting too warm (which negatively impacts the texture of the buns).

After resting, add yeast and knead for 1-2 minutes on medium speed before adding salt. Knead for another 2-3 minutes before adding unsalted butter, one piece at a time. Knead on medium high speed until the dough is smooth and able to pass the windowpane test (see FAQ below for more details). This takes about 10 minutes.

Make sure the dough stays cool during the entire kneading process. If the temperature of your dough becomes higher than 82°F (28°C) when it's done kneading, place it on a tray and chill it in the freezer for 1-2 minutes before proofing.

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and proof in a warm place (82°F / 28°C) for an hour or until the dough just about doubles in size.

Quick tip - If you find it difficult to tell whether it has doubled in size or not, place the dough in a container with about double of the volume of the dough. That way, when the dough nearly fills the container, you know it's done proofing.

Step 3 - Shape the buns.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions with dough cutter (don't tear it!)

Flatten the dough with your palm before folding the edges in to the center, pinch them together to form a ball and flip it over so that the seam side is down (see picture below).

Process shots of how to roll a dough ball.

Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Take one piece of dough ball, dust a bit of flour on the working surface and the dough before rolling into a 4" round. Repeat the same for the rest of the dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Cover with greased plastic wrap (I use oil spray, but you can also use your hand and apply a thin layer of vegetable oil on it.) and let them proof in a warm place (82°F / 28°C~ 95°F / 35°C) for 50 minutes.

Step 4 - While the dough is proofing, make tuna and corn filling.

In a bowl, stir all the filling ingredients together until well combined and store it in the fridge. When mixing, try not to smash the tuna too much.

Step 5 - Assemble the buns and bake

Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C, adjust the oven rack to the middle.

Use a cup that's around 2" (5cm) diameter on its bottom and dip it in the flour. Place the cup in the center of the dough and press it down to make a dent before brushing the surface of the dough with egg wash.

Place some tuna and corn filling in the indented area before topping with shredded mozzarella cheese. I sprinkled mine with some dried oregano to add more flavor, you can also sprinkle other kinds of herb you like or sliced scallion.

Bake the buns for 13-14 minutes or until golden brown. When it's done baking, transfer the buns to a cooling rack and let them cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Measure your ingredients with a kitchen scale! Especially for flour and liquids, because your one cup can be very different from my one cup.
Start with cold liquid - I learned this from professional bakers in Taiwan. Since the dough needs a lot of kneading, using cold liquid prevents the final dough from becoming too warm (which negatively impacts the texture of the bun). In summer, I would even place the milk in a freezer until a thin layer of ice forms near the edge before I use it.
Do the autolyse (30 minutes rest) in the fridge if you have space. This will keep the dough cool and prevent it from getting too warm after kneading.
When you make the dent, some big air bubbles might appear on the edge, if that happens, just pop them with the tip of a small knife.
The best proofing temperature is between 80 - 90°F (26.5 - 32°C). If your indoor temperature is too low, you can proof your dough in a sealed oven over a separate tray/pan on the bottom rack that's filled with boiling water.
If your oven has a proofing function, then for the first proof, only use this function for the first 20 minutes so that the temperature won't be too high. For the second proof, however, you can turn on the proofing function for the whole time as we need a higher temperature for the second proof.
Don't overproof your dough! This will affect the texture and the taste of your buns.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

This is not recommended, as the texture won't be as good.

Why is my dough still very sticky after kneading.

It's probably because it hasn't been kneaded enough or the dough is getting too warm. The final dough should have a silky/shining surface and feel cooler than your body temperature.

The texture should be soft and a little bit sticky but the dough shouldn't be hard to handle. If the dough is getting too warm before you're done kneading, put the mixing bowl in the fridge to cool it down for 20 minutes before you knead again.

Why is my dough not rising?

If your dough doesn't seem to rise after an hour, it might be that your yeast is not fresh or the proofing temperature is too low.

Why do many bubbles appear when I'm shaping the dough after the first proof?

It can be that your dough is overproved. Maybe the temperature is too high or the proofing time is too long.

What is the windowpane test and how do I do it?

The windowpane test is a simple way to check if the dough has been kneaded enough. To perform this test, simply get a small piece of dough and stretch it carefully to see if it can be stretched into a smooth and almost see-through membrane. I usually do this test once the surface of the dough is very smooth from kneading.

Can I do the first proof in the fridge?

Yes! Place the dough in a greased Ziploc bag, squeeze out the air and place it in the fridge overnight (12-24hrs). When you are ready to shape it, take it out and continue the rest of the steps directly. In this case, the second proof might take a bit longer, as the dough is cold.

Can I freeze these buns?

Yes! Actually freezing is the best way to store these buns if you are not eating within a day. Place the buns in a Ziploc bag once they cool completely and freeze it for up to three months. Never store these in the fridge as they will dry up.

How to reheat these buns from frozen?

Let the buns thaw for 30 minutes or so before baking in 350°F (180°C) for about 5 minutes, and it will taste as good as fresh ones!

I hope you will give this recipe a try! If you have more questions when you're making this recipe, please leave a comment below or send me a message through Instagram.

Happy baking!

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