I’ve always love corned beef when I was a kid (decades ago) and I still do. The only difference is that when I was a kid and even when I reached my teenage years, I will eat it whenever I have a chance to eat it. Whether with rice and egg or simply with a bread. When I moved in Canada, and of course I am much much older and hopefully more informed and wiser, eating canned corned beef is something that happens only once a year.

Yes, for something that I really like, I only eat it once a year. You probably know the answer why, well because it is a known fact that canned processed food is really not that best option for a meal.

I used to buy the brand Pure Foods way back in the Philippines and I was happy to see that they are available in the Asian store close to my place. Even if I only eat it once a year, it’s fine. For me, it’s just a matter of satisfying my corned beef craving.

The canned corned beef I used to buy changed a lot. The shred of meat are finer now and more mushy as compared before where it still looks like real beef. It still taste good, just different.

This year, I decided to use the corned beef to stuff the buns, call it Corned Beef Buns. If you can find a not canned corned beef, like those shredded frozen corned beef, that would be a better option. The canned corned beef if convenient when you are in a hurry, which I was.

Simply saute the corned beef and season it to your liking. Be careful in adding salt as canned processed goods have high sodium already. Add as much paprika or cayenne peppers for heat, that I would recommend if you like it hot. I kept it simple, just garlic, onion and corned beef. You can also add diced potato for a hearty filling. It’s your corned beef, do what makes you happy 🙂

If you don’t like corned beef, you can stuff this buns with shredded beef brisket, curried chicken and potato or to make it vegan, just curried potato. Really, this is such a flexible recipe. All you need is the bread dough to start with, and when it comes to the filling, fill it with whatever makes you happy.

I used my basic small batch bread roll recipe but you can use any of your favorite bread dough. I scaled down this dough recipe to make just 3 medium size buns, perfect for sharing or just for you for don’t want to share.

If you are eating corned beef only occasionally, try to make this buns. You will only need half of the can to fill the buns, which means you can have the rest and eat it with rice and egg, yum!

Tips for a Successful Soft Homemade Bread

• Liquid Temperature – Yeast grows in temperature between 105 – 110F, so its important to have the water that you are using to “proof” it in this range. If you go lower or higher, the yeast will not proof properly. That means the bread will not rise as much, resulting in a flat and tough bread. 
• Check Yeast Expiry a Date – you might be wondering how come the bread did not rise when you followed exactly the recipe. Well, first thing first, make sure the yeast is not yet expired. Expired yeast is the common reason for flat and dense bread. If your bread did not expand or rise during the rest period, it is most likely that the yeast is not fresh or the water temperature is too hot or cold.
• Amount of Yeast – Just because you want a tall bread doesn’t mean you have to put as much yeast in the mixture. Sometimes adding too much yeast can cause the bread to collapse during the rest period. Just imagine putting more air than what is needed in a balloon, the balloon will explode. The same case with bread. 
• Right Type of Yeast – We’ve discussed the 3 types of yeast above. Make sure to use the right one for your recipe, and make necessary adjustments if you want to swap one from another. 
• Rest Period – Yeast bread needs time to rise. There are bread that uses less yeast but requires more rest time, the likes of No Knead Bread or Artisan Bread which usually require 8- 16 hours rest period to get the volume and to develop the flavor. There are 1 hour bread like my Rosemary Dinner Rolls which used this same bread dough. The point is, give it time to rest, don’t touch it just leave it in a warm place. The first rest period will normally tell you if your dough is good or not. If it rise and almost double in size, then your on the right track.  
• Expiration and Quality of the Flour – The quality of the flour greatly affect the texture of the bread. All-purpose flour could differ from country to country although they are all called as all-purpose flour. Sometimes it depends on the brand too. The closer the flour to expiration date or if it is already expired, the flour could tend to be drier, which means it would require more liquid than mentioned in the recipe. This is a common issue of way sometimes the dough tend to be tough and dry. This is why sometimes you have to add few more tablespoon from the suggested flour measurement to get the right texture. The dough should be soft, smooth and elastic. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour until it is no longer to sticky to handle. If it is too dry, a small amount of liquid helps provide moisture to the dough. A clean side of the bowl, with the dough slightly sticking at the bottom, a soft, smooth and elastic dough is what You are aiming for.

How do I Know if I Made the Bread Dough Correctly?

• Activating the Yeast –  This is the first thing that you should get right, otherwise do NOT proceed. After 5 – 10 minutes you should see a foam forms on top of the water, this is an indication that the yeast is alive. If you do not get this, either the yeast is old or the liquid temperature is too hot or cold. The temperature should be 100F, lukewarm but not hot.
• Clean Bowl After Kneading – The sides of the bowl should be clean, while the bottom is slightly sticking to the dough. This means that amount of liquid to the flour is correct. Enough to make a clean bowl and still make a slightly wet dough.
• Soft Dough – Soft dough means the amount of flour to liquid is enough. Too much flour could make the bread dense and heavy, and too much liquid could make it too wet. Both will affect how the bread rise in the rest period. Try to push your fingers in the dough, it should leave a “dimple” on the dough and should gradually disappear.
• Smooth Dough Surface – Again, this is a sign of correct flour to liquid ratio. A “bumpy” surface could mean that the dough is dry and tough.
• Elastic Dough – A soft dough is usually elastic. If your dough is dry and tough, it wouldn’t be as elastic when you pull it apart.
• First Rest Period – The dough should almost double in size. This is a sign that the activation of the yeast work which is crucial to making a soft and fluffy bread. This also means the yeast is alive (not yet expired) and the liquid temperature is correct. I always use baking thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid.
• Second Rest Period – The bread dough should be really puff up. This is crucial and the final state of the bread before baking. If you are able to make it puff-up, that is a good sign that there are air trapped inside which will make the bread fluffy.

Why is My Dough too Wet or too Dry?

Don’t get frustrated if your dough did not turn out immediately as what you see in the photo or video. Most likely It is not because you did not follow the recipe. When it comes to bread making, the amount of flour and liquid is not always 100% precise. This is why often times you will encounter recipes that says, if your dough is dry, add a bit more liquid. If your dough is too wet, add a little bit more flour. This instructions are not meant to confuse you, they are meant to guide you on how to adjust as you work through your dough. The reason for this is that  although the measurement of water and flour are specified in the recipe, it still could slightly vary depending on many factors. For instance, all-purpose flour could very from country to country, or even from brand to brand. Don’t be surprise if you find that some brand tends to require a bit more liquid as the others. On top of this, the amount of liquid is also affected by the state of your flour. How old is the flour that you are using? Older flour nearing expiry tends to be drier and this requires more liquid. Humidity also affects baking. The more humid it is, the more likely the dough will be sticky and wet. Bread making requires patience, and practice. Once you learn how to feel the right texture of the dough, everything will be quick and easy. You can instantly tell if you need to add more water or flour to get the dough in right state.

Dough

• 1/4 cup Water (warm to 110F)
• 2 tablespoons granulated Sugar 
• 1/3 tablespoons Salt
• 1 cup Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tablespoons Flavorless Oil
• 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs or Almond Flour – for rolling the buns

Corned Beef

• 1 Can Corned Beef
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil
• chopped Red Onion
• garlic

Instructions:

1. Make the Corned Beef Filling: In a heated pan, saute garlic and onion. Add corned beef. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Activate the Yeast: Pour the milker water is the mixing bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and stir. Add active dry yeast, stir and leave for 10 minutes to bloom. Add oil.
   • If using instant yeast, mix the yeast with the dry ingredients. No need to activate it.
3. Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, salt and remaining sugar. Knead for 15 minutes. Continue mixing until the dough comes together completely, the side of the bowl is clean and the dough slightly sticking at the bottom of the pan. Do not stop mixing until you get to this stage. It takes time to fully incorporate the butter to the flour mixture, be patient.
4. Let Rest 1st Time: Transfer in a greased bowl. Cover and let rest for 60 minutes in a warm place.
   • Trick: Pre-heat the oven to 110F then turn it OFF. Put the covered dough inside for 15 minutes.
5. Portion the Dough Divide the dough into 3 portions.
6. Fill: Fill each portion with corned beef, 2-3 tablespoon each. Pinch the seam to seal.
7. Breadcrumbs: Roll in bread crumbs or almond flour.
8. Arrange in a baking pan, spacing each buns at least 2 inches apart.
9. Let Rest 2nd Time: Place in a warm place to rise for 60 – 90 minutes. It will be puffy when ready, if needed extend until the bread is fully puff-up.
10. Oven: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F in the last 10 minutes of 2nd rest time. If you are using the oven to rest the dough, do NOT forget to take the dough out before pre-heating.
11. Bake – Bake in the middle rack for 10 – 15 minutes. Rotate the pan half way the baking time.
12. Let Cool completely to allow the bread texture to get better.

Makes 3 pieces

Enjoy! If you make this, share and tag me in Instagram #SweetNSpicyLiving. I would like to see your creations too.

Featured Posts:

• [VIDEO] Jalapeno and Cheese Monkey Bread
• [VIDEO] Tuna Cheese Buns
• [VIDEO] Sausage and Cheese Bread
• [VIDEO] Cheese Bread Stick
• [VIDEO] Blueberry and Peach Custard Buns
• [VIDEO] Korean Garlic Bread
• [VIDEO] Purple Yam Wool Bread
• [VIDEO] Rosemary Cheese Buns
• [VIDEO] Blueberry Ricotta Cake

My Latest Video

Thank You for visiting my website. Please don’t forget to click the “Like” button below if you like this recipe. Lastly, did you know that I have a YouTube Channel? Please support my channel by clicking on the “Subscribe” button in my video and the “Bell” icon to get notification of new videos.

FOLLOW SWEETNSPICYLIVING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube