Step 1: Make the Tangzhong
Add ¼ cup (40g) fresh milled flour and ½ cup milk to a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens into a paste. Transfer this paste to the bowl of your stand mixer.

Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients
Add the butter, honey, lemon juice, 1 cup milk, and eggs to the mixer bowl with the tangzhong. Whisk until well combined. The tangzhong will stay a little lumpy when whisking, but that's okay because it will get fully incorporated during the kneading process.

Step 3: Add the Dry Ingredients
Stir in the fresh milled flour, yeast and salt until a dough forms.

Step 4: Knead the Dough
Add the yeast and salt to the dough. Knead in a stand mixer with the hook attachment for 8-10 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test (windowpane test checks if gluten is developed. To perform, grab a portion of the dough and stretch. If it stretches thin and translucent without tearing, you're done kneading. If it tears immediately, knead for 1-2 more minutes and retest).

Important: The dough will be sticky — that's normal! I find that adding 60ish grams additional flour during kneading is necessary, but don't be tempted to keep adding or your buns will turn out dense.

Step 5: First Rise
Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil and transfer the dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Step 6: Shape the Buns
After the first rise, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth ball by gently folding the edges underneath. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, then gently flatten each one with your palm to create a hamburger bun shape.

Step 7: Second Rise
Cover the shaped buns with plastic wrap and let them rise until puffy, about 30 mins to 1 hour.

Step 8: Preheat the Oven
Towards the end of the second rise, set your oven to 350°F.

Step 9: Bake
Uncover the buns and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. (17 minutes is my sweet spot!)

Step 10: Finish (Optional)
Brush the tops of the warm buns with melted butter for extra softness and flavor.