These Tuna Buns are perfect for quick lunches, snacks or picnic food. You will love the savory tuna filling nestled inside soft bread with sesame seeds as a tasty garnish.
I love how I am able to put in anything I want to, whatever I was craving at the moment. Remember when I said on Instagram that I think I am spending half the summer thinking of what to fill bread with? I was serious.
Today, we have a savory filled bread. Today, we put those canned tuna in your pantry to good use.
And the sesame seeds toppings! They add a wonderful savory touch and texture to the buns. I wouldn’t skip it.
How to Make Tuna Buns?
In a mixing bowl, combine yeast, warm water and about a teaspoon of sugar. Let this stand for 5 minutes, or until it is foamy. Add milk, egg, softened butter, sugar and salt. Stir everything with a wooden spoon.
Add 3 cups of flour gradually, stirring until incorporated. Add just enough of the remaining flour, until the dough gathers into a shaggy mass. You may not need all of the flour.
Turn the dough over on a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic and can stretch thinly. As you knead, add flour sparingly as needed to help when the dough sticks too much to the board or your hands. But don’t overdo it.
Shape it into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, or until the size is doubled. (New to kneading? See How to Knead Bread Dough with Video)
Gently deflate the dough and divide to 12 portions. Using a rolling pin or your palms, flatten a portion into 1/4 inch thickness. Spoon about a tablespoon of the tuna mixture in the center of the dough.
Fold the edges over the center and pull it over to cover the filling. Shape the dough into a smooth ball, tucking the ends underneath to close. Repeat with all the remaining dough.
Arrange the dough balls on a baking pan that is lined with parchment paper. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise again for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake tuna buns at 350 F for 18-22 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm.
More Filled Bread For You:
- Strawberry Cream Buns
- Spanish Bread
- Honey Cream Buns with Honey Glaze
- Chocolate Brioche
- Chocolate Croissant
More Savory Bread:
- Mushroom Jalapeno Naan Pizza
- Chicken BBq Pizza
- Whole Wheat Focaccia with Caramelized Onions
- Easy Focaccia
- Garlic Herb Bread
Tuna Buns
These Tuna Buns are perfect for quick lunches, snacks or picnic food. You will love the savory tuna filling nestled inside soft bread with sesame seeds as a tasty garnish.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1/4 cup warm water 105-115 F
- 2 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup softened butter unsalted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cup plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
For the Tuna Filling
- 1 and 1/4 cup (dry measuring cup) unflavored tuna flakes from the can, drained or 2 Century tuna cans / 2 x121 grams
- 4 stalks green onion chopped
- 4 tbsp mayonnaisse
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced onion
- sesame seeds for toppings
Instructions
Prepare the Tuna Filling
-
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside
Make the Dough
-
In a mixing bowl, combine yeast, warm water and about a teaspoon of sugar. Let this stand for 5 minutes, or until it is foamy. Add milk, egg, softened butter, sugar and salt. Stir everything with a wooden spoon.
-
Add 3 cups of flour gradually, stirring until incorporated. Add just enough of the remaining flour, until the dough gathers into a shaggy mass. You may not need all of the flour.
-
Turn the dough over on a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic and can stretch thinly. Add flour sparingly as needed to help when the dough sticks too much to the board or your hands. Shape it into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, or until the size is doubled.
-
Gently deflate the dough and divide to 12 portions. Using a rolling pin or your palms, flatten a portion into 1/4 inch thickness. Spoon about a tablespoon of the tuna mixture in the center of the dough. Fold the edges over the center and pull it over to cover the filling. Shape the dough into a smooth ball, tucking the ends underneath to close. Repeat with the remaining dough.
-
Arrange the dough balls on a baking pan that is lined with parchment paper. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise again for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
-
Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake at 350 F for 18-22 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm. Store leftovers in a tightly closed container at room temperature for up to two days.
This looks so delicious !! Do you know how we can make the dough in either a bread machine or with a stand mixer ? Thanks !!
Thank you, Elizabeth! To do this on a stand mixer, start everything using the bowl of a stand mixer. Once you begin to add the flour, use the dough hook attachment to stir the dough, adding the flour one cup at a time. Use medium speed. Then add the remaining flour gradually as you stir the dough. Once the dough gathers in the center of the bowl and starts to cling to the dough hook. Stop adding the flour and just continue to run the mixer on medium speed until the dough looks smooth. If you take a portion out with your hands, you should be able to stretch it thinly. This should not take long using a stand mixer. The key is to keep checking the texture of the dough 🙂 Good luck!