SLIDER BUNS

Makes: 18 (3-inch) buns

3 ounces full-fat cream cheese 1 cup whole milk

1( ¼ -ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)

2 ¾ cups bread flour (1 3 ounces), plus more for rolling 3 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or avocado, plus more for the bowl

3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 . Cut 3 ounces cream cheese into 4 pieces.

2 . Place 1 cup whole milk and 1 (¼ -ounce) packet active dry yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with a whisk or fork until the yeast is dissolved. Add the cream cheese, 2 ¾ cups bread flour, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 3 tablespoons neutral oil, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

3 . Mix with the hook attachment on low speed (#3 on a KitchenAid stand mixer) until a smooth, fairly soft dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers forms, about 1 0 minutes.

4 . Coat a large bowl with neutral oil or cooking spray. Transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.

5 . Punch the dough down with your fist to deflate it. Lift the dough, and in your hands, fold it on itself a couple of times to form a ball. Return the dough to the bowl seam-side down. Cover again and refrigerate for at least 1 2 hours or up to 4 8 hours.

6 . When ready to proceed, remove dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper lightly coated with cooking spray.

7 . Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work

Cooking spray

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

¼ cup white sesame seeds (optional)

surface. Divide the dough into 1 8 pieces (about

1 ½ ounces each). To do this without a scale, pat the dough down into a rectangle. Cut the dough lengthwise into 2 even pieces, then cut each piece crosswise into 9 pieces for a total of 1 8 .

8 . Form each piece into a round ball by pushing down with the heel of your hand (lightly flour your hand but not the work surface if the dough is sticky) while moving your hand in a circular motion, then cupping the ball toward the end. Place them on the baking sheets, spacing them evenly apart. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand until about 2 inches wide.

9 . Cover the buns with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towels. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 3 0 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 3 7 5 degrees. Place 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until fully combined. If you want to be fancy like a pro chef, strain it through the fine-mesh strainer into another small bowl to remove any stringy parts of the egg.

1 0 . Uncover buns and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with ¼ cup white sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, 1 2 to 1 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets before splitting them open and stuffing them with your favorite filling.