This sweet dough recipe can be used for almost anything, from burgers to hot dog buns. It's versatile, easy to work with, and delicious. In addition, the recipe is simple to follow and requires no fancy ingredients.
So give it a try the next time you're in the mood for some fresh, soft, sweet bread. I promise it'll be a new fan favorite.
How to Make Sweet Dough
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Place the lukewarm (about 110F to 115F) water in a small bowl, sprinkle with yeast and a pinch of sugar, stirring to combine. Set aside at room temperature until a frothy layer forms on top, 5–10 minutes.
Mix the flour, sugar, and salt into the large bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on low speed to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour, pour the yeast mixture over, and combine on medium speed until a shaggy dough forms.
Add the softened butter. Knead the dough on low speed using the dough hook attachment for 6–8 minutes.
If the dough is still very sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon until soft and smooth.
Lightly oil your hand, place sweet dough in a large oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface; cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm to let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, 45 to 1 ½ hours.
Once the dough has rested, gently punch it down, deflating the sweet dough.
Now you can shape the sweet dough however you want. Here are some ideas:
- Hamburger buns: Divide the sweet bread dough into 100g of equal pieces for a standard-sized hamburger and 30g of equal pieces for a mini hamburger. Roll each piece into a ball, cover it with a towel, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Place the balls (2" inches apart)on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal or flour. Flatten the balls into 3 ½" disks, sprinkle with whatever seeds you desire, and gently press to adhere. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Hot-dog buns: Divide sweet bread dough into 60g equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover it with a towel, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Place one of the dough balls on a lightly floured surface, flip it over, and gently stretch the dough to about a 6-inch long oval. Rotate the dough 90° and fold in ⅓ of the top edge to the center. Then fold in the other edge and seal them.
- Roll to shape neatly with your hands into a cylinder. Flatten them slightly. Place the Hot dog buns (½ inch apart) on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal or flour. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- Dinner Rolls: Divide the sweet dough into 80g equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, pulling the edges under to make a smooth top, and place them (½ inch apart) on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, smooth side up, cover with a towel, and let rise until almost doubled about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Pebete Rolls: Divide sweet dough into 100g-120g equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, then flatten each dough ball to form a disc about 5 inches (12.7 cm) in diameter. Take one of the edges, fold it toward the center, do the same with the opposite edge, and then fold down the ends, giving them a rounded shape. Turn the loaves over and work them slightly back and forth. Place the Pebete rolls on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let rise until almost doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Once the sweet dough has been shaped, place it onto a greased baking sheet pan dusted with cornmeal or lined with parchment paper, cover it with a towel, and let rise until almost doubled about 25 to 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 °F for fifteen minutes before baking your bread. 
Bake for 15 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 °F. When the sweet bread is done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack, preventing the crust from becoming soggy.
Related Recipes:
- Rosemary Focaccia bread
- Breadsticks
- Galleta Cuartel
- Galleta Paraguaya
- Sandwich Bread
- Naan Bread
- Challah bread
📖 Recipe
Easy Sweet Dough
Tools
Ingredients
- 1 kg bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 500 ml water (110 ⁰F-115 F)
- 10 g instant dry yeast
- 15 g kosher salt
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 75 g butter softened to room temperature
Instructions
- Place the lukewarm (about 110F to 115F) water in a small bowl, sprinkle with yeast and a pinch of sugar, stirring to combine. Set aside at room temperature until a frothy layer forms on top, 5–10 minutes.
- Mix the flour, sugar, and salt into the large bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on low speed to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the yeast mixture over and combine on medium speed until a shaggy dough forms. Add the softened butter. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on low speed for 6–8 minutes. If the dough is still very sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is soft and smooth.
- Lightly oil your hand, place dough in a large oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface, cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm to let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, 45 to 1 ½ hour. Once the dough has rested, gently punch it down, deflating the dough. Now you can shape it however you want. Here are some ideas:
- Hamburger buns: Divide the bread dough into 100g of equal pieces for a standard-sized hamburger and 30g of equal pieces for a mini-hamburger. Roll each piece into a ball; cover with a towel, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Place the balls (2" inches apart)on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal or flour. Flatten the balls into 3 ½" disks, sprinkle with whatever seeds you desire, and gently press to adhere. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Hot-dog buns: Divide bread dough into 60g equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball; cover with a towel, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Place one of the dough balls on a lightly floured surface, flip it over, and gently stretch out the dough to about a 6-inch long oval. Rotate the dough 90° and fold in ⅓ top edge to the center. Then fold in the other edge and seal them.
- Roll to shape neatly with your hands into a cylinder. Flatten them slightly. Place the Hot dog buns (½ inch apart) on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal or flour. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- Dinner Rolls: Divide the bread dough into 80g equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, pulling the edges under to make a smooth top, and place them (½ inch apart) on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, smooth side up, cover with a towel, and let rise until almost doubled about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Pebete Rolls: Divide bread dough into 100g-120g equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, then flatten each ball of dough to form a disc about 5 inches (12.7 cm) in diameter. Take one of the edges, fold it toward the center, do the same with the opposite edge, and then fold down the ends, giving them a rather rounded shape. Turn the loaves over and work them slightly back and forth. Place the Pebete rolls on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let rise until almost doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has been shaped, place it onto a greased baking sheet pan dusted with cornmeal or lined with parchment paper, cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F for fifteen minutes before baking your bread. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 °F. When the buns are done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack, preventing the crust from becoming soggy.
Notes
- To store: Once baked, the sweet dough can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or 5 days in the refrigerator in a plastic storage bag or wrapped in aluminum foil.
- To reheat: microwave it until heated through or warm it in a 350 F preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes; wrap the bread in aluminum foil to keep the crust soft and tender as it warms up.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
