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.