View source for Bun

{{short description|Bread-based food}}
{{Other uses}}{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Bun
| image            = Sesame seed hamburger buns.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = Sesame seed hamburger buns
| alternate_name   =
| country          =
| region           =
| creator          =
| course           =
| type             = Bread
| served           =
| main_ingredient  = Flour, milk, [[Baker's yeast|yeast]]
| variations       =
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}}

A '''bun''' is a type of [[bread]] that is round and small enough that it can generally be eaten hand-held. Whether a bun is considered sweetened or unsweetened differs between countries: it is considered sweetened in England, Scotland and Wales, a savory bread in [[Northern Ireland]],<ref name=":0">{{Oed|term=bun|id=7869951780|access-date=18 March 2025}}</ref><ref name="cam">{{Cite Cambridge Dictionaries|bun|access-date=18 March 2025}}</ref> and either a sweet bread or a savory [[bread roll]] in the United States.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="cam" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mason |first=Laura |title=[[The Oxford Companion to Food]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2014 |isbn=9780191756276 |editor-last=Davidson |editor-first=Alan |editor-link=Alan Davidson (food writer) |edition=3rd |location=Oxford |chapter=Bun |editor-last2=Jaine |editor-first2=Tom |editor-link2=Tom Jaine}}</ref>

== Terminology ==
In England, Scotland and Wales, a bun is considered a type of sweet cake, understood as very rich, spiced and studded with fruit in Scotland, seen in the example of the [[currant bun]].<ref name=":0" /> In the US, a roll is understood as a bread roll, particularly one that holds a burger, and is cut horizontally.<ref name="cam" /> Chinese [[baozi]], with savory or sweet fillings, are often referred to as "buns" in English.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

== Composition ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=March 2022}}

Buns are usually made from a [[dough]] of flour, milk, [[baker's yeast|yeast]] and small amounts of sugar and/or butter. Sweet bun dough is distinguished from bread dough by the addition of sugar, butter and sometimes egg. Common sweet varieties contain small fruit or nuts, topped with [[Icing (food)|icing]] or [[caramel]], and filled with [[jam]] or [[cream]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} Many types of bun are brushed with egg yolk to produce a golden appearance.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dodge |first=Jim |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-19-931339-6 |editor-last=Goldstein |editor-first=Darra |editor-link=Darra Goldstein |location= |page=237 |chapter=Eggs}}</ref>

== History ==
The etymology of the word ''bun'' is unclear. The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' pins the earliest known use to 1371 in the ''[[Assize of Bread and Ale]]'', a law of Medieval Europe in the form "bunne" where they identify the meaning as "doubtful", understood from the context simply to refer to a type of "loaf or cake".<ref name=":0" /> As of the 14th century in Japan, [[Baozi|steamed buns]] stuffed with vegetables or the sweet [[Yōkan|''yōkan'']] were eaten by Buddhists.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rath |first=Eric C |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-19-931339-6 |editor-last=Goldstein |editor-first=Darra |editor-link=Darra Goldstein |location= |pages=371–372 |chapter=Japan}}</ref> By the 16th century in Europe, [[spiced bun]]s, commonly served with sweetened wines or ale were consumed as part of funeral customs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Levi |first=Jane |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-19-931339-6 |editor-last=Goldstein |editor-first=Darra |editor-link=Darra Goldstein |location= |page=289 |chapter=Funerals}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Food}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[List of buns]]
* [[List of breads]]
* [[List of bread dishes]]
* [[List of cakes]]
* [[List of pastries]]
* [[List of sweet breads]]
* [[Cheung Chau Bun Festival]]
* [[Chinese bakery products]]

{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline}}

{{Bread}}

[[Category:Buns| ]]
[[Category:Quick breads]]
[[Category:Sweet breads]]
[[Category:Yeast breads]]