A bread roll is a small, often round loaf of bread served as a meal accompaniment, eaten plain or with butter. A roll can be served and eaten whole or cut transversely and dressed with filling between the two halves. Rolls are also commonly used to make sandwiches similar to those produced using slices of bread. A bun is a type of bread or bread roll, sometimes sweet. Buns come in many shapes and sizes, but are most commonly hand-sized or smaller, with a round top and flat bottom. The items listed here include both bread rolls and buns.
There are many names for bread rolls and buns, especially in local dialects of British English. The different terms originated from bakers, based on how they made the dough and how the items were cooked. Over time, people tend to use one name to refer to all similar products, regardless of whether or not it is technically correct by the original definitions.
A Asado roll – Filipino bread roll with savory-sweet pork asado filling Anpan – A bun that is filled, usually with red bean paste, or with white beans, sesame, or chestnut
B Bagel – a ring-shaped bun originating in the Jewish communities of Poland that is traditionally made from yeasted wheat dough which is shaped by hand into a torus or ring, briefly boiled in water, and then baked, resulting in a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior. Bakpao – Indonesian term for steamed bun. The bun is usually filled with ground pork, but can instead be filled with other ingredients, such as mung bean paste, ground peanuts, or vegetables. Bánh bao – Vietnamese meaning "Enveloping Cake", which is a ball-shaped bun containing pork or chicken meat, onions, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables, in the Vietnamese cuisine Baozi – A type of steamed, filled bun or bread-like item made with baker's yeast in various Chinese cuisines, as there is much variation as to the fillings and the preparations Barm or barm cake or flour cake – flat, often floured, savoury, small bread made using a natural leaven including mashed hops to stop it souring; a term often used in Liverpool, Manchester, South Lancashire and West Lancashire. Bap – larger soft roll, roughly 5–6 inches (12–15 cm) in diameter. May contain fats such as lard or butter to provide tenderness. It can come in multiple shapes, depending on the region. Baps, as traditionally made in Scotland, are not sweet, unlike the Irish version, which may contain currants. The 9th Edition of the "Concise Oxford Dictionary" (1995) states that the word "bap" dates back to the 16th century and that its origin is unknown. Batch (generally the same as a bap) – term used in Warwickshire and Cheshire in England, especially around Coventry and the Wirral. Bath bun – A rich and round sweet roll that has a lump of sugar baked in the bottom and more crushed sugar sprinkled on top after baking Beef bun – A type of Hong Kong pastry; one of the most standard pastries in Hong Kong and can also be found in most Chinatown bakery shops; has a ground beef filling, sometimes including pieces of onions Belfast bap – white bread roll with a dark top, often "crusty, like tiger bread." Belgian bun – A sweet bun containing sultanas and usually topped with fondant icing and half a glace cherry Blaa – A dough-like, white bread bun (roll) speciality particularly associated with Waterford, Ireland;Healy, Alison. "Waterford's blaa roll bakers honoured in awards" , The Irish Times, Tuesday 18 November 2008. Historically, the blaa is also believed to have been made in Kilkenny and WexfordHow the Irish Invented Slang: The Secret Language of the Crossroads (Counterpunch) (Irish Edition) Boston bun – A large spiced bun with a thick layer of coconut icing, prevalent in Australia and New Zealand Bread roll – A short, oblong, or round bun served usually before or with meals, often with butter. Breadcake – term used in Yorkshire and Annesley in North Nottinghamshire Breakfast roll – (chiefly Irish) a bread roll usually filled with elements of a traditional fry (fried Irish breakfast foods). Bublik Bulkie roll – type of roll with a crust that is usually slightly crisp or crunchy and has no toppings. Bun kebab – A spicy Pakistani patty which is shallow-fried, onions, and chutney or raita in a hot dog bun Bun – term for a bread roll, bread batch, or bread barm cake, primarily used in Northern England and in much of Canada. Buñuelo — A fried dough ball originated in Spain from Arab tradition and now also popular in Hispanic America, Greece, Guam, Turkey, Morocco and Israel brought by the Sephardic Jews. It will usually be flavoured with anise and have a filling or a topping. Butterflake roll – a New England originated roll made of several layers of dough oriented vertically and separated by thin butter layers. When cooked in a muffin cup, the layers fan out at the top. Also called a Fan Tan roll or Yankee Buttermilk roll. Butterkaka – A bun similar to cinnamon rolls, but where several buns are compressed together and baked in a cake pan like sticky buns.
C Cemita Cha siu bao – A Cantonese barbecue-pork-filled bun (baozi);Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. . The food of China: a journey for food lovers. Bay Books. . p24. filled with barbecue-flavored cha siu pork Challah roll – Jewish challah bread dough formed into a roll, often in a knotted or swirled form. It is found in most kosher sections of grocery stores, and therefore is commonly eaten by Jewish families across the United States. Chelsea bun – A currant bun that is first created in the 18th century at the Chelsea Bun House in Chelsea, London,Kathryn Hawkins The Food of London: A Culinary Tour of Classic British Cuisine, Singapore: Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd, 2002, p.26 an establishment favoured by Hanoverian royalty which was demolished in 1839Alan Davidson "Bun" in The Oxford Companion to Food Oxford University Press, 1999, p. 114 Cinnamon bun – A sweet roll served commonly in Northern Europe and North America; its main ingredients are dough, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor Cloverleaf roll – American version, consisting of three small balls of dough in a muffin cup, proofed and baked together. Cob – round roll, can be crusty or not; a term often used in the English Midlands Cocktail bun – A Hong Kong-style sweet bun with a filling of shredded coconut; one of several iconic types of baked goods originating from Hong Kong Colston bun – A bun named after Edward Colston; made in the city of Bristol, England; composed of a yeast dough flavored with dried fruit, candied peel and sweet spices Cream bun – A bun that varies all around the world; typically they are made with an enriched dough bread roll that is baked and cooled, then split and filled with cream Currant bun – A sweet bun that contains currants or raisins; towards the end of the seventeenth century the Reverend Samuel Wigley founded the Currant Bun Company in Southampton, Hampshire, UK Curry bread – Some Japanese curry is wrapped in a piece of dough, which is coated in flaky bread crumbs, and usually deep fried or baked.
D Da bao – An extra-large version of the Chinese steamed bun. When translated, the name literally means 'big bun'. Dampfnudel – A white bread roll or sweet roll eaten as a meal or as a dessert in Germany and in France (Alsace); a typical dish in southern Germany Demi Baguette - A sandwich sized roll similar in shape and style to a French Baguette. Dinner roll – smaller roll, often crusty
F Finger Bun – A hot dog sized fruit bun with flavoured icing originating in Australia. Finger roll – soft roll about three times longer than it is wide. French roll – generic term for the bread roll. Also a sweeter, softer roll with milk added to the dough. Fritter is a stuffed bread roll. Fruit bun – A sweet roll made with fruit, fruit peel, spices and sometimes nuts; a tradition in Britain and former British colonies including Jamaica, Australia,Newscorpaustralia.com Singapore, and India
H Ham and egg bun – A Hong Kong bun or bread that contains a sheet of egg and ham Hamburger bun – A round bun designed to encase a hamburger; invented in 1916 by a fry cook named Walter Anderson, who co-founded White Castle in 1921 Hawaiian buns aka Portuguese sweet bread – A sweet bread roll which was brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants and is now known as Hawaiian Bread. Heißwecke – A traditional type of currant bun that goes back, within the German-speaking region of Europe, at least to the Late Middle Ages Hoagie roll – used to prepare hoagie sandwiches Honey bun – A sweet roll of American origin, somewhat similar to the cinnamon bun, that is popular in the southeast United States Hoppang – A variant of jjinppang (Korean steamed bun) Hot cross bun – A sweet, spiced bun usually made with fruit but with other varieties such as apple-cinnamon or maple syrup and blueberries and marked with a cross on the top, traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada, but now popular all year round Hot dog bun – A long, soft bun shaped specifically to contain a hot dog or frankfurter Houska Huffkin – kentish roll with a dimple in the middle
I Iced bun – A bread roll that is made to a sweet recipe with an icing sugar glaze covering the top Italian roll or hoagie roll, long roll or steak roll – long, narrow roll with an airy, dry interior and crusty exterior.
J Jjinppang – A Korean steamed bun with red bean paste filling
K Kaiser roll – crusty round roll, often topped with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, made by folding corners of a square inward so that their points meet. Krachel – Moroccan buns, see Qrashel Kummelweck – kaiser roll or bulkie roll that is topped with a mixture of kosher salt and caraway seeds. This type of roll is a regional variation found primarily in parts of Germany and in Upstate New York.
L Llonguet – oblong bread roll with a groove in the top originating in the Catalan countries London bun – square shaped or rectangle bun made of rich yeast dough flavored with either currants or caraway seeds and topped with white sugar icing Longevity peach – A type of lotus seed bun that is white with a red dyed tip with a crease along the side, mimicking the shape of a peach. Lotus seed bun – A Chinese sweet bun found in China, prepared by steaming a yeast-leavened dough that contains lotus seed paste
M Manchet – A yeast bread of very good quality, or a small flat circular loaf of the same; small enough to be held in the hand. Mandarin roll – A steamed bun originating from China; cooked by steaming; a food staple of Chinese cuisine which is similar to white bread in western cuisine Mantou – A steamed bread or bun originating in China; typically eaten as a staple in northern parts of China where wheat, rather than rice, is grown Melonpan – A sweet bun from Japan, also popular in Taiwan, China and Latin America; made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough Michetta - a highly leavened Italian white bread, recognizable by its bulged shape. Momo – A type of South Asian dumpling, popular across the Indian subcontinent and the Himalayan regions of broader South Asia. Morning roll
N Nigerian buns Nikuman – A bun made from flour dough, and filled with cooked ground pork or other ingredients; a kind of also known in English as pork buns Nudger – long soft white or brown roll similar to a large finger roll common in Liverpool.
O Onion roll – roll flavoured or topped with onions, sometimes with poppy seeds. Oven bottom – flat, floury, soft roll; a term often used in Lancashire
P Pampushka – a small savory or sweet yeast-raised bun or doughnut typical for Ukrainian cuisine Pan de coco – Filipino sweet roll with sweetened shredded coconut fillings (bukayo) Pan de monja – a dense bread roll from the Philippines with a characteristic indentation down the middle.