Black Charcoal Buns

Make the dough:

1. Place the warm milk, yeast and sugar together into a bowl. Give it a stir and set aside for a few minutes, until foamy.
2. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook attachment, add in the flour, oil, egg, sea salt and charcoal powder.
3. When the yeast has activated and is bubbly, add it into the flour mixture and knead until the dough becomes smooth and shiny.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit in a warm location to double in size.
5. Line a large baking sheet (13" by 17") with parchment paper.
6. When the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces.

For hot dog buns:

1. Form each piece into a ball and roll with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 5" in length.
2. From one end, roll up the dough lengthwise and pinch the seams. 
3. Place seam side down on the prepared tray.
4. Press down the tops to flatten so they don't get too puffy. Repeat with the remainder.

For hamburger buns:

1. Form each dough ball into a 3.5" diameter and press down to flatten.
2. Place onto the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
3. Cover the buns with a piece of loose plastic wrap and let it rise for another 30-40 minutes, until slightly puffy.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
5. Remove the plastic wrap and lightly brush the tops of each bun with milk. 
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
7. Bake the buns at 350°F/177°C for 22-24 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190F.
8. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.