Sweets and drinksBaked GoodsEurope and North AmericaAbout 2 to 3 hours of kneading and proofing, 20 to 30 minutes baking
These milk buns bake up with a feathery crumb around a smooth custard center. The tricky part is the filling, which leaks out during baking whenever the seam is not sealed properly.
Roll each ball flat, set the filling in the middle, then gather the edges and pinch them shut hard. The second proof runs at 32 to 38 degrees C, until the buns have grown another 70 to 80 percent.
This batch weighs about 611g, at roughly 285 calories per 100g. Cool them on a rack and eat them the same day.
Method
Mix 60ml unsweetened oat milk with 3ml lime juice and let it sit for 15 minutes until the milk curdles.
Mix 260g bread flour, 31.5g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 3g fine salt in a bowl, then add 5g instant yeast and mix again.
Make a well in the middle, pour in 60ml unsweetened oat milk, the milk and lime mixture and 1 egg, then stir until the dough comes together.
Knead until smooth and elastic, add 40g softened unsalted butter and keep kneading until the dough stretches into a thin sheet.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover tightly and proof at room temperature until doubled.
For the filling, beat 1 egg yolk with 13.5g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend until thick and pale, then sift in 13g cornstarch and mix. Heat 50g unsweetened oat milk and 50g whipping cream until hot but not boiling, then pour it slowly into the egg while stirring constantly.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring and scraping the base until thick, then take it off the heat, add 10g unsalted butter, 1g salt and 2ml vanilla, mix well and let it cool.
Press the air out of the dough and knead it again for 1 to 2 minutes. It should weigh about 480 to 490g. Divide it into 10 pieces of 47 to 49g and rest them for 10 minutes.
Roll each piece flat, spoon the custard into the middle, then either fold it into an oval or gather the edges and roll it round, pressing the seam hard so the filling stays in.
Proof a second time at 32 to 38 degrees C for 30 to 45 minutes, until the buns have grown another 70 to 80 percent, and heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Brush the tops with a thin layer of beaten egg thinned with water, then bake at 180 to 190 degrees C for 20 to 30 minutes, covering the buns with foil if they color early.
Take the buns out and cool them on a rack.
Tips
A thick custard leaves a slightly hollow crumb, while a looser custard fills the bun better but is harder to shape.
Custard that turns lumpy on the stove comes back smooth off the heat with a hard whisking.
A seam pressed firmly shut keeps the filling from leaking during baking.
Press cling film against the surface of the custard and chill it, because only a properly firm filling wraps neatly.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.