Sweet buns are a regular purchase for us whenever we visit an Asian bakery, especially the custard-filled ones! The dough to this recipe is beautifully light and airy, the custard thick and creamy. These buns are best eaten freshly baked and accompanied with a cuppa.
Prep and Cooking Time – 30 minutes plus proving and cooling time | Makes – 15 buns
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
MAKE THE CUSTARD…
Add sugar and cornflour to the TM bowl. Mill 10 sec / speed 9.
Add vanilla essence, eggs and milk and cook 7 mins / 90oC / speed 4. Once cooked, transfer to a container to cool in the fridge.
MAKE THE BREAD…
Add flour, sugar, yeast and salt into the TM bowl and mix 45 sec / speed 3 with the lid off. During this time, slowly add the lukewarm water into the bowl through the MC opening.
Once all the water is added, mix the dough mixture for 10 sec / speed 6.
Add the butter and knead 1 min and 30 sec / 
/
ensuring all the butter is kneaded into the dough. The dough will be very sticky and it has some elasticity to it.
Roll the dough and allow it to prove until doubled in size. Once proved, ‘punch down’ the dough and allow it to prove for a second time, only for approximately 15 minutes.
After the second proving is finished, portion 15 even sized dough balls and have your cooled custard ready for assembling.
TO ASSEMBLE AND COOK THE BUNS…
Take a dough ball and flatten it into a circle and dollop custard into the centre. Pinch up the sides of the dough to completely enclose the custard filling.
Place the assembled bun, seam side down, onto a lined baking tray. Once all the buns have been assembled, place the baking tray into a cold oven and cook for 15 minutes at 180oC (preheating the oven not required).
TO GLAZE THE BUNS…
Add water and sugar into the TM bowl and cook 2 mins / 100oC / speed 4. When the custard buns come out of the oven, brush the glaze on top of the buns while they are hot.
* Inspired by Vivilee aka Emilee Wong’s Chinese Sweet Buns / Bread recipe *
