Vanilla Milk Bun with Honey Ermine Frosting

A soft vanilla milk bun filled with honey & milk ermine frosting. As the ermine cream is half buttercream, half milk roux, less calorie is consumed without compromising the flavour. However, It's a regret that the vanilla flavour was not strong enough to be tasted in the bun. Maybe I should try using vanilla bean in my next attempt >.<

Yield: 8 mini loaves of 14Lx6Wx4H cm each

Dough weight: 403g

Baking Temperature: 170 degree Celsius for 15 minutes, then reduce to 150 degree for 3 minutes.

Bread dough 

Ingredient A

100g fresh milk 鲜奶 

15g condensed milk 炼乳

20g unsalted butter 无盐奶油

2 tsp vanilla extract 香草精

Ingredient B

30g raw sugar 黄砂糖

30g beaten egg 蛋液

1/4 tsp salt 盐

Ingredient C

180g bread flour 高筋面粉

20g top flour 低筋面粉

Ingredient D

1/2 tsp instant dry yeast 即发酵母粉

Some beaten egg for glazing

Directions

1. Warm up Ingredient A in a rice cooker using "Keep Warm" function. Keep warm for about 10 to 15 minutes to melt the butter.

Let the mixture rest in room temperature for 5 minutes before adding to bread pan, to avoid affecting the yeast.

3. Pour the warm ingredient A from (2) and ingredient B into the bread pan.

4. Mix ingredient C before adding on top of ingredient A and B.

5. Dig a hole in the centre of the flour, and pour ingredient D in.

6. Select "kneading" function and press start. The process will take about 1:30 hour to complete.

End of the process.

7. Invert the dough out of the bread pan and onto a floured work top. 

Press down the dough to release the trapped air. 

Wear a pair of disposable gloves to handle the rather sticky dough.

8. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, about 51g each. 

9. Roll the dough up, pull down the sides, and seal at the bottom, into a small dough ball.

Cover and let the dough balls rest for 15 minutes.

10. Take a dough ball and roll it into a round flat dough.

Fold in the two wings

Fold into half and pinch to seal the joining edges.

Coat the bottom of the dough with some flour and arrange the doughs in a big baking tray.

11. Give the doughs a few pumps of water and transfer to a closed and warm oven to undergo second proofing for about 30 to 40 minutes, or till the doughs almost double in size.

12. Remove the tray of doughs from the oven and start pre-heating the oven to 170 degree Celsius.

Apply beaten egg over the top of the dough.

13. Bake the dough in the oven at 170 degree Celsius for about 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 150 degree Celsius and bake for about 3 minutes,( or till the top becomes golden.

At lower rack of the oven.

14. Transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool down.

15. After the buns have cool down, slit the bun in the centre. And pipe ermine frosting along the slit.  

Buttercream Ermine Frosting 

Ingredients

10g honey

40g milk

5g all purpose flour 

40g salted butter, slightly softened 

5g icing sugar 

Directions

1. Add all purpose flour to honey and water, mix well.

2. Heat over low heat till the mixture thickens. Stirring constantly.

3. After the milk roux has cooled down to room temperature, seal with food wrap and store it in the fridge till needed.

4. After whipping the softened butter till creamy, add in the sugar and whip till it is light and pale.

5. Add in the cold milk roux, spoon by spoon. Mix well before adding the next spoon.

6. Transfer the honey ermine cream to a piping bag fix with a Wilton 1M or 6B nozzle.

The cream can stay in room temperature without the need to refrigerate.  However, avoid holding the cream in your warm hand for too long, as our body temperature can melt the cream.