Sweet Milk Bun

A pillowy soft milk bun with a nice aroma coming from the slightly tanned crust 😍😋

Yield: 9 buns in one 20cm square pan
Raw dough weight: 463g
Baking temperature: Preheat oven to 190℃, bake at 180℃ for 10 minutes, 160℃ for 6 minutes, off heating for 2 minutes.

Ingredients

190g bread flour
20g plain flour plus#/plain flour
35g fine/raw sugar
2g instant dry yeast
a small amount of vanillin powder, optional

40g natural yeast*, 100% hydration
100g cold milk
20g condensed milk
2g evaporated milk. optional
20g beaten egg
5g water, to be added as necessary

1/4 tsp salt

30g unsalted butter, softened

Some flour for dusting the top before baking

# plain flour plus is plain flour added with 25% superfine wholegrain flour

* natural yeast can be replaced by 20g each of bread flour and water, plus about 1/8 tsp instant dry yeast.

Directions

1. Knead the dough using your preferred method, till it reaches window pane stage.
For my method of kneading the dough, you may browse the steps in my earlier recipe Pork Floss Cheese Bun.

2. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a slightly oiled mixing bowl. Spray some water over, cover with a lid, and let it proof for about 70 minutes.

End of 70-minute proofing.

3. Turn the dough onto a floured work top. Deflate the dough, and divide it into 9 portions, about 51g each.

Shape the dough into balls. Cover and let them rest for about 15 minutes.

4. After the 15-minute rest, take a dough ball, deflate it slightly, and shape into a ball again. Repeat the step for the rest of the dough.

Place the shaped dough in a 20cm square pan lined with parchment paper. Spray some water over, and let it undergo 2nd proofing for about 40 minutes, in a cold oven.

5. At the end of second proofing, remove the pan of shaped dough from the oven. Start to preheat the oven to 190℃ for about 10 minutes.

While waiting, dust a thin coat of flour over the top of the dough.

Bake at lower rack of the preheated oven, at 180℃ for 10 minutes, 160℃ for 6 minutes, off heating for 2 minutes, or till it reaches your preferred crust brownness.

6. Transfer the hot bun to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy the pillowy soft buns warm or cold 😋