Melted-Butter Cheese Bun (Yudane Method)

Video showing the soft and butter soaked crumb 😍

Yield: 9 small buns in a 20 cm square pan

Raw dough weight: 479g

Baking temperature: Preheat oven to 200℃, lower rack, bake at 200℃ for 10 minutes, reduce to 180℃ for 10 minutes.

Yudane Dough

11g bread flour

10g very hot water/boiling water

1. Warm up a small non-metal mixing bowl by soaking with hot water (above 80℃) for about 2 minutes.

2. Pour away the hot water, and pour the bread flour into the warm cup. Dig a hole in the middle of the flour.

Pour 10g of hot water to the flour.

Pause for about 15 seconds before mixing the ingredients into a sticky dough.

The dough will be about 50℃ after mixing.

3. Wrap the yudane dough using cling wrap.

Let the yudane dough cool down to room temperature before cooling in the fridge overnight. 

Before keeping the yudane dough in the fridge, store it in a small plastic container.

Milk Bread Dough

Ingredient A

180g bread flour

40g superfine wholegrain flour/bread flour

30g raw sugar

1g instant dry yeast (use 2g for faster proofing)

Ingredient B

30g natural yeast/sourdough, 100% hydration*

20g yudane dough from above, cold

125g milk, cold

10g beaten egg

25g water, cold, to be added depending on dough condition

2g low-sodium salt

20g unsalted butter, softened

Filling

30g slightly salted butter, cold

Topping

egg wash

60g cheddar cheese, grated

* 30g natural yeast can be replaced by 15g each of bread flour and water, with a tiny amount of instant dry yeast. Let the mixture stands for about 1 hour before use. You can also keep the poolish dough overnight in the fridge. Thaw the poolish dough for 1 hour before use if store in the fridge.

Directions

You can knead the dough till window pane using your prefer method. 

1. Mix Ingredient A in a mixing bowl.

2. Mix in Ingredient B. Use a silicone spatula to transfer the sticky yudane dough from the cling wrap to the mixture. Break the yudane dough into smaller pieces for easy mixing. Mix the ingredients into a ball using a spoon stir in one direction. Cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

3. Use a good electric hand mixer fitted with a pair of dough hooks to knead the dough till smoother., about 2 minutes at low speed. Add in the salt, and continue to knead for about 1 minute at low speed.

Knead in the softened butter till no trace of butter can be seen.

Perform about 300 sets of "slaps and folds" or till the dough reaching window pane stage. I took about 15 minutes to complete them.

The slaps and folds

Reaching window pane

4. Shape the dough into a ball, spray some water over, cover with a lid, and let the dough undergo first proofing for about 90 minutes, or till double in size.

90 minutes later

5. Invert the dough over a floured worktop, deflate and divide into 9 portions. Shape into 9 balls, cover, and let them rest for 15 minutes.

After 15-minutes rest

While waiting for the resting dough, cut the 30g of cold butter into 6 portions each. Return to chill in the fridge till needed.

Flatten a dough ball, and place two pieces of the cut salted butter to the center.

Wrap up and shape into a ball.

Coat some flour at the base of the dough to absorb the melted butter during baking, if the butter flows out.

I coated too much, hehe 😉

Arrange the shaped dough in a 20cm square pan lined with parchment paper. Spray some water over, cover with a cloth, and let them proof for about 60 minutes, or till double in size.

After 60 minutes proofing

6. Preheat the oven to 200℃ for 10 minutes. While waiting, brush a thin coat of egg wash over the shaped dough. Cover the top of the shaped dough with a good amount of grated cheddar cheese.

Bake at lower rack of a preheated oven at 200℃ for 10 minutes, reduce to 180℃ for 10 minutes, or till the cheese crusts turn golden.

Remove from oven,

Enjoy the smell of the freshly baked bread😊

lift out the hot buns to cool over a wire rack.

Serve warm to enjoy the crispy cheese crust and aromatic melted butter soaked crumb 😋