milk tea custard buns / 卡士達麵包

Taiwanese custard buns! These buns are a joy to make. Soft fluffy dough wrapped around a spoonful of sweet custard and some fun piping on top! They are traditionally filled with vanilla custard, but since the custard base is simple you can add a variety of different flavors. These buns are filled with a milky tea flavored custard, all you need is some of your favorite black tea.

Milk Tea Custard Buns

adapted from Carol

Custard

A

200g milk (I used almond milk, I think any kind of milk would work here)

20g sugar

2 black tea bags

B

2 egg yolks

20g sugar

C

50g milk

10g cornstarch

15g cake or AP flour

D

10g unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Add group A ingredients to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches a gentle boil. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together group B ingredients
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together group C ingredients
4. Add C to B and mix until evenly combined
5. Remove tea bags from A mixture, then slowly stream into your combined B and C mix, whisking constantly.
6. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium-low heat until mixture thickens.
7. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract. 
8. Cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge. Make sure the custard is fully cooled before using for bread.

 

Dough

140ml milk, warm

3/4 tsp active dry yeast

300g AP flour

1 egg

30g sugar

1/4 tsp salt

30g unsalted butter, softened

1 egg, for egg wash

1. Add warm milk and active dry yeast to a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. To your milk and yeast mixture, add flour, egg, sugar, and salt. Mix using stand mixer or by hand. Knead until the dough comes together. Add softened butter and knead until fully incorporated. Use the windowpane test to see if the dough is ready.
3. Let rise for 1.5-2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
4. After the first rise, deflate the dough and divide into 9 equal portions, about 55g each. Shape each portion into a ball, then let rest on the counter for 15 minutes.
5. To fill, roll each ball of dough out until approximately 10cm in diameter, place a tablespoon of custard filling in the center, and wrap by bringing the edges of the dough up around the filling and pinch to seal.
6. Place seam side down on a sheet pan, cover and let rise for about 1-1.5 hours.
7. After the second rise, preheat oven to 340 degrees F.
8. Beat 1 egg and brush each bun with egg wash.
9. Fit a piping bag fitted with a round tip (mine was 1/4 cm in diameter)with the rest of the custard. Pipe a swirl of custard on top of each bun.
10. Bake at 340 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until the buns are light golden brown and internal temperature registers 190 degrees F.