Sesame Cardamom Milk Buns (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dough
01 -
195g bread flour
02 -
55g cake flour
03 -
30g granulated sugar
04 -
1 large egg (or 50g silken tofu or 50g mashed banana for vegan option)
05 -
1/2 teaspoon salt or 1/2-1 teaspoon miso (red or white)
06 -
30g butter, softened
07 -
2-3g active dry yeast
08 -
140g milk, warmed to 43°C (plant-based milk works too)
→ Filling
09 -
3-4 tablespoons black sesame crunchy butter
10 -
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
11 -
Ground cardamom, to taste
→ Frosting
12 -
225g cream cheese, softened
13 -
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
14 -
1 teaspoon miso
15 -
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 -
2 tablespoons black sesame crunchy butter
17 -
120g confectioners' sugar
18 -
Black sesame powder for topping (optional)
→ Finishing
19 -
Beaten egg for wash (or neutral oil, cream, or softened butter for vegan option)
# Instructions:
01 -
Mix the flours, sugar, egg, salt (or miso), and butter in a stand mixer with the dough hook. In a separate bowl, blend the yeast with warm milk and a bit of sugar. Wait 10 minutes until it bubbles up, then pour into your flour mix. Run the mixer on low until you get a stretchy, slightly sticky dough that doesn't stick to your fingers. Roll it into a ball.
02 -
Put a cover on your dough and let it grow at room temp for about an hour. You can also stick it in the fridge overnight if you want, just make sure to warm it up before you shape it.
03 -
Get a 23cm (9-inch) baking dish ready by buttering it well or laying down some parchment paper.
04 -
Push the air out of your dough and plop it onto a lightly floured counter. Roll it out to make a big rectangle about 0.5cm thick. Smear black sesame crunchy butter all over, but leave a small 1.2cm edge clean. Scatter brown sugar on top and sprinkle with cardamom.
05 -
Roll the dough up tightly like a log and cut into 9 equal pieces. Another way is to cut the whole rectangle into 9 strips and roll each one up. Put them in your prepped baking dish.
06 -
Let the rolls sit and puff up for an hour until they're about 1.5 times bigger than when you started.
07 -
Around 20-30 minutes before you're ready to bake, turn your oven on to 180°C (350°F) and make sure the rack is in the middle.
08 -
If you want shiny tops, brush the rolls with beaten egg. Pop them in the oven for 30-35 minutes. After 20 minutes, cover them with foil so they don't get too brown on top.
09 -
While your buns are cooking, grab a bowl and mix cream cheese, butter, miso, vanilla, and black sesame crunchy butter. Add the confectioners' sugar and stir until it's smooth. You can put this in a piping bag if you want to get fancy.
10 -
Take the buns out and let them cool a bit on a wire rack. When they're still warm but won't burn your fingers, spread or pipe the frosting on top. If you want, sprinkle some black sesame powder or extra sugar on top.
# Notes:
01 -
You don't need a mixer for this dough. A spatula works fine with just a little hand kneading.
02 -
Going vegan? Just swap the egg for tofu or banana, and use plant milk and vegan butter instead.
03 -
The black sesame crunchy butter gives these buns a nutty taste that goes great with the warm cardamom flavor.