Butter buns using Japanese-style sweet bun dough recipe

Snowy butter buns

I love butter buns! Just imagine a soft bun with butter and sugar melted in the centre and soft snow powder on the top almost like a doughnut. When you bite into the bun, you get the soft bread..some sweet salty butter and a white moustache. Hehehe... Anyway, it's one of my favourite recipes in my collection. I first stumbled upon this recipe in Mamafami's blog. I love to go to her blog for scrumptious looking bread and great recipes. Then I followed her link to another wonderful blog My Kitchen Snippets. After doing my homeowork a little on how to make the water roux, I decided to give it a try. Since then, I've never looked back and I use this recipe almost every week but with different fillings and toppings! Here is the recipe, enjoy!

Japanese style sweet bun dough recipe

Source: Mamafami and My Kitchen Snippets

Makes 16 buns

Ingredients: 

375g bread flour
100g plain flour
35g milk powder
75g caster sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 sachet (7g or 2 1/2 tsp) instant dry yeast
1 egg, lightly beaten
150ml (approx.) lukewarm water – adjust according (I need only 130 ml)
40g butter, cubed

1 egg + a bit of water (for egg wash the buns)

Water-Roux Paste/Tang Zhong:
25g (just under 2 tbsp) bread flour
125ml (1/2 cup) water

Preparation for the Water-Roux

1. Mix the flour and water in a small saucepan. . Cook over low to medium heat, stirring continuously until it reaches 65ºC. It should have thickened to a paste at this stage, which is when you stir you can see the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat; place a cling film over the paste and leave until lukewarm, or room temperature, before using. (Alternatively if you don’t have a thermometer, cook as before until it starts to thicken, then continue to cook for about 1 more minute before removing from heat.)

Note: This water roux can be kept in an airtight container after cooling in the refrigerator for 1 day if not used immediately. However DO NOT USE if it turns grey in color, that means it has gone bad.

Preparation for the dough:

1. Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment. Sift bread flour, plain flour, milk powder, caster sugar and salt the mixing bowl. Add in the yeast and mix well. Add in the water roux and beaten egg. Turn on the mixer and slowly add in the lukewarm water until the dough form into a nice ball of dough. (You might not need all the water. I used only 130 ml of it)
2. Continue to knead for 10 minutes and add in the butter. Continue to knead until all the butter is incorporated into the dough and the dough is smooth and elastic. Take the dough out from the mixing bowl and give it a final few kneading by hand. Form it into a round ball and let it to rise until double in size in a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a wet towel or cling wrap (It took me an hour to proof the dough but it all depend on the weather and environment on the day you make the bread)
3. Punch down the dough gives it a few knead and divide the dough into 16 equal portions. The easiest way to divide is to cut the dough into 4 parts and from there divide each into another 4 portions. Form each into a ball and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
4. Shape and fill the buns with fillings. Place the buns in baking sheets that line with parchment paper. Cover the buns and let it rise until double in size (it takes another 30-40 min) Brush the buns with some egg wash.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

                                       

                                  Various buns using the same Japanese-style sweet bun dough

How to make the butter buns.

1. Prepare the dough using the recipe above. As I use a breadmaker, remove the dough after the allocated time for dough function. Cut the dough into 16 even portions. Roll them into individual balls and let sit for 10 mins.
2. Cut butter into cubes (up to you how much butter you want.Well I like mine really buttery).
3. Flatten the dough balls slightly and put a teaspoon of sugar or brown sugar in the centre. Put the butter cube on top of the sugar and gather the sides of the dough to the centre to seal the buns. Make sure you seal the buns well or else the butter will leak out in the oven. 
4. Another option would be to score the top (making a pocket at the top) of the buns after putting in the filling..so that the butter won't leak to the bottom.
5. Leave to rise double in size and bake as stated in the original recipe above, till golden brown. Remove from oven and place on racks to cool.
6. After leaving to cool on the racks, sift snow powder on top.

* you can also fill the buns with various fillings such as red bean, kaya, spicy curry chicken and potato..custard, cream cheese..anything your heart desires. You can even leave it plain if you like.

                                      

Cheese stick buns and plain buns using this recipe