Kopi Roti (Coffee Buns)

STEP ONE: MAKING THE FILLING

For the filling: (make ahead)

Ingredients:

• 48g unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 9g brown sugar*
• 9g white sugar*

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, add softened butter and beat until creamy.
2. Add vanilla extract and sugars. Beat again until well blended.
3. Take a cling wrap and lay flat on a clean surface.
4. Transfer the beaten butter mixture on the cling wrap. Shape the butter into a long rectangular block just like a 1 stick butter you can buy from the store. (You can also shape the butter in cylindrical form.)
5. Wrap carefully and place in the fridge to reharden while doing the other steps.

Note: You can use brown sugar only instead of both sugars.

STEP TWO: MAKING THE TOPPING

For the topping: (make ahead)

Ingredients:

• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g white fine sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 medium-sized egg
• 70g flour
• 2 tsp coffee granules dissolved in 4 tsp warm water and cooled

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, add softened butter, sugar and salt. Beat until creamy.
2. Add egg and beat again just until combined. Make sure not to overbeat.
3. Sift flour into the mixture and mix using a spatula.
4. Add coffee mixture and mix until well blended.
5. Transfer this mixture to a piping bag. Twist and the top to seal and keep in the fridge to set.

STEP THREE: MAKING THE DOUGH

For the tangzhong or milk roux:

Ingredients:

• 125 ml whole milk
• 20 g bread flour

For the bread/other ingredients:

• 320 g bread flour
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 125 ml whole milk (or evaporated milk)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 56 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Instructions:

For the tangzhong or milk roux:

1. In a small pot, combine whole milk and 20 g of bread flour, then mix until no more lumps. Put on a stove and heat over low-medium heat. Stir constantly using a rubber spatula until it becomes a thick paste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Continue with the rest of the steps:

1. In a jug or another bowl, add 125 ml of whole milk. Add the tangzhong and mix to combine. Add egg and mix again, noting that the mixture might be lumpy.
2. In the bowl of your standing mixer, add 320 g of bread flour and the yeast. Mix to combine. Create a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients (tangzhong, milk & egg). Using a dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer on low-medium speed. Knead ONLY until both dry and wet ingredients have been mixed or until no dry ingredients are left in the bowl. Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 20 minutes, making sure to cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel.
3. After 20 minutes, remove the towel and continue mixing by turning the mixer back on low speed, adding salt then sugar while mixing. (Pai said you can add 2-4 tbsp of sugar – adding 4 tbsp will give the bread sweetness that it doesn’t need any more jam. I used 3 tbsp.) Continue kneading 7-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It may take more time, depending on the speed of your mixer.
4. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, add the softened butter at a time while the mixer is running. You may think that the butter doesn’t want to be mixed, but they will stick together.
5. When the butter is well mixed and the dough is back to being smooth and elastic, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about two minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and place in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in size.
6. When the dough is ready, punch down the dough to remove the air. Transfer to a floured surface. Divide the dough weighing 58-60 g each. (What I did here so I can get an even measurement for individual dough is I weigh the whole dough after removing the air, and then I divide the result it 12. I got 12 dough weighing 60 g each.)

FILLING & TOPPING THE DOUGH & BAKING THEM:

1. Shape the individual dough into a bun and flatten them.
2. Take out the hardened butter mixture from the fridge. Take 4g from the butter and place on top of the flattened dough. Take the ends of the dough together and pinch to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down. Do this to the rest of the dough. (Make sure to seal properly.)
3. When all dough has been filled, cover the unbaked buns with a clean kitchen towel and let rise again for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
5. When the filled buns have doubled in size, take out the prepared topping. Cut the ends of the piping bag. Starting from the middle top of the bun, start piping forming a coil/spiral until you have covered about 3/4 of each bun.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until top is crisp and golden brown.
7. Let the bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool further.

Enjoy the buns warm! 😉

Source recipe: Coffee Buns by Pai’s Kitchen

Notes:

• I used a stand mixer to knead the dough, but you can knead by hand. Pai has a detailed instruction.