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Paste Buns with Yema Filling

Soft buns with a delicious and sweet yema (custard) filling
Prep Time 55 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings 16 buns
Author Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook

Ingredients

For the yema filling:

  • 1 (14oz) can condensed milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh milk
  • 2 tsp cornstarch diluted in 2 tsp water

For the tangzhong or milk roux:

  • 125 ml whole milk
  • 20 g bread flour you can use all-purpose flour

For the bread/other ingredients:

  • 320 g bread flour you can use all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 125 ml fresh milk
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 56 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature

Instructions

For the yema filling:

  1. In a saucepan, add condensed milk, egg yolks, milk and slurry (water & cornstarch mixture). Mix until well combined.
  2. Cook over low fire with constant stirring until the mixture is thick. Let it cool down while making the dough. (This can be made ahead of time and store in the fridge.

For the tangzhong or milk roux:

  1. In a small pot, combine milk and 20 g of 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.

  2. Using a jug or another bowl, add the tangzhong and egg; mix until combined. Add 125 ml of milk and mix again - the mixture might be lumpy.

  3. In the bowl of your standing mixer, add 320 g of flour and 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 ingredient is 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.
  4. After 20 minutes, remove the towel and continue mixing by turning the mixer back on low speed, adding salt then sugar while mixing. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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 a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and place in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in size.
  7. When the dough is ready, punch down the dough to remove the air. Transfer to a floured surface. Divide the dough weighing 45 g each. I got 16 little doughs.
  8. Flatten each dough and drop about 1 tbsp of yema filling on top of the flattened dough. Gather the edges and pinch to seal. Place the filled and sealed dough in a greased baking pan, making sure that the sealed part is at the bottom. Repeat until you finish filling all the dough.
  9. Let the filled dough rise again for 45 minutes to one hour (depending on the weather temperature of where you live) or until doubled in size.
  10. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F.
  11. When the filled dough has doubled in size, bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown.
  12. Let the bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.