Soft Homemade Cream Buns
Easy Cream Buns: Deliciously Soft Buns Made at Home
These cream buns are incredibly simple to shape, and the filling is just as easy to make. Their beautiful color makes them perfect for gifting! Enjoy cafe-quality treats right in your own kitchen.
Cream Bun Dough Ingredients
- Bread flour 300g
- Sugar 30g
- Salt 3g
- Instant dry yeast 5g
- 1 room temperature egg
- Milk 130g
- 40g softened butter
Sweet Cream Filling Ingredients
- 250g cold heavy cream or whipping cream
- 35g sugar
- 250g cold heavy cream or whipping cream
- 35g sugar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the bread flour (300g). Place the sugar (30g), salt (3g), and instant dry yeast (5g) around the edges of the flour, ensuring they don’t touch the flour directly. Create a well in the center and pour in the warm milk (130g) and the room temperature egg.
Step 2
Once the dry ingredients begin to mix with the liquid, use your hands to bring the dough together into a rough mass. It might seem sticky at first, but continue gathering it from the sides of the bowl until it forms a single lump.
Step 3
When the dough has mostly come together and no dry flour is visible, add the softened butter (40g). Knead the dough vigorously, like washing laundry with your hands, until the butter is fully incorporated. It’s crucial that the butter is evenly distributed.
Step 4
Once the butter is completely absorbed into the dough, begin the intensive kneading to develop the gluten. Push the dough away from you on the work surface, fold it back, and repeat this push-and-fold motion for about 10-15 minutes. Continue until the dough becomes smooth and less sticky to your hands.
Step 5
Test the dough by gently stretching it. If it can be stretched thin without tearing, forming a translucent membrane (the gluten window), your dough is ready. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place (around 30-35°C or 86-95°F) for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size (this is the first proof).
Step 6
After the first proof, gently punch down the dough to release the gas. Divide the dough into 7 equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath. Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let them rest for 15 minutes (this is bench rest). This resting period makes the dough more pliable for shaping.
Step 7
Gently deflate the dough balls again. Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten each ball into an oval shape. Fold the top third of the oval down towards the center. Then, fold the left and right sides inwards by about half, overlapping them in the middle. Pinch the seams closed with your fingertips.
Step 8
Repeat the previous step by folding the left and right sides inward again, ensuring they meet in the center. Seal the edges very securely to prevent the filling from leaking out later.
Step 9
Turn the shaped dough over so the smooth side is facing up. Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, Teflon sheet, or baking paper, leaving adequate space between them to allow for expansion during baking.
Step 10
Cover the buns and let them rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes, or until they have doubled in size (this is the second proof). About 10 minutes before the end of the proofing time, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Step 11
Just before baking, brush the tops of the proofed buns with an egg wash made from one egg yolk mixed with a little milk. Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown. Adjust baking time and temperature according to your oven’s specifications.
Step 12
Once baked, remove the buns from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. After they have cooled, carefully slice each bun in half horizontally to prepare for filling.
Step 13
In a chilled bowl set over an ice bath, whip the cold heavy cream (250g) with the sugar (35g) until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip, as it can turn buttery. Spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag and generously fill the cut halves of the cooled buns.
Step 14
The best part of homemade baking is filling the buns generously with cream for a super soft and moist bite! These cream buns are so deliciously sweet and tender, you won’t be able to stop after one. Enjoy!
