Japanese Sweet Cream Cheese Buns Recipe by Kat Lieu — modern asian baking (2024)

For the milk bread buns

• 195 g bread flour
• 55 g cake flour, sifted
• 45 g granulated sugar, adjust to taste (add a bit more if you want a sweeter bun)
• 1 large egg (about 50 g or 50 g of silken tofu)
• A pinch of salt or 1/2 teaspoon red or white miso
• 30 g unsalted butter, softened
• About 2 to 3 g active dry yeast
• 135 g milk, warmed to 110°F (microwave in 15-second bursts)
• Milk for brushing/washing

For the cream cheese filling

• About 145 g cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 a Philly cream cheese bar)
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (adjust to taste, add more if you'd like a sweeter cream)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk powder, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (skip if you want a whiter cream)
• About 2 tablespoons milk

Optional toppings

• Optional toppings can include confectioners' sugar, matcha, crushed peppermint candy, cocoa powder, edible gold flakes, etc... have fun!

Make the milk bread buns

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, egg, salt (or miso), and butter and set aside.
2. Combine the yeast, with a pinch of sugar, with the warmed milk. Mix and then set aside for 10 minutes before adding to the stand mixer. Mix, on low speed, until an elastic dough forms, a few minutes. If the dough is too wet, add a little flour. This should be a wet, tacky dough, but the dough should not stick and leave residue on your fingers. Form into a ball,cover, and let rise at warm room temperature for about 60 minutes.
3. Degas (deflate) the dough and turn out into a lightly floured surface. Knead a little and divide into 2 even pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and transfer each to an oiled 6-inch cake pan (or a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet). The dough will expand so give each one ample space to proof. Brush the tops of the buns with milk. Proof for about 60 minutes. I like to use my oven's proof feature.
4. About 25 minutes before you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 340°F or 170°C with a rack in the center.
5. Brush the tops again with milk and bake for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. I like to cover the buns with foil about 10 minutes into baking, so the buns don't over-darken.
6. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling. Be sure to taste-test. I don't like filling to be too sweet, but it may not be sweet enough as cream cheese is a bit salty. Mix all the filling ingredients on low speed, using the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth and creamy. Cover and set aside for now.
7. Remove the buns from the oven and cool completely before slicing each bun into quarters, then making two cross-wise slits (not all the way) in the middle of each quarter. In the slits, you'll slather on some of the cream cheese filling. Then you will spread the filling over the sliced quarters (both of the white sides of the quarter of the bun, not over the crust). Then dust the cream-covered buns with your toppings of choice.
8. You could also add milk powder, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or crushed candy canes to a plate and dip your cream-covered buns into your topping of choice. With matcha, that stuff is expensive, so you want to just dust it on.
9. Enjoy with a cup of tea, and gift this cute bun to friends, fam, or neighbors during the holidays! Let me know what you think!

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