Preferment milk bread comparison recipes

 I have tried so many methods to make red bean bread from tangzong method with bread flour which for some reason turned crusty, tangzong method with bread and cake flour which came out super dry, to Japanese An-Pan with bread and cake flours which was still dry altho fluffy, and also An-Pan with plain flour which came out super dense although fluffy. I also tried making buns from bread flour and condensed milk which were sweetish and great for sweet fillings were a difficult to shape and not very fluffy.  My pan is L21*W12.5*11Hcm (aka 1.5 jin pan which fits 580g dough).

I am trying preferment (Poolish, Biga, Spong-dough methods) - see Jack for an explanation.

After the last failure with sponge method milk loaf, I decided to investigate sponge and gelatinsed dough recipes to try if using filling

1. Taiwanese style HappygoKathy (video and written recipe) octopus sausage buns recommended by YC - overnight preferment has yeast and needs kneading before leaving in fridge. 210g + water and yeast knaded for 5 minutes then storied in fridge for 15-17 hrs. Next day, tear up sponge and add 90g bread flour with milk powder, milk and butter. Prove 30 - 34 mins. Makes eight 65g dough balls. Shape and prove 1 hr. Bake 180 deg C for 15 -18 mins. (Tried here)

2. Kat Kwa's Jap milk bread (video): 500g bread flour in KA, 1hr proof, 3 dough balls in 1 pullman tin, 45 min proof, baked 190 deg C for 40 mins

3. Kat Kwa's earl grey milk bread (video): 100g bread flour with yeast for sponge, 48 hrs rest, scaled milk, 500g bread flour in KA with sponge, prove 45 mins, 2 pullman loaf, prove 45 mins

4. Kat Kwa's 2-styles sausage buns (video): 210g bread flour with yeast beat in KA, proof 2 hrs; 70g bread + 60g plain flour with yeast then beat in KA with proofed dough, condensed milk and egg. Proof 30 mins. Cut into 12. Form traditional coil sausage and also 'grapes-look' sausage with cheese. Proof 45 mins. Bake 180 deg C for 15 mins.

5. Kat Kwa's slitted red bean buns (video): Same method as above and same flour amounts:

6. Kat Kwa's Hokkaido-style milk bread (video): Called gelatinsed dough method, this is overnight preferment with no yeast and needs kneading before leaving in fridge. 100g bread flour + 80g boiling water kneaded for 5 mins and stored overnight in fridge. Next day, tear up gelatinsed dough and add to 400g bread flour with yeast, milk, egg, whipping cream, butter in KA. Prove 50 mins. Create 6 balls and put into 2 Pullmans. Prove 45 mins. Bake 180 deg C for 30 mins.

7. FlavourQuest using taro filling (video) recommended by Isabel - also gelatinsed dough method but slightly different. 200g bread flour with milk and sugar. Knead then overnight in fridge. Next day, already windowpane. Make a well in the dough and add yeast and milk and butter and knead in. Very hard and messy to knead in. If using KA, have to tear up the gelatinsed dough.