Condensed milk buns with filling

Since this milk bread receipe comparison, I've experimented with different milk bread methods that used cream but no oil and had 2 proves or had oil but needed 3 proves.

Decided to try Omnivore's Cookbook that uses condensed milk and only 2 proves. However, instead of making dinner rolls as her recipe describes or my usual Pullman tin, I'm making bread with filling.

Ingredients for condensed milk bread - 650g dough makes 9 dinner rolls or 12 buns

300g (2½ C) bread flour

140ml (½ C) milk

7g (2½ tsp) instant yeast 

30g (2½ tbsp) sugar

80g (¼ C) condensed milk

4 tbsp butter,  melted

1 egg

Filling of choice - 780g: I made my own coffee mung bean using Kitchen 101 but with 300g dried beans

Method

1. Activate yeast: warm milk to about 38 deg C in microwave. Add pinch of sugar and yeast. Sit for 20 minutes to activate.

2. Add flour, milk, rest of sugar, condensed milk, butter, egg to mixer. Mix together first with spatula. Add yeast and mix. Cover and rest for 20 mins.

3. Using KA, start low and then increase to 8 out of 10 (! - this is against the instructions in the instruction manual which recommends no more than speed 2 or 4!). Knead for 10 to 12 minutes until dough is smooth. Scape if necessary. Stop when you reach window-pane stage. Dough should be wet and slightly sticky but should not stick to your hands.

4. Grease a bowl and put in dough shaped in a ball. Cover with let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, approx 1 hr.

5. Meanwhile, if using filling, divide filling up into 12 balls. Cover with cling film and set aside.

6a. If making dinner rolls, divide dough into 9 and use a 9 x 9" (23 x 23cm) lined baking pan. Each dough ball weighs 68-70g. Cover with plastic wrap and prove until doubled in size, approx 35 mins.

b. If adding filling, divide up dough into 12 balls. Fill with filling and close. Form a ball and place on lined baking tray. Allow to prove until doubled in size, approx 35 mins.

7. Eggwash with thin layer of milk, just the tops of the buns.

8. Bake at 175 deg C for 15mins (with good temperature control but I will stop at 10 mins to rotate trays) or until golden brown. For dinner rolls, internal temp should be 88 deg C.

9. Let bread rest for 5 mins then transfer to cooling rack.

10. To reheat, warm in microwave for about 10 (no filling) to 20 (with filling) seconds. If freezing, keep in ziplock bag for up to a month. Reheat at 175 deg C without first thawing for 10 mins.

Recipe feedback

- Dough is really soft and moist but is difficult to shape. Although very elastic, it refuses to 'stick' when crimping the seam to close. On one hand, any pleats made will be very obvious but on the other hand, any imperfections are also obvious. Perhaps being more sparing with coating the bowl and dough ball with oil during the first proof might help.

After proofing: Imperfections, slits that won't seal! Bumps, dings and lumps on the surface

- Because of the high sugar content in the bun, it browns easily so milk wash is ok, not egg wash.

- How do I prevent the 'cavern' in the bun ie the filling sinks and leaves a huge gap in the roof of the bun? This time, I was super generous with the filling, in effect, putting in more filling by weight than the weight of the dough. Yet there was still a huge cavern. I think it has to do with wrapping style i.e., using the bao wrapping method tends to pull too much dough over the top to crimp and seal (and even then, it's hard to do with this dough). Maybe I have to use the mooncake wrapping method which slowly works the dough over the filling but this dough isn't sticky enough to seal close. 

- In sum, this recipe would be good for plain buns or with sweet filling.

Updated: This recipe by Savour Easy uses normal flour, room-temp butter and hand kneading instead of bread flour, melted butter, and KA. Otherwise, the portions and proportions are very similar. I may give it a try next time when I want a milky sweet bread to contain my filling as hopefully the bread will be more malleable and amenable to shaping due to the inclusion of room temp butter rather than melted butter. It also suggests tenting the bread in the last 10 mins to prevent burning.