Soft and Fluffy Custard Buns with Rich Milky Flavor

Take 200 ml of room temperature water, add 4 g of dry yeast and stir to dissolve; in a large bowl, add 380 g all-purpose flour and 20 g milk powder, pour in the yeast water little by little while stirring with chopsticks into flakes, knead into a dough, cover and let rest for 10 minutes, knead slightly until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and ferment to double size.

In a small pot, add 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, 35 g fine white sugar, 140 ml milk, stir the liquids and sugar evenly; then add 40 g wheat starch, 20 g all-purpose flour, 40 g milk powder, continue mixing well (a few small lumps are fine), and finally add 40 g butter.

Heat over low heat the whole time, stirring constantly. As the butter melts, the liquid will start to clump; continue stir-frying until the moisture evaporates and ingredients form a dough, then turn off the heat. Press and smooth it with a spatula into a soft, elastic, non-sticky custard filling, transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for later use.

Take out the cooled custard filling, round it and flatten it on a silicone mat, divide it into 16 equal portions with a scraper, each about 26 g, and roll them all into balls for later use.

Sprinkle dry flour on the silicone mat, move the fermented main dough onto the mat, gently press to release air and divide into two portions, knead vigorously until the surface is smooth, the inside is uniform with no air bubbles, then divide all the dough into 16 equal portions, each about 39 g, take one and press to round.

Press the smooth side first, flip over and press the bottom, roll out a wrapper with a thin edge (diameter twice the filling size) using bao-wrapping techniques, add the custard filling, pinch and seal using the tiger's mouth, place it into the steamer with the seam facing down, leaving space between dough pieces for expansion.

Cut a cross-shaped slit on top of the bun with scissors, flip out the four corners and pinch them to form a basic flower petal opening shape, place in the steamer, cover with the lid, and do a second fermentation at 25°C room temperature for 45 minutes until fermented to 1.5 times the size and you can smell a wine aroma.

Place the steamer on a pot of hot water, steam over high heat for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit (simmer) for another 5 minutes, open the lid to take out the buns, and place them on a rack to cool so the bottom steam can dissipate and prevent sogginess.