These vanilla custard buns are made from a yeast dough. They are filled with vanilla custard, brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with pearl sugar before baking.
I love yeast pastry with a custard filling. These fluffy buns with the creamy filling, just so delicious. I can’t get enough of them and they are quite simple to make.
Tools & Equipment
- Dough scraper
- Fine mesh strainer
- Kitchen towel
- Large baking sheet
- Large bowl
- Liquid measuring cup
- Medium bowl
- Medium saucepan
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Vanilla Custard: Start by making the vanilla custard to give it enough time to cool completely. I like to prepare the custard the day before and then let it chill in the fridge overnight.
Filling the Buns: If you want a more delicate texture of the custard, you can put it in a pastry bag and pipe it on top of the dough.
Top of the Buns: I used just egg wash and some pearl sugar for the top. But feel free to use whatever comes to your mind, such as flaked almonds or fresh fruit on top of the custard, just according to your own taste.
Directions – How to Make Vanilla Custard Buns
Ingredients for the Vanilla Custard
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Egg yolks
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
You can find the detailed recipe of how to make the custard here: Vanilla Pastry Cream.
Ingredients for the Buns
- All-purpose flour (550)
- Whole milk
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Dry yeast
- Salt
Make the Buns
Heat the milk in the microwave to a temperature of around 38°C/100°F. Add the dry yeast and sugar to the lukewarm milk and whisk until dissolved.
In the bowl of a stand mixer add flour, butter, egg, salt and the yeast mixture and knead on medium speed until smooth and the dough pass the windowpane test, for about 13 minutes.
Shape dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let proof in a warm place until doubled in size, for about 1 hour.
Using a dough scraper, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 6 equal-sized balls of about 80g each, cover the balls with a kitchen towel and let proof for another 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Flatten the dough balls on the parchment first by hand, then use the bottom of a small glass to make a well in the center.
Place custard in the center of each well. Whisk together egg and milk and brush the buns with the egg wash, then sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake until the sides are golden brown, for about 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the buns cool on a wire rack.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Store leftover vanilla custard buns in a an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze custard buns wraped tightly in plastic or aluminum foil or in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat them in a 180°C/350°F oven for a couple of minutes.
My Summary for Vanilla Custard Buns
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: These vanilla custard buns taste sweet and of course have a nice vanilla flavor. The buns themselves are fluffy, the custard is creamy and the pearl sugar adds a nice crunch to the buns.
Time: Making the vanilla custard takes about 15 minutes, after that it needs to be chilled for about 2 hours in the fridge to cool completely. Preparing the dough takes about 30 minutes, then it has to proof for about 1 hour. Making and filling the buns takes about 30 minutes and baking time is 15-18 minutes.
More VANILLA Recipes
- Butterkaka
- Caramel Vanilla Cake Bars
- Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake
- Vanilla Birthday Cake
- Vanilla Loaf Cake