RECIPE: BLUEBERRY AND CUSTARD BUNS
If you have a sweet tooth like me, you will love this recipe - it is the perfect weekend bake!
My go-to treat at Gail’s Bakery is always the blueberry and custard buns, so I put together a recipe that helped me recreate them at home.
INGREDIENTS
Custard:
350ml whole milk
4 large egg yolks
50g cornflour
100g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla paste
Brioche Dough:
275g plain flour
5g fast-action dried yeast
25g caster sugar
2 eggs
50ml whole milk
80g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
Streusel Topping:
65g white sugar
80g plain flour
45g unsalted melted butter
150g blueberries
Making custard from scratch was a first for me, and I didn’t anticipate how much careful attention it requires. Below are the steps I followed, but a key tip to remember is to keep whisking the custard constantly while it’s over low heat as it thickens, due to the cornflour, the custard could get lumpy if let unattended.
INSTRUCTIONS
Custard:
1. In a pan over medium heat, warm up the milk until it’s just about to reach a boil, then take it off the heat and set aside.
2. In a heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, golden caster sugar, cornflour, and vanilla paste, stirring until you have a thick mixture.
3. Slowly add about 75ml of the hot milk at a time, mixing well each time to thin out the consistency.
4. Once all the hot milk is added and fully combined, pour the mixture back into the pan and whisk over low heat until it thickens into a smooth, rich custard.
5. When the custard reaches your desired consistency, pour it into a bowl, cover with cling film, and chill it in the fridge.
Brioche Dough:
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C for fan ovens) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, flour, and sugar.
3. Make a well in the center with a spoon, and add the eggs and milk into the well.
4. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and mix on a low speed until the dough starts to come together.
5. Gradually add the chopped butter, a little at a time, until it’s fully incorporated. (I rushed this step once and learned it really makes a difference to add it slowly for the best texture!)
6. When the dough is smooth and elastic, lightly dust a work surface with flour and divide the dough into six or eight balls (depends on the size you want).
7. Place the dough balls on the lined baking tray, cover them and let them rise for at least 25 minutes.
8. Whilst your letting the dough balls raise, prepare for the streusel topping, combine the white sugar, plain flour, and melted butter in a separate bowl, mixing until it forms a crumbly texture. Set aside.
9. Once the dough has risen, use a spoon to make a small well in the center of each dough ball.
10. Fill the buns with custard into the center of each dough ball.
11. Top each bun with blueberries and a sprinkle of streusel, then bake for 20-25 minutes.
I would love to know how your buns have turned out - enjoy the recipe!