Custard-filled Japanese buns (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Thai Tea Melon Pan Bread

01 - 1.75 cups bread flour
02 - 1/4 cup cake flour
03 - 3 tbsp granulated sugar
04 - 1.25 tsp instant yeast
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1/2 cup whole milk
07 - 1/2 cup water
08 - 3 tbsp thai tea leaves
09 - 2.5 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)

→ Melon Pan Cookie Crust

10 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
11 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
12 - 1 large egg
13 - 1.5 cup cake flour + 3 tbsp cake flour
14 - 1/2 tsp baking powder

→ Thai Tea Custard Filling

15 - 2.5 cups whole milk
16 - 4 large egg yolks
17 - 1/3 cup cornstarch
18 - 4 tbsp thai tea leaves
19 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
20 - 2 tbsp butter

# Instructions:

01 - Heat the milk in a small pot over medium heat until just barely boiling. Add in the thai tea leaves, stir, and allow the leaves to steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the thai tea leaves from the milk and leave the milk to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
02 - Remove the thai tea milk from the fridge and whisk the egg yolks into it. Then combine the cornstarch and sugar in a separate pot. Pour the thai tea milk and egg mixture into the pot with the sugar and cornstarch and stir to combine. Place the pot over medium high heat and then add in the butter. Continue to stir the mixture until it has thickened and remove from heat. Transfer to a separate, lidded container, and allow to fully chill in the fridge (overnight would be best).
03 - Pour the water and milk into a small pot and heat over medium high heat until just boiling. Pour in the thai tea leaves and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the leaves and allow to cool in the fridge until about room temperature. Remove from the fridge and mix in the egg.
04 - In a separate bowl, combine the bread flour, cake flour, sugar, and yeast. Pour the thai tea milk and egg mixture into the bowl and, using a spatula, combine. Continue to knead the dough until all the ingredients have been fully incorporated (10 minutes).
05 - Add in all the softened butter to the dough and continue to knead in the butter until it is fully incorporated and the dough has become springy and no longer sticks to your hand (15 minutes).
06 - Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then allow to proof in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. While this is proofing, start with making the cookie crust.
07 - Pour the sugar and softened butter into a bowl and, using a spatula, combine the two until smooth. Then add in the egg and mix until the egg has been fully incorporated. Sift in the cake flour and baking powder and continue to mix until the dough comes together (if the dough is still too soft or sticky to collect into a ball, then add in an additional tablespoon of cake flour). Divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls and leave aside until the melon pan bread dough is done proofing.
08 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Take the proofed melon pan dough and deflate. Then divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls and roll out each ball into a circle.
09 - Take 2 tablespoons of the thai tea custard and place in the center of the rolled out dough. Wrap the dough around the custard and roll back into a ball.
10 - Take one of the cookie crust toppings and flatten it out. Wrap the cookie crust around the top of the dough ball and, using the back of a knife, indent 3 criss-cross lines across the top of each cookie crust. Take 2 tbsp of granulated sugar and place into a bowl. Dip the cookie crust topping in the bowl of sugar and then place the dough ball onto a baking tray.
11 - Repeat these steps for the remaining dough balls and, once done, cover the dough balls with plastic wrap and allow to proof again for another 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
12 - Bake the melon pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack, then enjoy!

# Notes:

01 - Melon pan is a Japanese sweet bread with a crisp, sugary cookie topping.
02 - This version uses Thai tea for a unique flavor in both the bread and custard filling.
03 - For best results, prepare the custard the night before.
04 - The kneading times are important to develop the proper texture.

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