Super Soft Bun.....

For the water roux
25 g bread flour
125 g water

Rest of the dough:
540 g bread flour
86 g sugar
8 g salt
11 g Instant yeast
86 g whole eggs
59 g whipping cream
63 g milk
144 g water roux (made from above ingredients)
49 g softened butter

Other:
1 egg (for egg wash)

Step Prepare the Roux

Weigh out the flour and water for the roux and mix well in a small saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat and use a whisk to stir continuously until it reaches 65 °C. If you do not have a probe thermometer, just keep stirring until you notice that the whisk cuts through the thickened paste and exposes the bottom on the pan, leaving a trail behind. Alternatively, cook the mixture until it thickens and continue to cook for one additional minute. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool to room temp.

You can make the roux ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a day. However, if the roux turns grey in the fridge, chuck it and make a fresh batch!

Prepare the Dough

In the large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. (If you are not using dry active yeast instead of instant, let it dissolve in the milk and add it to the dough with the liquids). Then add the eggs, whipping cream, and milk. Stir it with your wooden spoon until combined.

Retrieve your roux and add it to the ball along with the softened butter. Continue to mix. Stirring with the wooden spoon will become futile soon, so just dunk your hands in and work the dough together.

Once it has formed a cohesive mass, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface (you shouldn’t need much flour since the butter will lubricate the surface and prevent stickage) and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. The kneading process forms gluten, which for various reasons, is responsible for the unique texture of bread. 

It usually takes me around 12 to 15 minutes to complete the kneading. If you own some sort of kneading device, mix in everything in the same order and knead for 10 min or until smooth and elastic.

Proof the Dough

Form the dough into a tight ball  and place it seam down in a lightly oiled proofing container which you have weighed ahead of time! Take note of the total weight with the dough and then cover it with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Place the whole thing in a warm place. While it proofs, calculate the weight of your dough.

Let the dough rise until doubled in size. This takes about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the ambient temperature.

Shape the Dough

After the dough has doubled in size, carefully remove the cover and with the dough still in the proofing container, punch it down with your knuckles. Then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press out any air bubbles. This will produce a more even texture and help to redistribute some of the sugars for the yeast to chow on.

 Knowing the total weight of the dough, you can now decide how many buns you want to make and divide accordingly. I usually get about 15 dinner roll-sized buns. Dividing the dough equally by weight is important for ensuring uniform baking.

Shape the pieces into round rolls, braids, or any other desired shape. See Step 8 for shaping ideas and tips.

Transfer the shaped dough pieces to either a lightly greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Lightly cover the whole thing with a tea towel or plastic sheet. (I like to butterfly a plastic fruit/veggie bag from the grocery store and use that). Place everything in a warm place and let  it rise until doubled (about 45 min, depending on the ambient temperature). Start preheating your oven to 350 °F in the meantime.

Bake the Dough and Eat!

Gently peel off the towel/plastic sheet. The buns should have now doubled in size and are ready for baking. Traditionally, Chinese buns are brushed with an egg wash to get that nice glossy look, so beat an egg and apply with a pastry brush. Additionally, you may sprinkle on some sesame seeds after your have applied the egg wash.

Finally, place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and leave it there for 15-20 minutes (this may vary depending on your oven). The rolls will expand a bit more in the oven and take on a deep caramel colour. Remove the buns from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before consumption.

If you’re not eating them right away, let them come all the way down to room temperature and place in an air-tight container. They will only keep for a couple days, after which, moistness and softness will become less than optimal.