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–+ servings

Cream Pan (Japanese Sweet Custard Buns)

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Rising Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 57 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 6 buns

Ingredients 
 

Pastry Cream (Custard)

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 45 g sugar
  • 10 g cornstarch
  • 180 ml whole milk
  • 15 g unsalted butter
  • ½ tsp vanilla essence or half the amount vanilla extract, or ⅓ vanilla pod.

Sweet Bread

  • 1 egg divided
  • 110 g bread flour
  • 40 g all-purpose flour
  • 3 g salt
  • 25 g sugar
  • 3 g instant dry yeast or double the amount of fresh yeast
  • 55 g whole milk
  • 20 g water
  • 20 g unsalted butter room temperature

Instructions 

Pastry Cream

  • Take a saucepan and add 2 egg yolks and 45 g sugar. Whisk until pale and creamy, then add 10 g cornstarch and whisk until well incorporated.
    egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan
  • Measure out 180 ml whole milk and pour a small amount into the pan. Whisk until smooth, then gradually add the rest of the milk while whisking.
    pouring milk into egg, sugar and starch mixture in a saucepan for pastry cream filling
  • Move the saucepan to the stove and heat on low/medium-low. Whisk continuously and let it boil for 1 minute before taking it off the heat.
    whisking pastry cream in a saucepan on the stove top
  • Stir in 15 g unsalted butter and ½ tsp vanilla essence.
    thickened pastry cream in a pan with butter and vanilla
  • Pour it into a wide heatproof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Place a few ice packs on top to cool it faster, and once cool enough to touch, store in the fridge for later.
    pastry cream in a steel container with plastic wrap and ice packs on top

Bread

  • Crack 1 egg into a bowl and add a small pinch of salt. Whisk until the egg and yolks are combined, then measure out 30g (1oz). Cover the leftovers and store in the fridge for later.
    Measure out 20 g unsalted butter and set it on the counter for later.
    whisked egg divided
  • Take a large mixing bowl and add 110 g bread flour, 40 g all-purpose flour, 3 g salt, 25 g sugar, and 3 g instant dry yeast. Mix to distribute the ingredients.
    dry ingredients for Japanese sweet buns in a steel mixing bowl (flour, sugar, salt, yeast)
  • Pour 55 g whole milk and 20 g water into a microwavable jug. Heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to warm slightly, then stir in the 30g of whisked egg. Pour the contents of the jug into the bowl with the flour, and mix thoroughly until a dough comes together.
    pouring wet ingredients into dry ingredients to make enriched dough for cream pan
  • Tip the dough out onto a clean dry surface. Use a bench scraper of something similar to smear the dough across the surface.
    spreading bread dough on marble effect kneading board
  • Gather the dough back up with the scraper, and repeat smearing and gathering until it becomes less sticky and more manageable.
    rolling up enriched dough using a plastic bench scraper
    • This dough starts off very sticky, but don't add extra flour. It will become less sticky as you work the dough.
  • Switch to the slap and fold method. Hold the edges of the dough, slap it away from you and pull it back towards you.
    demonstrating slap and fold method with enriched dough (slapping)
  • Stretch the dough away from you and over itself. Turn the dough 90° and repeat until smooth and passes the windowpane test.
    demonstrating slap and fold method with enriched dough (folding)
  • Stretch the dough over the surface as big as you can without tearing it, and spread the butter over the top.
    Dough spread out on kneading board with unsalted butter spread over the surface
  • Roll up the dough, then knead again until smooth and well incorporated. The dough should feel moist but not greasy.
    Using bench scraper to roll up the dough and butter
  • Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a clean damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in size (approx 40-60mins at 30 °C (86 °F)).
    dough after rise, doubled in size in mixing bowl
  • Press the dough to degas, then weigh and divide it into 45g pieces. Pull the edges of each piece down and under, then gather them into a point at the bottom to make a smooth and tight ball.
    pinching the bottom of the shaped dough
  • Cover loosely with plastic wrap and rest and room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
    6 balls of dough resting under plastic wrap for bench time
  • While you wait, divide your pastry cream into 40g portions.
    pastry cream divided into 6 portions ready for wrapping
  • Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll each ball out into a disc about 15cm (6") in diameter. Place the pastry cream in the center, making sure it doesn't touch the edges.
    a portion of pastry cream on a rolled out dough
  • Pull the top of the dough over the pastry cream and thoroughly press the edges while pushing the cream back.
    cream pan dough pulled over pastry cream filling and pressed to seal
  • Lift up the dough and pinch the edges to make sure they're secure, then use kitchen scissors to make 3-4 slits around the edge.
    cutting cream pan for fanned look
  • Arrange the shaped cream pan spaced apart on a baking tray and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to rise until the size has increased by about 1.5x or pass the finger poke test (approx 45-60mins at 30 °C (86 °F)). About halfway through, preheat your oven to 180 °C (356 °F) fan or 200 °C (392 °F) conventional.
    six shaped cream pan on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, topped with plastic wrap. Second rise.
  • Take the whisked egg from the fridge and add about ⅛ tsp water. When the cream pan is ready to bake, use a pastry to brush with an even layer of whisked egg over the tops.
    Brushing risen cream pan with egg wash before baking.
  • Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. If your oven bakes unevenly, turn the baking sheet around half way through.
    Six cream pan (Japanese sweet custard buns) on a baking tray after baking
  • Leave to cool fully before eating, and enjoy!
    Homemade cream pan (Japanese sweet custard bun) torn in half to reveal pastry cream filling

Notes

  • Once cool, store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container. Bring to room temperature before eating.
  • Make the pastry cream up to 2-3 days in advance and store in the fridge with plastic wrap touching the surface to save time on baking day.
  • If your pastry cream becomes lumpy, fix it with vigorous whisking off the heat, or an immersion blender, or strain through a mesh sieve.
  • Avoid adding any flour when kneading the dough. It will start off very sticky and that is normal. It will become more manageable as you knead it.
  • Make sure the dough passes the windowpane test (stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing) before you add the butter.
  • Sweet breads take longer to rise because of the sugar, egg, and butter. Base the rise on the size and feel of the dough, not the clock. First rise should double in size, second rise should increase by about 1.5x or pass the finger poke test (dent slowly fills back in when poked).
  • Preheat your oven well in advance, about halfway through the second rise, or earlier if you know your oven takes a long time to heat up.