Brioche Buns with Fruit Custard

Using the instant yeast and with warm dough, this recipe takes about 4 hours from start to finish.

Custard

If you're planning to make the lemon custard variation, zest a lemon and prep 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice. Keep the zest and the lemon juice separate so you can add the zest early in the process for max flavor extraction. For the raspberry custard, microwave about 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries, then press the mush through a mesh strainer to collect the seedless juice. Set aside these fruit additions.

In a small saucepan not yet on the stove, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and a splash of the heavy cream until smooth. Add the sugar, salt, milk, and the rest of the heavy cream (also the lemon zest if making that flavor). Whisk until thoroughly combined.

Place the pan on the stove on low-med heat and continue whisking without pausing until the mixture thickens. Note that the thickening will happen somewhat suddenly, so stay attentive to prevent lumps. You can switch to a spatula if you prefer.

When the custard comes off the whisk/spatula in ribbons, turn off the heat and add the butter and one of the following: vanilla extract, lemon juice, raspberry juice. Mix until incorporated.

Transfer the custard to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap right up against the custard to prevent a skin from forming.

Refrigerate if you're not planning to use within the next 3-4 hours.

Dough

MIXING AND FIRST RISE

Warm the milk to 90-110°F in a small bowl and add the instant yeast. Let the yeast bloom for a couple of minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, salt, whole egg and yolk, and milk-yeast mixture. Mixing the dough by hand with a spatula or Danish dough whisk is also fine.

Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds and then on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the butter in a few pieces, and mix on medium-high speed for another 2 minutes.

When the butter is fully incorporated into the dough, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl or straightwalled container. Mark the level of the dough and cover it.

Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size. This will take 1-3 hours depending on your dough and ambient temperature.

PRE-SHAPE AND FINAL PROOF

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 8 pieces, 85-90 grams each.

Roll the pieces into balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly dust the tops of the dough balls with flour and press the base of a small jar or shot glass into the center of each dough ball. You will repeat this indent creation after the final proof.

Cover with a barely-damp tea towel or oiled plastic wrap, or place the entire sheet in a plastic bag. Let the dough rise again until almost doubled in size. This should take 1-2 hours depending on your dough and ambient temperature.

FINAL SHAPE WITH CUSTARD AND BAKING

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Lightly oil the base of a small jar or shot glass and press it into the center of each dough ball. If the dough springs back, use oiled fingers to widen the wells.

Fill each well with a couple of teaspoons of custard.

Option to brush the dough with the egg white-milk wash for shine.

You can decorate the custard with the strawberry slices or other fruit before or after baking. If you opt for adding fruit before baking, try to center the fruit and press it a bit into the custard so it doesn't slide off the custard while baking.

Bake at 350°F for 17 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the buns cool.

Dust the buns with powdered sugar and decorate with sliced strawberries if you didn't do this before baking.

Any buns not eaten the first day can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Warm them for about 20 seconds in the microwave to soften.