Castella Milk Cream Salt Bread Recipe
Make Castella Milk Cream Salt Bread Recipe in just 3h 20m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Dough (enriched milk bread)
Castella-style milk cream filling
Salted brown butter glaze & finishing
Method
Dough (enriched milk bread)
- 1
Mix and autolyse
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 360 g bread flour and 45 g granulated sugar. Warm 180 ml whole milk to about 30–35°C (lukewarm). Add 6 g instant dry yeast to the milk and stir to dissolve. Pour milk-yeast mixture and 1 room-temperature egg into the flour mixture. Mix with a dough hook or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and all flour is hydrated, about 2–3 minutes by mixer on low. Let rest (autolyse) for 10 minutes.
- 2
Knead and add butter
After resting, add 6 g salt. Knead on medium speed (or by hand) 6–8 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and slightly elastic. Gradually add 45 g softened unsalted butter in 3 additions, allowing each addition to be incorporated fully before adding the next. Continue kneading until dough is silky, pulls away from the bowl, and passes a slight windowpane test (about 6–8 more minutes). Total kneading time ~12–16 minutes.
- 3
- 4
Degas and shape
Gently deflate the dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (about 75–80 g each) for individual rolls or divide into 4 pieces for larger buns. Let pieces bench rest for 10 minutes.
- 5
Final shaping
Flatten each piece into a rectangle, spread about 1–1.5 tablespoons of the cooled castella-style milk cream (prepared in the next section) in the center lengthwise, fold edges over to enclose the filling and roll seam-side down into a smooth log. Place seam-side down in a greased baking tray or into paper-lined muffin tins for a rounded top. Cover and proof for the second rise about 40–50 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled.
- 6
Bake
Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F). Bake the filled rolls on the middle rack for 14–18 minutes for individual rolls (or 20–25 minutes for larger buns) until golden brown and internal temperature reaches about 90–94°C. If tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final minutes.
Castella-style milk cream filling
- 7
Temper and cook custard
In a small saucepan, gently heat 120 ml whole milk and 40 g granulated sugar until warm and the sugar is mostly dissolved (do not boil). In a bowl, whisk 3 egg yolks with 10 g cornstarch until smooth. Slowly pour about one-third of the warm milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper. Return the tempered yolks to the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking continuously.
- 8
Thicken
Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or spatula, until it thickens to a thick custard that coats the back of a spoon (about 3–5 minutes). Do not let it boil vigorously. Remove from heat, stir in 20 g cubed unsalted butter and 3 ml vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
- 9
Cool
Transfer the custard to a shallow bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin, and cool to room temperature. For easier handling, chill in refrigerator until it reaches a pipeable but still spreadable consistency, about 45–60 minutes. This is the castella-style milk cream used to fill the bread.
Salted brown butter glaze & finishing
- 10
Make brown butter glaze
In a small skillet, melt 40 g unsalted butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden-brown and smell nutty (watch closely to avoid burning), about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 20 g dark brown sugar until dissolved. If too thick, whisk in up to 1 tsp milk to loosen. Stir in 3 g fine sea salt and let glaze cool slightly. The glaze should be pourable but not hot enough to melt the bread butter in the crumb.
- 11
Glaze and finish
When rolls are out of the oven, let rest 5 minutes on the tray. Brush or drizzle the brown butter glaze over the warm tops so it soaks slightly and creates a shiny, slightly salted finish. If desired, sprinkle a tiny pinch of extra sea salt on top of each roll for a bright pop of saltiness.
- 12
Serve
Allow glazed rolls to cool to warm or room temperature so the filling sets but remains creamy. Serve the Castella Milk Cream Salt Bread within 1–2 days for best texture; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days — refresh in a 160°C oven for 5–7 minutes if desired.
