MAYO's KITCHEN: CRUMBS & NOTES

These smell like a bakery dream: buttery dough, melty center, and that signature coffee crust that cracks just enough when you take a bite. Like a sweet little breakfast hug — best eaten warm.

Recipe by Luvita Ho

 

📝 Kitchen Note ‼️

Pop the butter cubes in the freezer right at the start — they’ll hold their shape better during baking. I go with small-ish buns (about 50 g each), but you can size them up or down depending on snack vs. breakfast mode.

 

Gather These First

Brioche bread

• 350 g bread flour / all-purpose flour
• 20 g milk powder
• 4 g salt
• 115 ml milk
• 50 ml water, lukewarm
• 65 g white sugar
• 5 g instant yeast
• 1 egg
• 45 g unsalted butter, softened

Filling

• Salted buter, cut into cubes and frozen

Coffee Topping

• 60 g unsalted butter, softened
• 50 g powdered sugar
• 70 g all-purpose flour
• 1 egg (around 50 g)
• 6 g instant coffee
• 1½ tsp warm water

 

Step by Step

❄️ Butter Blocked and Loaded

1. Cut the salted butter for filling into small cubes. I usually get around 15 g each cube.
2. Pop them in the freezer while you make the dough.

🥖 Make the Dough Until First Proof

1. Warm the milk until it’s just cozy — about 32–35°C (think: warm bath, not hot tub).
2. Pour it into a bowl and stir in the sugar and instant yeast. Give it a gentle mix, then cover with cling wrap and let it sit somewhere warm (like the oven with the light on) for 5–10 minutes, until it’s foamy and bubbly.
3. Once bubbly, transfer the mixture to your stand mixer bowl. Add the egg and mix briefly.
4. Gradually add the flour, using a spatula to combine into a rough dough.
5. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed (KitchenAid speed 2) for about 3 minutes.
6. Add the soft butter and let it mix in fully.
7. Increase to high speed (KitchenAid speed 6) and knead until smooth and elastic — pause every few minutes to scrape down the sides. This can take 8–12 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the dough pulls away cleanly from the bowl.
8. Do a windowpane test: gently stretch a bit of dough — it should stretch thin without tearing.
9. Lightly oil a big bowl, place the dough in, and cover with cling wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

🔥 Shape and Fill

1. Once risen, divide the dough into 50 g portions and shape into balls.
2. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Gently press each ball to release air, flatten slightly, and place a frozen butter cube inside. Seal tightly and shape into a ball again.
4. Place on a lined tray, cover, and proof for 45 minutes, until puffy.

☕ Make the Coffee Topping

1. Dissolve the instant coffee in warm water and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light. Add the egg, then the coffee, then fold in the flour until smooth.
3. Transfer to a piping bag and chill briefly if it feels too soft.

🔥 Bake It Off

1. Pipe the coffee topping in a spiral over the top of each bun — covering as much surface as possible.
2. Bake at 175°C for 15 minutes, or until golden, crackly, and smelling like heaven.