MAYO's KITCHEN: CRUMBS & NOTES

This one brings me right back. Elongated, golden, and sliced down the middle like a hotdog bun — but instead of sausage, there’s sweet, salty buttercream. A bakery classic that’s soft enough to smush with your fingers (in the best way).

Recipe by Luvita Ho

 

Gather These First

Bread

• 250 g bread flour / all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp milk powder
• ⅛ tsp baking powder (I skipped this)
• 3 g salt
• 100 ml cold milk
• 40 ml water, lukewarm
• 30 g white sugar
• 5 g instant yeast
• 1 egg yolk
• 30 g unsalted butter, softened

Buttercream Filling

• 100 g unsalted butter, softened (I used salted butter, skipped the salt, and it tasted better!)
• 1½ tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 2 pinches of salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• Unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• Chocolate sprinkle or shredded cheese (e.g.: youg Gouda)

Others

• Rolling pin
• Ruler

 

Step by Step

🥖 The Brioche Beginning

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.

🔪 Rolling & Slicing

1. Lightly dust a silicone mat or working station with flour and place the dough on top.
2. Roll it out into a rectangle (like making cinnamon rolls), but don’t go too thin.
3. Measure the length to 13 cm and trim the top and bottom edges.
4. Cut into strips — each one should be about 4.5 × 13 cm.

🛌 Rest & Fry

1. Place each piece on baking paper, cover with a clean towel, and rest for 40 minutes until puffy.
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Once the oil is hot, fry each piece until golden brown on both sides. Adjust heat as needed to avoid over-browning.

🍦 That Simple, Salty Cream Filling

1. Beat softened butter until light and fluffy.
2. Add condensed milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat again until creamy and smooth.

✨ To Finish it Off

1. Slice each bun down the middle (don’t cut all the way through), then spread the buttercream. You can go light or generous — I won’t judge.
2. While the bread is still warm, spread a thin layer of softened butter or margarine over the top.
   Then go classic: top with chocolate sprinkles or shredded cheese — or both, if you’re feeling bold.

📝 Crumbs for Later ‼️

Store the bread in a tight container to keep it soft. If you’re using cheese as the topping, definitely keep it in the fridge — I once left it out on the counter, and the cheese turned sour. Lesson learned.