It’s bread day today! I think if I have to choose what to make every week, I will choose bread. There is so many ways you can make, from savory to sweet the options are endless. I often favor plain or savory bread but there are days when I want a something like a dessert bread. A sweet bread that is, like this one that we are makign today. This sweet bread Custard Buns is one of my favorite sweet bread or buns to make and that is because of the custard topping. I love anythign with custard, it is pure bliss to have it. This custard buns is slightly diffrent in a way that the custard in on top instead of inside. I thought we should showcase the custard so why hide it inside. This bread is worth making, I hope you will give it a try.

Custard buns are the perfect indulgence for cozy mornings, elegant tea breaks, or anytime you crave a sweet treat. This recipe makes just six buns, topped with a homemade vanilla custard pastry cream, striking the perfect balance between soft bread and creamy decadence. Let’s dive into what makes these buns so special and how you can whip them up in your own kitchen!

What are Custard Buns?

Custard buns are soft, pillowy rolls topped or filled with a luscious pastry cream made from eggs, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Loved across cultures, they bring together the comfort of bread and the elegance of a custard topping. These buns shine with their perfect marriage of textures: fluffy base and creamy topping.

Why Go Small Batch?

Not everyone needs a dozen buns sitting around! This small-batch recipe lets you enjoy fresh, perfectly portioned treats without worrying about leftovers. It’s ideal for a personal baking project or sharing with a few loved ones. Plus, smaller batches make experimenting less intimidating.

The Joy of Baking Small Batch Treats?

Baking in smaller batches isn’t just practical—it’s a way to fully immerse yourself in the joy of the process. From kneading the dough to spreading the custard, this recipe is a celebration of homemade goodness that connects you to the craft of baking.

Tips for a Successful Soft Homemade Bread

• Liquid Temperature – Yeast grows in temperature between 105 – 110F, so its important to have the water that you are using to “proof” it in this range. If you go lower or higher, the yeast might not proof properly. That means the bread will not rise as much, resulting to a flat and tough bread. 
• Check Yeast Expiry a Date – you might be wondering how come the bread did not rise when you followed exactly the recipe. Well, first thing first, make sure the yeast is not yet expired. Expired yeast is the common reason for flat and dense bread. If your bread did not expand or rise during the rest period, it is most likely that the yeast is not fresh or the water temperature is too hot or cold.
• Amount of Yeast – Just because you want a tall bread doesn’t mean you have to put as much yeast in the mixture. Sometimes adding too much yeast can cause the bread to collapse during the rest period. Just imagine putting more air than what is needed in a balloon, the balloon will explode. The same case with bread. 
• Right Type of Yeast – We’ve discussed the 3 types of yeast above. Make sure to use the right one for your recipe, and make necessary adjustments if you want to swap one from another. 
• Rest Period – Yeast bread needs time to rise. There are bread that uses less yeast but requires more rest time, the likes of No Knead Bread or Artisan Bread which usually require 8- 16 hours rest period to get the volume and to develop the flavor. There are 1 hour bread like my Rosemary Dinner Rolls which used this same bread dough. The point is, give it time to rest, don’t touch it just leave it in a warm place. The first rest period will normally tell you if your dough is good or not. If it rise and almost double in size, then your on the right track.  
• Expiration and Quality of the Flour – The quality of the flour greatly affect the texture of the bread. All-purpose flour could differ from country to country although they are all called as all-purpose flour. Sometimes it depends on the brand too. The closer the flour to expiration date or if it is already expired, the flour could tend to be drier, which means it would require more liquid than mentioned in the recipe. This is a common issue of way sometimes the dough tend to be tough and dry. This is why sometimes you have to add few more tablespoon from the suggested flour measurement to get the right texture. The dough should be soft, smooth and elastic. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour until it is no longer to sticky to handle. If it is too dry, a small amount of liquid helps provide moisture to the dough. A clean side of the bowl, with the dough slightly sticking at the bottom, a soft, smooth and elastic dough is what You are aiming for.

A Smooth & Creamy Homemade Vanilla Custard Pastry Cream

The custard topping is where the magic happens. Made with basic ingredients like milk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, the pastry cream is rich, velvety, and packed with aromatic vanilla goodness. Homemade custard has such a depth of flavor compared to store-bought versions—and it’s surprisingly simple to make!

Baking Tips for Perfect Buns

Soft bread requires gentle care. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, and give it ample time to rise. For the custard, whisk it thoroughly while cooking to avoid lumps, and let it cool before topping your buns. Patience pays off with this recipe! You might be tempted to add more custard on top but control yourslef! I was once there, I added too much and it ooz out of the bread. You still have the chance to add more when serving it so save the extra pastry cream for last. Some things are worth the wait 🙂

How do I Know if I Made the Bread Dough Correctly?

• Activating the Yeast –  This is the first thing that you should get right, otherwise do NOT proceed. After 5 – 10 minutes you should see a foam forms on top of the water, this is an indication that the yeast is alive. If you do not get this, either the yeast is old or the liquid temperature is too hot or cold. The temperature should be 100F, lukewarm but not hot.
• Clean Bowl After Kneading – The sides of the bowl should be clean, while the bottom is slightly sticking to the dough. This means that amount of liquid to the flour is correct. Enough to make a clean bowl and still make a slightly wet dough.
• Soft Dough – Soft dough means the amount of flour to liquid is enough. Too much flour could make the bread dense and heavy, and too much liquid could make it too wet. Both will affect how the bread rise in the rest period. Try to push your fingers in the dough, it should leave a “dimple” on the dough and should gradually disappear.
• Smooth Dough Surface – Again, this is a sign of correct flour to liquid ratio. A “bumpy” surface could mean that the dough is dry and tough.
• Elastic Dough – A soft dough is usually elastic. If your dough is dry and tough, it wouldn’t be as elastic when you pull it apart.
• First Rest Period – The dough should almost double in size. This is a sign that the activation of the yeast work which is crucial to making a soft and fluffy bread. This also means the yeast is alive (not yet expired) and the liquid temperature is correct. I always use baking thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid.
• Second Rest Period – The bread dough should be really puff up. This is crucial and the final state of the bread before baking. If you are able to make it puff-up, that is a good sign that there are air trapped inside which will make the bread fluffy.

Assembling the Custard Buns

Instead of bakign the buns and injecting filling inside, we are using the custard cream to top the buns. This way, you get to see the beauty of that custard on top. Flatten teh portion dough to about 3.5 – 4inches. I like to use a small glass to create the hollow to hold the custard. Aim to have a deeper hoolow are possible and thicker higher sides to block the custard from spilling.

Suggestions to Customize the Buns

Feel free to get creative! Add fruit toppings like strawberries or blueberries to complement the custard. You could even infuse the cream with different flavors like almond extract, cardamom or orange zest to switch things up. You can use homemade fruit sauces to add in the center or use fresh fruits.

Serving the Buns

These buns are great as is. The custard topping alone is enought o make you happy but there are still ways to elevate this. For instace, a simple dusting of icing sugar before serving certainly makes it more eye catching. A doll-up of fresh fruit sauces on top or fresh fruits and extra pastry cream. Oh, how about a scoop of vanilla ice cream? That creamy custard center is a perfect vessel to hold the ice cream. Let me know which one is your choice 🙂 You have enough pieces to try different variations. Enjoy!

Why is My Dough too Wet or too Dry?

Don’t get frustrated if your dough did not turn out immediately as what you see in the photo or video. Most likely It is not because you did not follow the recipe. When it comes to bread making, the amount of flour and liquid is not always 100% precise. This is why often times you will encounter recipes that says, if your dough is dry, add a bit more liquid. If your dough is too wet, add a little bit more flour. This instructions are not meant to confuse you, they are meant to guide you on how to adjust as you work through your dough. The reason for this is that  although the measurement of water and flour are specified in the recipe, it still could slightly vary depending on many factors.

For instance, all-purpose flour could very from country to country, or even from brand to brand. Don’t be surprise if you find that some brand tends to require a bit more liquid as the others. On top of this, the amount of liquid is also affected by the state of your flour. How old is the flour that you are using? Older flour nearing expiry tends to be drier and this requires more liquid. Humidity also affects baking. The more humid it is, the more likely the dough will be sticky and wet. Bread making requires patience, and practice. Once you learn how to feel the right texture of the dough, everything will be quick and easy. You can instantly tell if you need to add more water or flour to get the dough in right state.

Why are These Buns Worth Trying?

There’s something irresistible about the combination of soft bread and rich custard. I love, love, love anything with custard be it bread, pie or tart. Whether you enjoy them with coffee, tea, or as an after-dinner treat, these buns evoke joy with every bite. The small batch ensures they’re always fresh and made with love.

Storing Leftover Custard Buns

Store any leftover buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to eat, let them sit at room temperature or warm them slightly in the oven. The custard stays creamy, and the bread remains tender.

Custard Cream Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream (Do not use non fat or skim, or any non dairy like Almond Milk , Soy Milk etc.)
• 1/4 cup granulated White Sugar
• 2 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• pinch of Salt
• 2 large Egg Yolks – room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

Dough Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoon warm Full Fat Milk (110F) – microwave 15 seconds
• 3 tablespoon granulated Sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast or 1/2 teaspoon Instant Yeast
• 1 1/3 cups Bread Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon softened unsalted Butter

Instructions:

• Make the Pastry Cream: Get the Pastry Cream Recipe. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. It is highly recommended to make this at least 1 day ahead to allow teh cream to thicken.

• Activate the Yeast: Pour the milk is the mixing bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and stir. Add active dry yeast, stir and leave for 10 minutes to bloom.
  • If using instant yeast, mix the yeast with the dry ingredients. No need to activate it.
• Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, salt and remaining sugar. Knead for 15 minutes.
• Add the Softened Butter and knead for another 8 minutes. When you add the butter, you will notice the dough will separate and it will look like it is too wet. Continue mixing (even if longer than 8 minutes) until the dough comes together completely, the side of the bowl is clean and the dough slightly sticking at the bottom of the pan. Do not stop mixing until you get to this stage. It takes time to fully incorporate the butter to the flour mixture, be patient.

• Let Rest 1st Time: Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and leave ina warm place for 60 minutes.
  • Trick: Pre-heat the oven to 110F then turn it OFF. Put the covered dough inside the oven.

Remove the dough from the bowl. Divide into 6 portions. Form into a ball. Flatten each piece into a disk of size 3.5-inch. Using a small glass, create an indint in the center. You can also use your fingers and simply press the center to create the hollow.

• Fill with Custard: Fill the center with custard cream. Do not over fill as the custard will drip from the sides.

• Let Rest 2nd Time: Place in a warm place to rise for 60 minutes. It will be puffy when ready, if needed extend until the bread is fully puff-up. Dust the top with icing sugar before baking.

• Oven: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F in the last 10 minutes of 2nd rest time. If you are using the oven to rest the dough, do NOT forget to take the dough out before pre-heating.

• Dust with Icing Sugar: Dust icing sugar on top of the bread or you can also brush the bread with egg wash (1 beaten egg + 1 teaspoon water) or milk.

Bake for 15 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Turn the tray half way though for even baking.

Let Cool completely to allow the bread texture to get better.

Makes 5 or 6 pieces

Enjoy! If you make this, share and tag me in Instagram #SweetNSpicyLiving. I would like to see your creations too.

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