A good cream bun relies on good dough. It can’t be too heavy or too dry – and it doesn’t need to be too sweet. I like mine with squidgy bounce, with a softness that makes it easy to eat once filled to the brim with whipped cream. Take your time over the kneading and proving (and, if kneading by hand, it’ll be pretty messy at first but stick with it!). The fragrant lemongrass syrup transforms these humble buns into something a bit special, and without much extra effort.
Coconut and lemongrass cream buns
Prep 15 min
Rise 30 min
Cook 15 min
Makes 6
For the dough
325g strong white flour, plus extra for rolling
1 x 7g sachet instant yeast
40g caster sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
70ml milk
1 egg, beaten
30g unsalted butter, softened
The zest of one lemon
For the syrup
2 sticks lemongrass
100g caster sugar
For the filling
400ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
50g caster sugar
75g desiccated coconut
To make the dough, add the flour, yeast, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Give it a quick mix. Make a well in the centre and add the milk, 70ml water, the beaten egg, softened butter and lemon zest. Knead the dough on low speed for eight to 10 minutes until it is smooth and supple. Put in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave to prove in a warm place until nearly doubled in size.
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Knock the air out of the dough and turn it out on to a lightly floured surface. Divide into six equal pieces and roll each one into a thick sausage about 15cm long. Put them on the lined tray about 1cm apart. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave them in a warm place for 30-45 minutes until they look puffy and are touching.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned and well risen. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the syrup, bash the lemongrass with a rolling pin to release some of the oils and put it in a saucepan with the sugar and 80ml water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for three to four minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. (You can make the syrup in advance, leaving the lemongrass inside for a stronger flavour.)
For the filling, whip the cream with the vanilla and sugar until you have soft peaks. Spoon it into a piping bag and set aside. Put the desiccated coconut on a shallow dish.
Split the buns lengthways, without cutting all the way through, and spoon some lemongrass syrup inside. Brush the tops with more syrup and dip the buns, syrup side down, on to the coconut. Pipe the cream inside right before serving.
