With a pillowy-soft and fluffy texture, these condensed milk buns have become my family’s new favourite! Offering a symphony of flavours with a note of creamy goodness from condensed milk, each bite is a taste of heaven. The condensed milk adds sweetness and richness to the bread, and improves the moisture retention of the buns. This makes the buns more flavourful and moist, so any leftovers remain soft and tender! As you knead the dough and watch it rise to perfection, the aroma of freshly baked bread fills your kitchen, promising a treat that is as comforting as it is decadent.
Whether you enjoy them warm from the oven or save them for a sweet snack later, these condensed milk buns are sure to become a favourite in your kitchen. You’ll be able to feel their softness as you pull them apart!
Table of contents
- Ingredients for bite-size condensed milk buns
- How to make bite-size condensed milk buns
- Success tips for making condensed milk buns
- What happens if the dough is underproofed or overproofed?
- Why do I need to shape the dough twice?
- How to store the buns and how long will they last?
- Other bread recipes
Ingredients for bite-size condensed milk buns
- Bread flour: This produces baked goods with more structure and a chewy texture.
- Yeast: A leavening agent that allows the bread dough to rise with a light and airy texture.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavours of all ingredients, and strengthens the dough.
- Sugar: This activates the yeast that puffs up the dough and contributes to the sweetness of the bread.
- Milk: Not only does it enhance the sweetness of the bread, milk also creates a softer bread with a nice, caramelised crust.
- Condensed milk: Condensed milk serves multiple purposes in bread dough, enhancing its flavour, texture, and appearance. It adds sweetness and richness to the dough, contributes to a softer and more tender texture, and improves the moisture retention of the buns!
- Unsalted butter: Gives a buttery flavour to the bread and tenderises the bread dough to yield a soft and fluffy crumb.
How to make bite-size condensed milk buns
- Combine all the ingredients in a mixer bowl, leaving the butter for later use.
- Using a dough hook, knead the dough in the kitchen machine for 5-8 minutes. Do a windowpane test (see tips below).
- Add in butter, then continue kneading for 10-12 minutes. Do a windowpane test again (see tips below).
- Shape the dough into a ball and proof until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).
- Take out the dough and divide into 16 equal pieces.
- Shape each piece into a ball, cover with a damp cloth or cling film, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
- Pat the dough balls to release air bubbles, then shape them into balls again. Pinch to seal the seams.
- Place the dough balls in an 18cm x 18cm square pan lined with parchment paper. Proof for the second time for 35-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150ºC.
- Sift extra bread flour over the buns, and bake for 20 minutes at 150ºC.
Success tips for making condensed milk buns
Do windowpane tests.
I normally perform a windowpane test twice during the kneading process before proofing the dough to ensure the gluten has been well developed. The test is to verify whether the dough is strong and elastic enough to hold the bubbles as it rises, and stretch even more when it is baked in the oven.
I do a test before adding in butter by pulling out a small piece and stretching it out gently. The dough should be smooth and elastic at this point, and as it tears apart, the holes should have rough edges.
For the second test (performed after kneading the dough with butter added), the dough should be more easily stretched out without breaking. You could use a finger to poke a hole and this time, the hole should be smooth without rough edges. This means the dough is ready to rise!
Check if the dough is properly proofed.
To determine if bread dough is fully risen and ready for shaping, you can perform a simple test called “finger dent test”. Simply dip your finger with some flour and make a dent in the dough. If the indentation springs back slowly, this means the dough has fully risen and ready to be shaped. If it remains and does not spring back, the dough has overproofed. And if it springs back quickly and fills in completely, the dough needs more time to rise.
Pinch to seal the seams.
This is important because it helps to ensure the dough holds its shape during baking. By sealing the seams, you prevent the dough from unravelling or splitting open while it rises and bakes in the oven.
What happens if the dough is underproofed or overproofed?
If you shape the bread dough before it has fully risen, it may not have had enough time to develop the proper gluten structure and fermentation needed for a good rise and texture. The bread may then end up dense, heavy, and lacking in volume as a result. On the other hand, if the dough has overproofed, this can result in the dough becoming weak and losing its structure, leading to a flat and dense final product. So it’s best to keep an eye on your dough while proofing to ensure it rises properly and doesn’t overproof!
Why do I need to shape the dough twice?
Shaping the bread dough into balls, letting them rest, and shaping them again are essential steps in the bread-making process that contribute to the texture, flavour, and appearance of the final product.
Shaping the dough into balls helps to create a smooth and uniform surface, which contributes to a more visually appealing final product. This initial shaping also helps to develop the gluten structure in the dough. This is essential for creating a good texture and crumb in the finished bread.
After the initial shaping, let the dough rest (or bench rest) to allow the gluten to relax. This helps to improve the dough’s extensibility, making it easier to shape into the desired final form without tearing or springing back. It also allows the flavours to develop further, improving the buns’ overall flavour profile.
After the bench rest, shaping the dough again further strengthens the gluten structure and helps create the final shape of the bread. This step is crucial for achieving an even crumb structure and ensuring that the bread rises properly during baking.
How to store the buns and how long will they last?
Store the bite-size condensed milk buns in a food bag in the kitchen. They will last for 3-4 days at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Soft, pillowy buns infused with the sweet, creamy condensed milk, these bite-size buns sound delicious without tasting! Follow my recipe and you’ll be rewarded with irresistibly soft and fluffy condensed milk buns.
More bread recipes
I’d love to hear about your experience making my recipes! If you’ve tried this Bite-Size Condensed Milk Buns recipe or any other recipe on HomeCookJournal, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Feel free to take snapshots of your experience with my recipes and share them on Instagram so I can repost on stories! And if you have any other foods you’d like to make, please feel free to comment as well!
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Bite-Size Condensed Milk Buns
Equipment
- 18cm * 18cm square pan
Ingredients
- 250 g bread flour
- 30 g sugar
- 3 g salt
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 25 g condensed milk
- 180 g milk
- 20 g unsalted butter
- extra bread flour (for decorating at the last step before baking)
Instructions
- In a mixer bowl, combine bread flour, sugar, salt, dry yeast, milk, and condensed milk, leaving the unsalted butter for later use.
- Knead the dough at a low speed to gently mix the ingredients for 15-30 seconds.
- Gradually raise the speed, then knead for 5-8 minutes. Do a windowpane test (see Note 1).
- Add in butter and continue kneading on for 10-12 minutes. Do a windowpane test again (see Note 2).
- Take out the dough and shape into a ball. Place the dough back to the mixer bowl, cover with a damp cloth or cling film, and proof for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover with a damp cloth, or cling film, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
- Pat the dough balls to release air bubbles, then shape them into balls again. Pinch to seal the seams.
- Place the dough balls into the square pan. Proof for the second time for 35-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150ºC.
- Sift extra bread flour over the buns, and bake at 150ºC for 20 minutes.
Notes
- When you pull out the dough, the dough should be quite rough and elastic, and as it tears apart, the holes should have rough edges.
- This time, the dough should be easily stretched out without breaking. If you poke a hole, it should have smooth edges. This means the dough is ready to rise.