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We’ve taken a classic pudding and transformed it into swirled buns, further elevating it by swapping the suet for tangzhong – a Chinese-style milk and flour paste that yields exceptionally fluffy results.

For the icing

Nutrition: Per serving

  • kcal308
  • fat10g
  • saturates6g
  • carbs48g
  • sugars16g
  • fibre1g
  • protein7g
  • salt0.68g
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Method

  • step 1

    First, make the tangzhong. Mix 200ml of the milk with 50g of the plain flour in a small heatproof bowl. Microwave for 1-2 mins, stirring every 30 seconds, until you have a gluey, thick paste. Leave to cool for a few minutes while you assemble the rest of the dough.

  • step 2

    Gently warm the remaining milk in a small pan over a low heat on the hob. Once steaming, remove from the heat and leave to cool to just lukewarm before whisking in half the beaten egg.

  • step 3

    Sift both the flours into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the yeast, 1 tsp salt, the golden caster sugar and the custard powder, and whisk briefly to combine.

  • step 4

    With the mixer on low, add the tangzhong, then slowly add the milk and egg mixture in a continuous stream. Turn the mixer up to medium and mix for 7-8 mins until you have a smooth dough.

  • step 5

    Add the butter, a cube at a time, waiting until the first cube has been incorporated before adding the next; this should take about 10 mins. It will be a soft dough, so flour your hands and the work surface well before forming the dough into a ball and putting in a large, oiled bowl. Leave to rise in a warm spot for 1 hr, then cover and chill overnight.

  • step 6

    The next day, roll the dough out into a roughly 40 x 30cm rectangle. Spread over the jam, then roll the rectangle up tightly from one of the longer sides. Slice into 12 spirals using a sharp, serrated knife, then transfer to a baking tray or tin lined with baking parchment, spacing them slightly apart. Cover and leave to rise for another hour until puffed up and touching at the sides. Brush over the remaining beaten egg.

  • step 7

    Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 20-25 mins until golden and cooked. Cool for 15 mins. While the buns cool, make the icing. Whisk together the custard powder and icing sugar. Combine the milk and vanilla bean paste, then add this slowly to the dry mix in a steady stream, mixing all the while until you have a thick yellow icing. Transfer to a piping bag.

  • step 8

    Snip the tip of the piping bag and drizzle the icing over the warm buns before serving. Best eaten the day they’re made, but will keep at room temperature for two days in an airtight container.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2025

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