Mexican Coffee Buns (Rotiboy)

Method15 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Make the milk (0.5 cup) bread dough: stir the ½ cup whole milk with 20 g of the 340 g bread flour in a small pot until smooth. Heat while stirring until a thick, sticky paste forms. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and mix in the ½ cup evaporated milk to cool it. Once no longer hot, stir in the beaten dough egg (1).

   Uses 0.5 cup whole milk · 20 g of the 340 g bread flour for milk roux · 0.5 cup evaporated milk · 1 count egg

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the remaining 320 g bread flour with 2 tsp instant yeast. Add the cooled milk-roux mixture and mix with a dough hook on medium-low, or with a wooden spoon by hand, just until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 20 minutes.

   Rest mixed dough · 20 minUses remaining 320 g bread flour · 2 tsp instant yeast · whole milk and twenty grams flour cooked thick, cooled with evaporated milk and mixed with the dough egg

3. 3

   Step 3: Knead in the dough ½ tsp salt, 4 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. With a mixer, knead on low about 7–8 minutes until smooth, redistributing dough off the hook as needed; by hand, knead until smooth. Add 56 g softened dough butter a little at a time and knead until fully absorbed and smooth. Form a ball, coat lightly with oil in a bowl, cover and proof at room temperature about 1 hour until doubled.

   First dough proof · 60 minUses 56 g unsalted butter · 0.5 tsp salt · 4 tbsp sugar · 1 tsp vanilla extract · a little oil for first-proofing bowl · roux mixture combined with remaining flour and yeast, rested twenty minutes

4. 4

   Step 4: Deflate the first-proofed dough. Weigh out about 180 g for the inside dough and reserve the remaining dough for the outside. Divide EACH portion into 12 equal pieces.

   Uses dough kneaded with salt four tablespoons sugar vanilla and fifty-six grams butter, proofed about one hour until doubled

5. 5

   Step 5: Roll each of the 12 small inside dough pieces into a round. Put one of the 12 cold salted-butter portions in the centre, wrap tightly, pinch and twist to seal, and set seam side down.

   Uses 100 g salted butter, divided into 12 equal portions and keep cold (see note) · 180 g portion of first-proofed dough divided into twelve equal pieces

6. 6

   Step 6: Shape the 12 outside dough pieces into balls, roll each into a circle and wrap around one inside dough-butter ball, keeping its seam down. Seal well, then place the outer seam down on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet, spaced generously. Cover and proof in a warm place about 1 hour until doubled; allow longer in a cold room.

   Proof filled coffee buns · 60 minUses remaining first-proofed dough divided into twelve equal pieces · each small inside dough piece wrapped around one of twelve cold salted-butter portions

7. 7

   Step 7: While the filled buns proof, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Dissolve 2 tsp instant coffee in 1 tsp hot water, then stir in the separate 1 tsp vanilla for cookie topping.

   Uses 1 tsp vanilla extract · 1 tsp hot water · 2 tsp instant coffee (if you don't want to do coffee flavour, feel free to use only vanilla or other flavouring extracts as you wish)

8. 8

   Step 8: For the cookie topping, whisk 120 g all-purpose flour with ¼ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt.

   Uses 120 g all-purpose flour · ¼ tsp baking powder · ¼ tsp salt

9. 9

   Step 9: Beat 100 g softened cookie butter with 90 g confectioners’ sugar, starting on low until incorporated, then on medium-high until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as needed.

   Uses 100 g unsalted butter, softened · 90 g confectioners’ sugar

10. 10

    Step 10: Beat in the two cookie eggs one at a time. Beat in the coffee mixture, then the cookie flour mixture just until combined, scraping the bowl. Finish with a spatula and transfer to a piping bag or sturdy zip-top bag. Keep ready while buns finish rising; in a warm room, refrigerate briefly but no longer than about 15 minutes so it remains pipeable.

    Uses 2 eggs · two teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in teaspoon hot water with teaspoon cookie vanilla · 120 g flour mixed with quarter teaspoon each baking powder and salt · 100 g softened unsalted butter beaten with ninety grams confectioners’ sugar until fluffy

11. 11

    Step 11: When the filled buns have doubled, pipe cookie topping in a spiral over each bun, almost to its outer edge. Bake 15–18 minutes until the bottoms are browned and tops darken slightly. If using two pans, bake one at a time for even cooking.

    Bake coffee buns · 18 minUses twelve double-wrapped butter-filled milk buns proofed about one hour until doubled · two eggs beaten into creamed butter sugar with coffee and dry flour mixture

12. 12

    Step 12: Leave the buns on the pan as they cool. If butter leaked around them, they will absorb it back in while cooling.

    Uses filled buns baked fifteen to eighteen minutes with browned bottoms and darkened coffee topping

13. 13

    Step 13: Cool at least 5–10 minutes before serving, until the cookie crust firms and becomes crisp.

    Cool cookie crust · 10 minUses buns left on pan to reabsorb any leaked butter and firm the cookie crust

14. 14

    Step 14: For reheating only, microwave a leftover bun briefly 20–30 seconds to take off the chill, then heat in a 350°F (175°C) oven or toaster oven 5–7 minutes until the crust is crisp again. Skip this step for freshly baked buns.

    Optional oven reheat · 7 minUses cooled coffee buns whose crust needs refreshing

15. 15

    Step 15: Serve the fresh cooled buns, or the warmed and crisped leftovers if using the reheating step.

    Uses fresh buns cooled five to ten minutes until cookie crust crisp · leftover buns briefly microwaved then oven-crisped if reheating branch chosen