Earl Grey Figs Buns

One thing most people would normally do up at the end of the year (or right at the start of the year) is a list of new year resolutions. I've stopped doing that cos...well, my resolutions always end up being the same, and it just reminds me of a quote I saw somewhere "This year, my new year resolution is to fulfill last year's new year resolutions." So true isn't it?

Anyway, I wasn't actually going to post a recipe today, cos I thought I had forgotten to note down which recipe I used, but thank gosh for my iPhone, I had snapped a photo of the recipe I used (screenshot of my laptop at that moment). So, I guess one thing I should (try to) do in the new year is to procrastinate less - lest my backlog get jammed up too much/ I end up losing recipes.

Earl Grey Figs Buns

Mise en place

I love baking bread, cos it's one thing that doesn't require much effort (except for loads of time for the proofing). I wish I had the time to bake bread at least once a week, but, well, that's simply quite impossible.

These buns were not as fluffy soft as I would have liked, perhaps I had overknead the dough? And I chopped the dried figs too small, ha, they sort of got lost within the dough. I would probably leave them in bigger pieces the next time I make this. There's definitely going to be a next time, cos earl grey and figs is a very good flavour combo. These were enjoyable when toasted and slathered with butter, but I hope the next time I make this, it would be an improved version *cross fingers*.

Earl Grey Figs Buns (dough recipe adapted from here)
(makes 10 small buns)

Tangzhong
50g bread flour
1 cup water

Combine flour and water in a saucepan and mix well. Cook over med-low heat, stirring consistently to prevent the mixture from burning. The mixture will become thicker gradually. Remove from heat once "lines" appear when you stir through the mixture. Pour into a clean bowl., cover with clingwrap sticking onto the surface of the tangzhong to prevent from drying up. Set aside to cool.

Dough
540g bread flour
85g caster sugar
8g salt
9g full cream milk power
11g instant dried yeast
1-2 tbsp earl grey tea leaves, finely ground
85g whisked egg
60g whipping cream
55g milk
185g tangzhong
50g unsalted butter, melted
1/2 - 3/4 cup dried figs, chopped (*I might re-hydrate them the next time I make this)

Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, milk powder, yeast, ground tea leaves) into a large bowl. Whisk lightly, then make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients (milk, cream, egg, tangzhong), then using dough hook on a mixer, mix the dough for about 15-20 minutes. When all the ingredients come together to form a sort of smooth dough, add the melted butter, continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Dump dough onto a floured surface, add the chopped dried figs and knead briefly to mix in the dried figs.
Transfer dough into a clean bowl, cover with cloth/cling wrap, set aside for the first round of proofing, for about 40 minutes, or until double in size.
Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface. Degas the dough and divide into 10 equal balls. Cover with cling wrap, let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Grease a 12-cup muffin tray (I left 2 muffin holes ungreased).
Shape each dough ball into a bun, then place into the greased muffin tray. Cover with cloth and set aside for the second round of proofing, for 40 minutes, or until double in size.
Brush milk on surface.
Preheat oven to 180C. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.