“London Fog” Earl Grey Latte Buns

Instructions

• Prepare the milk tea
• Add approximately 1.5 cups (360 grams) of milk to a saucepan. Add in two earl grey tea bags (about 2 tsp of tea).
• Heat over medium low heat, swirling occasionally, until the milk begins to steam and slightly simmer (not boil). Turn off the heat, cover the pot and steep for 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid and using the back of a spoon, press the tea bags against the side of the saucepan to extract the rest of their flavor. Remove the tea leaves and set the milk aside. If not using right away, place steeped milk in the refrigerator.
• Make the dough
• Prepare the tangzhong. In the same saucepan, mix in 113g (1/2 cup) of the steeped earl grey milk and 3T of flour. Cook on medium low heat, whisking constantly until there are no lumps, the mixture thickens into a paste and the spoon or whisk leaves trails on the bottom of the pan.
• Immediately remove from the heat and transfer tangzhong to the bottom of a large mixing bowl to prevent it from continuing to cook.
• To the bowl with the tangzhong, whisk in 113g (1/2 cup) of steeped earl grey milk. Make sure the mixture is not too hot and then whisk in the egg and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the flour (320g), salt, sugar, and yeast.
• Mix together until you have a tacky dough. Begin kneading the dough, adding in 1T of butter at a time, until all butter is fully incorporated and the ball of dough feels very smooth (10-15 minutes). It will still feel slightly moist but should not be fully tacky or sticky. If the dough if too tacky to work with, flour your hands or add small amounts of flour at a time to the dough. If you have a stand mixture, feel free to use that here instead, and use it for closer to 10-12 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball, place in the bowl, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until the dough has risen to between 1.5 and 2 times its original size. Timing will vary based on the temperature of your kitchen.
• Fill and shape the buns
• While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, blend up the softened butter with a fork so it resembles more of a paste than a block. Stir in the tea leaves and brown sugar.
• Place the dough on a very lightly floured surface and roughly pat down into a rectangle with your hands.
• Gently roll the dough into a 10″ x 18″ rectangle, using your hands as needed to help form relatively sharp corners.
• Using a knife or spatula, spread the filling onto the dough as evenly as possible. Leave 6 inches of the long end without any filling (so you’re filling a 10 x 12 space on the rectangle–completely fill this smaller space all the way to the edges).
• On the long side, place a small mark with your knife at 6″ and 12″ and then use that to guide you as you fold into third like an envelope. Fold the unfilled portion of the dough over the middle and the other side on top of that.
• Using your rolling pin, gently roll out your folded dough to be a just a little bit wider (not longer).
• Cut 3cm strips from the long edge of the dough (you should have about 8 strips-9 strips in total)
• For each strip, cut a line down the middle, leaving a little room at the top for the pieces to hold together, while the remainder is split into two.
• Cross the two strands over each other a few times, like a two-stranded braid, until you reach the bottom of the strands. Then circle it around, crossing the bottom over the top (like a wreath) so they overlap and then tuck both small ends underneath the bun. Repeat with the remaining buns.
• Place completed buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading them apart. Cover very loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes before baking.
• Bake and frost the buns
• Preheat the oven to 375 F while the buns rest.
• After their 30 minute rest, brush the buns lightly with steeped earl grey milk and bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
• While the buns are cooling, prepare the frosting. Place all frosting ingredients in a bowl and using an electric mixer beat on low speed until smooth, creamy, and a little fluffy. You should notice slight peaks forming–this happens quite quickly. Be careful–if you mix to vigorously at a high speed or overmix, the mascarpone will curdle. When in doubt, stop to check the consistency before deciding to keep beating.
• When the buns are fully cooled, use a knife to frost them. I recommend frosting them right before eating. Remaining frosting can be refrigerated until ready to use. Store buns at room temperature in an airtight container or tightly covered in plastic wrap. Unfrosted buns also freeze very well.