Purple Yam Tangzhong Buns filled with Purple(?) Chocolate Custard

Not only these aren't coloured with artificial dyes but they also containing antioxidants, beta-carotene and fiber!

Ingredients:

For the Tangzhong:

200gr Water

40gr Bread Flour

Add Water and Flour in a pan and heat on your stove while whisking. The Tangzhong is ready when the mixture is glutinous and like a paste.

Pop in the fridge or freezer until it comes to room temperature.

For the Dough:

600gr Bread Flour

8gr Yeast

90gr Sugar

8gr Salt

6gr Milk Powder (optional)

Tangzhong

1 Egg room temp

240ml Warm Milk

After some kneading:

40gr Softened Butter

For the Purple Yam Dough:

55γρ Ghee or Softened Butter

70γρ Yam Powder

Egg wash:

1 Egg Yolk

15gr Milk

For the White Chocolate-Yam Custard:

500gr Milk

150gr White Chocolate

40gr Yam Powder

3gr Vanilla Paste or Extract

40gr Corn Flour

40gr Butter

Method

For the dough:

Combine the dry ingredients, the bread flour, sugar, salt, milk powder and instant yeast. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (warm milk, egg and tangzhong).

Using the dough hook on your mixer, on low-medium speed, knead for 2 minutes until the ingredients are incorporated.

Add the butter and continue mixing on medium-high speed for 8 minutes for the gluten to develop.

Meanwhile prepare the Purple Yam Color by blending together 55gr butter and 70gr Yam powder (you can also mix them with a whisk or fork but it will take more time)

After kneading for 8 minutes, transfer the dough to an oiled surface and divide into 2 portions.

Shape the one half of the dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl to proof covered with plastic wrap.

Transfer the second half of the dough back to your stand mixer, add the Yam Powder-Butter mix and knead until the dough has absorbed all the powder and is evenly purple.

Transfer this one to another oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let both doughs proof for 1 hour or until double in size.

Meanwhile prepare the Purple(?) Chocolate Custard:

Place 400gr of the milk, the yam powder and the white chocolate in a pan and heat until really hot.

In a bowl mix the rest of the milk (100gr), vanilla paste/extract and the corn flour.

When the milk is hot and the white chocolate has melted, add some of it to the corn flour mix and whisk. Transfer back to the pan and heat on medium high until the custard thickens.

Remove from heat and add the 40gr of butter, whisking until it is incorporated.

Tranfer in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the custard's surface and let it cool in the fridge.

Back to the dough:

After they double, divide each dough into 8-9 pieces. Some of them should be bigger so that they are able to cover the smaller ones.

Shape the dough pieces into balls and reserve 5 white ones to that shape.

Flatten the rest of the balls with a rolling pin.

Take one white ball and put it on top of a flat purple piece of dough. Cover the white ball with the purple dough.

Now you will have a purple ball.

Put it on top of a flat white dough and cover it again.

You can do this with more layers but if your first ball dough was too big the final dough ball will be too big!

Do the same with the rest of the dough balls and dough flats.

(You can also watch the video for the process)

Transfer the dough balls in a baking pan lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and let proof for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190C

After they proof apply egg wash and if you like, sesame seeds

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

When they are ready transfer in a wire rack to cool down before piping in the white chocolate-yam custard.

Pipe the Custard in the center of the bun and then rip it open for the custard explosion!