Milk buns with honey custard

For the honey custard:

1 Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan with the vanilla extract. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, egg, honey and cornflour together until pale.

2 Pour the hot milk over the egg mix, whisking all the time, and then pour the mix back into a clean pan and place over a low to medium heat. Continue to whisk until the pastry cream starts to thicken and bubble, then remove from the heat. Add the salt and butter, and whisk until the butter has melted.

3 Pour the custard into a bowl and press a sheet of clingfilm on to the surface. Cool for 10 minutes before placing in the fridge to cool completely.

For the bread dough

1 Put 60g of the flour and 80ml of the milk into a small saucepan over a medium heat and whisk constantly until it forms a thick paste. Remove from the heat and scrape the paste into a small bowl. Set aside to cool.

2 Place the remaining flour, salt, milk powder, yeast and sugar into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment fitted.

3 Add the remaining milk, one of the eggs and the floury milk paste and start to knead for about 10 minutes to form a smooth dough.

4 Mix in the butter, and continue to knead for a further 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, and place in a lightly greased bowl covered with clingfilm. Leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.

5 Line a 20cm x 20cm tin with parchment paper. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and knock it back to remove the air, then divide into nine equal balls.

6 Flatten each dough ball into a disc, and add about a tablespoon of the chilled honey custard into the centre of each disc. Fold the sides of the dough over the custard, then pinch the edges together to seal. Reshape into a ball and place each bun on the baking tray, seam side down. Cover with clingfilm and leave to rise again for another hour.

7 Preheat the oven to 190 degrees or 170 degrees if using a fan oven. Brush the buns with the remaining egg, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before serving.