When I’m in the mood for a long weekend bake, brioche beckons. The dough really benefits from a slow rise in the fridge and, because it contains a lot of butter, a colder dough is much easier to work with. Once baked, the soft buns are filled to the brim with a thick banana custard that, I’ll be honest, is good enough to eat on its own, sans bun. You’ll need to prepare the dough and infused milk the day before you plan to serve.
Banana custard brioche buns
Prep 1 hr
Rise 4 hr
Rest Overnight
Cook 25 min
Makes 10 buns
For the brioche
400g strong white bread flour
60g caster sugar
½ tsp salt
7g fast-action yeast
4 large eggs, plus extra for the egg wash
30ml milk
180g unsalted butter, softened
For the banana custard
3 small bananas, peeled and sliced
450ml whole milk
250ml double cream
1½ tsp vanilla bean paste
4 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
30g cornflour
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
5 tbsp dark rum (optional)
Icing sugar, to finish
The day before, gently warm the bananas and milk in a saucepan, then cover, leave to cool to room temperature and chill overnight.
Also the day before, make a start on the brioche. Put the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs and milk. Knead with a stand mixer for eight to 10 minutes, until the dough just comes together, then add the butter in three batches, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Knead for five minutes, until the dough is glossy and stops sticking to the sides of the bowl, then transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave for one and a half to two hours, until well risen. Transfer to the fridge and let the dough have a slow, cold rise overnight.
The next day, turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface and divide into 10 equal pieces. Roll each one into a tight ball and put on two lined baking trays. Cover and leave to rise for an hour or two, until they look puffy (this may take longer if your kitchen is quite cool).
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Brush the buns with egg wash and bake for 18-22 minutes, until golden; they should sound hollow when tapped underneath.
For the banana custard, strain the chilled milk mix into a saucepan and discard the fruit solids. Add 100ml cream and the vanilla, and heat gently until steaming. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour, then add the hot milk in three batches. Transfer everything back into the pan, set over a medium heat and whisk until the custard is thick. Pour into a clean bowl, cover the surface with a sheet of clingfilm, cool to room temperature, then chill.
Once cold, whisk the custard to remove any lumps. In a clean bowl, whip the remaining 150ml cream to stiff peaks, then fold into the custard.
Cut the buns in half without slicing all the way through. Brush the insides with rum, if using, then spoon in the banana custard. Top with grated nutmeg, dust with icing sugar and serve.
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