Step 1

First, let's make the dough using a bread maker. When you knead the dough with your hands or use a food processor, please check our Melonpan or Chocolate Cornet recipe. In the baking pan, combine the bread flour, cake flour, butter, sugar, non-fat dry milk powder, salt, beaten egg, and water. If the non-fat dry milk powder isn't available, substitute milk for the water. Place the pan into the bread maker and cover.

Step 2

Add the instant dry yeast to the dedicated space. The yeast will be added to the mixture while making the dough.

Step 3

Select the dough making mode, and turn on the bread machine. It will take about 1 hour to finish the first rise.

Step 4

Let's make the pastry cream while making the dough. Break the egg yolks and add the sugar.

Step 5

Thoroughly beat the mixture until it begins to lighten in color.

Step 6

Place a mesh strainer over the bowl, and add the cake flour and cornstarch. Sieve the powder, and combine the mixture thoroughly.

Step 7

The starch and gluten in the cake flour will give the pastry cream a gooey texture and thick consistency. The fine grains of the cornstarch will help make the cream translucent and add a smooth texture. Combining both advantages will make the exquisite pastry cream.

Step 8

Now, heat the milk in a pot. When the steam begins to form, turn off the burner.

Step 9

Add half of the milk to the egg mixture a little at a time while mixing. When you've added about half of the milk, place the pot on the burner again. Fully combine the egg mixture.

Step 10

Now, place a mesh strainer over the pot of milk, and pour in the egg mixture. This process will remove any white egg chalazas and pockets of dry flour, making the cream very smooth.

Step 11

Turn the heat to medium-low, and continue mixing it with a balloon whisk.

Step 12

When it begins to thicken, reduce the heat to low, and whip the cream at full speed.

Step 13

The pastry cream begins to turn glossy, and the consistency becomes slightly weak. At this stage, keep mixing for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Step 14

Then, place the pot onto a trivet. Add a dash of imitation vanilla extract, and mix.

Step 15

Float a clean bowl or tray on ice water, and pour the pastry cream into it.

Step 16

Tightly cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap to avoid forming any drips since they could trigger the growth of bacteria. Quickly chill it using an ice pack. Let it sit to cool, and refrigerate the pastry cream.

Step 17

And now, the dough has performed its first fermentation.

Step 18

Thinly dust a kneading board with bread flour, and remove the baking pan from the bread machine. Cover your hands with flour, and place the dough onto the board. Lightly dust the dough with flour again.

Step 19

With a scraper, cut halfway through the dough on the side closest to you.

Step 20

Open the dough and shape it into a long oval.

Step 21

Then, divide it into 8 equal pieces.

Step 22

Using a kitchen scale, adjust the weight to about 47g (1.65 oz) per piece.

Step 23

Attach the small pieces underneath the dough, and shape it into a ball.

Step 24

Gather the dough toward the bottom, and rub it between your palms using a circular motion. Avoid rubbing it too much, otherwise the surface will be damaged.

Step 25

Pinch the seam and close the bottom.

Step 26

Line up the dough balls, and cover them with plastic wrap.

Step 27

If the temperature of the room is relatively low, place a tightly squeezed warm kitchen towel over it. Rest the dough for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 28

And now, let's shape the cream pan. Thinly coat the baking sheet with vegetable oil. The surface of the dough easily drys out so prepare plastic wrap to cover the baking sheet.

Step 29

Remove the kitchen towel but leave the plastic wrap over the dough.

Step 30

Place one dough piece onto the kneading board, thinly dust the surface with flour, and slap or flatten the dough to remove the gas inside.

Step 31

Then, using a rolling pin, roll the dough back and forth, shaping it into a flat oval.

Step 32

With a scraper, gently remove the dough, and place it onto a kitchen scale with the clean side facing down. Measure out 35g (1.3 oz) of the pastry cream on the dough, and place it onto the kneading board.

Step 33

You can fill each dough ball with up to 40g (1.4 oz) of the cream, but you will need skills to wrap it tightly so you might try it if your first batch is successful.

Step 34

Arrange the cream and fold the dough in half. Close the edges in the middle. Then, close the left and right sides.

Step 35

Be sure to overlap the dough otherwise the cream may come out from the gaps. It will be challenging to wrap the soft pastry cream so chill it thoroughly.

Step 36

Now, make 3 or sometimes 4 incisions along the closed edge for aesthetic appeal.

Step 37

Place the piece onto the baking sheet, and cover with the plastic wrap. Repeat the process and arrange 8 pieces in total.

Step 38

Remove the plastic wrap. To keep the dough from sticking, we are placing strips of parchment paper in between. For the second fermentation, mist the dough with water if your oven doesn't have a steam function.

Step 39

Place the baking sheet into the oven. The second rise takes 50 to 60 minutes at 40 °C (104 °F).

Step 40

Now, the second rise is over. Remove the baking sheet, and preheat the oven to 220°C (428 °F). With a pastry brush, coat the dough with beaten egg for glazing. Gently brush the surface.

Step 41

When it reaches 220 °C (428 °F), quickly place the dough into the oven, lower the temperature to 200 °C (392 °F), and bake for 12 to 13 minutes.

Step 42

However, with this oven, it was difficult to bake the surface evenly, so we adjusted the color by rotating the baking sheet halfway and covering the quickly browning parts with parchment paper. For this reason, we didn't lower the temperature, but in most cases, you should bake at 200 °C (392 °F).

Step 43

The baking time is a rough estimate so remove the bread when it reaches the perfect golden brown.

Step 44

Place the cream pan onto a cooling rack.