Antipastini
Mix 20 g of bread flour with 100 g of whole milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it turns into a thick cream, ideally reaching about 65 °C. Cover and let it cool slightly.
Tip: Keep stirring to get a smooth cream and stop it sticking to the bottom.
Mix the 150 g of lukewarm whole milk with the sugar, honey and dry yeast. Leave it for 10 minutes. Dissolve the beetroot powder in some of this milk so no lumps form.
Tip: Dissolving the beetroot separately helps the colour spread evenly through the dough.
Add the egg, the slightly cooled tangzhong, the bread flour and the milk powder. Knead for about 5 minutes, then work in the salt.
Tip: The tangzhong should be lukewarm, not hot, when you add it to the dough.
Gradually add the soft butter and keep kneading for another 10–12 minutes, until the dough is elastic and very soft. Do not correct the texture by adding more flour. Finish with 5 final slaps on the counter.
Tip: Add the butter a little at a time, waiting for each piece to be absorbed before adding the next.
Cover the dough and let it rise for about 50–70 minutes, until visibly bigger.
Tip: Check the volume after 50 minutes: the actual time depends on the temperature of the room.
Divide the dough into 8 portions of about 102 g. Round each one, cover them and let them rest for 15 minutes.
Tip: Weighing the portions gives you even buns that bake at the same rate.
Roll each portion into a small rectangle. Fold the two long sides into the centre, close the dough and pinch the seam well. Roll gently into a log about 12–13 cm long.
Tip: Seal the seam carefully so the buns do not open while rising.
Place the buns seam side down in a buttered tin of about 30 × 20 cm. Make two groups of four and leave very little space between the buns.
Tip: Keeping the buns close helps them rise upwards and keeps the sides extra soft.
Cover and let the buns rise for another 45–60 minutes. They should become puffy and almost touch each other.
Tip: Start checking after 45 minutes so they do not over-rise.
Gently brush the tops with a little milk, without using egg. Bake in a conventional oven preheated to 175 °C for 18–22 minutes. The ideal internal temperature is 92–94 °C.
Tip: Do not go above 175 °C: a higher temperature makes the crust darker and dulls the pink colour.
As soon as they come out of the oven, brush the buns with a little melted butter and cover them with a tea towel for 15 minutes. This keeps the crust especially soft.
Tip: Cover the buns while they are still hot to hold in some of the moisture.
Once the buns are cool, slit them from the top without cutting all the way through. Briefly toast the sides in butter, then add the shrimp filling.
Tip: Make a deep cut but leave the base intact, so the bun holds the filling well.
Sofi’s tips