Cream Buns | A Decadent Taste of Indian Nostalgia
From Italy’s iconic Maritozzi and Sweden’s beloved Semla to Japan’s creamy Cream Pan and Britain’s classic Cream Bun, nearly every corner of the world has its own take on the irresistible combination of soft bread and a luscious cream filling. While each variation reflects local baking traditions and regional flavors, they all share the same comforting appeal of pillowy buns paired with rich, creamy goodness.
India embraced the cream bun through European-style bakeries established during the colonial era, introducing freshly baked breads and pastries to a country that would soon make them its own. Over time, local bakers adapted these recipes to suit Indian tastes, and by the early 1900s, the humble cream bun had become a beloved staple in bakeries across the country. Affordable, indulgent, and irresistibly delicious, it soon earned its place as a cherished teatime treat and a childhood favorite.
Even today, the Indian cream bun evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, bringing back memories of neighborhood bakeries, school canteens, and evening trips to the local bakery. Made with soft, lightly sweetened buns generously filled with fresh whipped cream or silky vanilla buttercream, this bakery classic is simple yet incredibly satisfying. Whether enjoyed as an afternoon snack, a festive dessert, or a homemade treat, the Indian cream bun strikes the perfect balance between fluffy bread and a rich, creamy filling, making it a timeless favorite across generations.
Speaking of nostalgia, my every visit to Mangalore is incomplete without a stop at Vas & Son, Vas Bakery. There are two things I never miss—their legendary Mutton Puffs and their iconic Cream Buns. While the mutton puffs may not be quite as flavourful as they once were, they are still among the best in town. But it’s the cream buns that remain the true OG. One glimpse is enough to almost smell the aroma of freshly baked bread and rich, buttery vanilla cream.
If you ever find yourself in Mangalore, do yourself a favor and try one. And if you can’t, this recipe will bring that same nostalgic bakery experience into your own kitchen, satisfying your cream bun cravings one delicious bite at a time.
How to make Cream Buns
This recipe has three simple components:
- Baking the Buns
- Preparing the Buttercream
- Creaming the Buns
Begin by blooming the yeast. Combine the yeast with lukewarm water and a little sugar, then let it stand for about 15 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. Meanwhile, sift the all-purpose flour, milk powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, water, and sugar. Once the yeast has bloomed, stir it into the milk mixture to form the wet ingredients.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Add the room-temperature unsalted butter in batches, kneading after each addition until it is fully incorporated. Continue kneading until the dough comes together into a smooth, shiny ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10–15 minutes by stretching, folding, lifting, and gently throwing it onto the surface (see Notes). The finished dough should feel soft and supple – floppy but not sticky.
Grease a large mixing bowl with butter. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in the greased bowl, turning it once so it is lightly coated with butter. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place to proof for up to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Once risen, gently punch down the dough to release the trapped air and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Divide it into equal portions by weight, shape each into a smooth ball, and let them rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line your baking trays with parchment paper.
Indian cream buns have their characteristic folded shape, creating a lip that is later filled with buttercream. To achieve this, roll each dough ball into an ellipse measuring approximately 15 cm long and 10 cm wide. Fold one long edge over about two-thirds of the way to create the signature lip. Arrange the shaped buns on the prepared trays, leaving enough space between them for expansion. Cover with a damp cloth and allow them to proof for another 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
About 20 minutes before the second proofing is complete, preheat the oven. Lightly brush the buns with milk to help them develop a beautiful golden-brown crust. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until evenly golden. If baking multiple trays, rotate and interchange their positions halfway through baking, repeating every 5 minutes if necessary, to ensure even browning.
As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush them with melted butter to keep the crust soft and moist. Allow them to cool slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. While the buns cool, prepare a batch of my Vanilla Buttercream.
Once the buns have cooled completely, it’s time to cream them. This step is important – if the buns are even slightly warm, the buttercream will melt. Using a serrated bread knife, carefully slice along the folded lip, about two-thirds of the way through, creating a clam-like opening. Fill the cavity generously with vanilla buttercream, then use an offset spatula or dough scraper to spread an additional layer neatly across the exposed lip for that classic bakery-style finish.
Your nostalgic bakery-style Cream Buns are now ready to enjoy. Serve them with a hot cup of tea or coffee for the ultimate bakery experience. One bite, and you’ll understand why they’ve remained a beloved classic for generations.
Cream Bun
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl (large)
- 1 Mixing bowl (medium)
- 1 Mixing bowl (small)
- 1 Seive
- 1 Hand-held Electric Mixer with dough-hook
- 1 Dough Scraper/ Spatula
- 1 Damp Cloth
- 1 Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 3 Rectangular Baking Sheet Pan
- 1 Silicone brush
- 1 Bread Knife
- 3 Butter Paper sheets
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
for Blooming the Yeast:
- 14 grams Active Dry Yeast
- 125 ml Water (lukewarm)
- 10 grams Sugar
for the Dough:
- 1000 grams All-purpose Flour (sifted)
- 70 grams Milk Powder (sifted)
- 20 grams Salt
- 375 ml Milk (room temperature)
- 250 ml Water (room temperature)
- 50 grams Sugar
- 100 grams Butter, unsalted (divided) (room temperature)
Additional Ingredients
- ½ cup All-purpose Flour (for dusting)
- 4 tbsp Butter, unsalted (melted – for brushing)
- 2 tbsp Milk (for brushing)
for the Cream Bun:
- 750 grams Vanilla Buttercream (or another flavour of your choice)
Instructions
Blooming the Yeast:
- In a small mixing bowl, mix the Active-dry Yeast with the lukewarm water and a teaspoon of sugar and set aside to bloom for at least 15 minutes or until the mixture turns very frothy (see notes)
Making the Dough:
- In a large bowl, sift the flour along with the milk powder and salt, and set aside
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the milk, water, sugar and the bloomed yeast mixture
- Add the wet mix (a cup at a time) to the sifted flour mix and using a hand-held mixer at low speed, bring all the ingredients together (see notes) into a very wet dough that is beginning to pull off from the sides of the bowl
- Add the butter in parts and continue to mix until well combined and the dough comes together into a shiny smooth ball
- Transfer this dough onto a floured surface and gently knead the dough by stretching, folding, lifting and throwing it onto the floured surface for about 10-15 minutes (see notes)
- Gently knead until a floppy but not sticky dough is formed
Proofing the Dough:
- Grease the large mixing bowl with some butter
- Shape the dough roughly into a sphere and transfer it to the greased bowl
- Grease the dough also with some butter
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place for the dough to rise at room temperature for about up to 2 hours or until it has doubled in size
Shaping the Buns:
- Gently punch and deflate the dough and scrape it out onto the floured surface
- Divide the dough into 24 equal parts by weight, roll them into smooth spheres and set aside for 10 mins
- Line the baking trays with butter paper and keep them ready
- Using a rolling pin, roll each dough sphere into an ellipse, roughly 15 cm long and 10 cm wide
- Fold this elliptical dough sheet back along its width, two-thirds of the way to form a lip
- Transfer to the prepared baking tray- 8 buns per tray. Leave enough space between each bun to expand during second proofing and baking
Proofing the Buns:
- Cover the baking tray with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place for about 60 minutes for the Buns to rise and double
Baking the Buns:
- 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 200℃ (Top & Bottom heat)
- Using a silicone brush, brush the top of the Buns with milk
- Place the trays in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the top of the buns turn golden brown. At 15 minutes of baking time, interchange the tray positions in intervals of 5 minutes to ensure an even bake on all trays.
Brushing & cooling the Buns:
- As soon as you take out the trays from the Oven, brush the buns with some butter
- When the tray is warm enough to handle, invert the tray and remove the buns and transfer to a cooling rack (see notes)
Prepping & creaming the Buns:
- Using a bread knife, cut the buns along the lip line, two-thirds of the way back to form a clam
- Prepare a portion of my Vanilla Buttercream recipe
- Spoon a generous amount of the buttercream into the slit bun
- Using a spatula or dough-scraper smear a generous amount of the butter cream across the lip and smoothen it
- The Cream Buns are ready to be indulged in.
Storage Instructions:
- These cream buns are best enjoyed fresh but can stay fresh enough for a couple of days when stored in an air-tight container.
Notes
- For blooming the yeast, the water needs to be neither too hot nor cold but lukewarm.
- Give the yeast mixture enough time to bloom till it turns very frothy (about 15 minutes). If it appears flat, repeat the process with a fresh batch of yeast.
- If you do not have a hand-held mixer or stand-mixer, use a spatula to combine the ingredients.
- Kneading process is essential for the formation of gluten in the dough. Stretch, pull or throw the dough but be gentle. Add flour only if needed and do not over-knead the dough.
- It is important to not leave the Buns to cool in the baking tray. Moisture will build up and make the base of the Buns soggy.
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