Berry Cheesecake Brioche Bun

_Soft, buttery brioche buns with a deep well of baked vanilla cheesecake filling and a ripple of berry compote, finished with a light dusting of icing sugar. Rich enough for a weekend treat, tender enough to vanish in a single sitting._

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 60 g caster sugar
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 10 g fast-action dried yeast
• 120 ml whole milk, lukewarm
• 3 large eggs
• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 300 g full-fat cream cheese
• 60 g icing sugar, plus extra to dust
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 egg yolk
• 250 g mixed berries, fresh or frozen
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Method

Make the compote first so it has time to cool: combine the berries, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small pan and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until syrupy. Slake the cornflour with 1 tablespoon cold water, stir it in and cook for a further minute until thickened. Tip into a bowl and chill completely.

For the dough, combine the flour, caster sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer, keeping the salt and yeast apart until mixed. Add the lukewarm milk and the 3 eggs, then knead with the dough hook on low for 4 minutes until a rough dough forms.

With the mixer on medium, add the softened butter a piece at a time, only adding more once the previous addition is absorbed. Continue kneading for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, glossy and elastic, and pulls cleanly from the bowl. It will be soft and slightly tacky.

Cover and prove at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours until doubled, then chill the dough for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Cold brioche is far easier to shape.

Make the cheesecake filling: beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla and egg yolk until just smooth and thick. Do not overbeat or it will loosen. Chill until needed.

Turn the cold dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces (about 75g each). Shape each into a tight ball by rolling under a cupped hand, then place spaced apart on two lined baking trays.

Cover loosely and prove for 1-1.5 hours at room temperature until puffy and almost doubled. They should spring back slowly when pressed.

Heat the oven to 180C fan. Using a floured thumb or the base of a small jar, press a deep, wide well into the centre of each bun, leaving a generous border.

Spoon a heaped tablespoon of cheesecake filling into each well, then add a teaspoon of the chilled berry compote on top and swirl lightly with a skewer. Brush the exposed dough with beaten egg.

Bake for 16-18 minutes until the brioche is deep golden and the cheesecake is just set with a slight wobble. Rotate the trays halfway through for an even colour.

Cool on the trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. The filling firms up as it cools, so resist eating them straight from the oven.

Dust with icing sugar just before serving. Best eaten the day they are baked; store any leftovers in the fridge and bring back to room temperature before eating.