Pan de leche (sweet milk bread with crème patisserie)

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil provides a dairy-free option while maintaining moisture.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: water

Almond milk is lower in calories, while water is a cost-effective substitute.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey offers natural sweetness, while brown sugar is often less expensive.

eggs

🥗Healthier: flaxseed meal

💰Cheaper: egg substitute

Flaxseed meal is a vegan alternative that binds ingredients.

Start by making the yeast sponge: combine 100 grams of plain flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 15 grams of dried active yeast, and 100 ml of lukewarm milk in a bowl.

Stir everything well, cover with cling film, and let it rest until the sponge has doubled in size.

In another bowl, mix 400 grams of plain flour and 5 grams of salt, sifting the flour as you mix.

In a separate bowl, combine 100 ml of lukewarm milk and another 5 grams of dried active yeast, and let it sit for a moment.

Make a well in the flour mixture and add 90 grams of sugar, 3 room temperature eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 100 grams of soft butter.

Add the milk with the dissolved yeast to the flour mixture and mix with a spatula until combined.

If the dough is too wet, add 3 tablespoons of flour to reach the desired consistency.

Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead it, placing 1 or 2 lemons on top while kneading.

After kneading, place the dough in a container, cover with cling film, and let it rest for about an hour until it doubles in size.

Once the dough has risen, roll it out and cut it into balls of about 40 grams each, placing them on parchment paper.

Let the balls rest for another hour until they double in size again.

Prepare the crème patissiere: heat 500 ml of milk with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in a pan until it comes to a boil, then cover and set aside.

Dissolve 50 grams of corn flour in a small amount of the reserved milk and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together 5 egg yolks and 100 grams of caster sugar until lighter in color and airy.

Gradually add the dissolved corn flour mixture to the egg mixture, stirring to avoid lumps.

Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.

Return the mixture to the pan and heat gently until it thickens, stirring constantly.

Once thickened, transfer to a clean bowl, cover with cling film (touching the surface to prevent a skin), and let cool at room temperature before refrigerating for 3-4 hours.

Egg wash the risen dough balls gently to avoid degassing them.

Pipe the cooled crème patissiere into the dough balls.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and bake the filled dough balls for 12-15 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens