Blueberry & Custard Brioche Bun with Crumble
About this recipe
If you live in or near London, or even if you’ve just been scrolling through foodie feeds online, you’ve probably heard of Gail's Bakery. This beloved UK bakery chain has become famous for its artisanal bread, pastries, and other baked goods. I’m a huge fan of Gail’s, and there's nothing better than indulging in one of their sweet or savory treats. However, as much as I adore their offerings, the prices can add up quickly. So, I decided to do what I love most—recreate one of my favorite Gail’s items at home.
Let me introduce you to my homemade brioche buns, filled with rich vanilla pastry cream, topped with fresh blueberries, and finished with a buttery shortbread crumble. Making brioche dough might sound intimidating, but trust me, it’s simpler than you think. All you need is plain flour (yes, I developed this without bread flour), yeast, sugar, eggs, and milk. The secret to perfect brioche? Gradually add softened butter to the mixer so it blends seamlessly into a smooth, luxurious dough.
Now, about that vanilla pastry cream: it’s made with milk and without any custard powder, resulting in a pure, creamy custard that is the perfect filling for these brioche buns. If you have any custard left over, don’t let it go to waste! It’s delicious served alongside a slice of cake or even spooned over fresh fruit.
This recipe is a delightful treat that captures the essence of Gail’s Bakery, and I’m sure you’re going to love it. Give it a try—you won’t be disappointed!
Blueberry & Custard Bun FAQs
Do I have to use blueberries?
No, you can use any berries. Like strawberries or I can even see mango working great!
Why is my custard lumpy?
You may have cooked the eggs by adding too much hot milk at once, I recommend adding 75ml at a time.
How soft does the butter need to be?
The butter needs to be very soft so it intergrates into the dough. If the butter is hard I recommend mircowaving it for a few seconds so it softenes up.
Do you have any other blueberry recipies?
Yes! Heres a few: Blueberry Strusel Cake, Blueberry Cheesecake Toast, Blueberry Vegan Scones
Ingredients
Custard:
- 350ml whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 50g cornflour
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste
Brioche Dough:
- 275g plain flour
- 5g fast-action dried yeast
- 25g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50ml whole milk
- 80g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
Streusel Topping:
- 65g white sugar
- 80g plain flour
- 45g unsalted melted butter
- 150g blueberries
Custard:
- 700ml whole milk
- 8 large egg yolks
- 100g cornflour
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla paste
Brioche Dough:
- 550g plain flour
- 10g fast-action dried yeast
- 50g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 100ml whole milk
- 160g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
Streusel Topping:
- 130g white sugar
- 160g plain flour
- 90g unsalted melted butter
- 300g blueberries
Ingredients
Custard:
- 12.3 oz whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1.76 oz cornflour
- 3.5 oz golden caster sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste
Brioche Dough:
- 9.7 oz plain flour
- 0.18 oz fast-action dried yeast
- 0.88 oz caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1.7 oz whole milk
- 2.8 oz unsalted butter, cubed and softened
Streusel Topping:
- 2.3 oz white sugar
- 2.8 oz plain flour
- 1.6 oz unsalted melted butter
- 5.3 oz blueberries
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Instructions
Custard:
- Firstly in a pan over a medium heat, heat up your milk until it is just about to boil then set aside.
- In a heatproof bowl, add the eggs yolks, golden caster sugar, cornflour and vanilla paste and stir until it is a thick mixture.
- Progressively add 75ml of the hot milk at a time to thin out the consistency.
- Once all the hot milk is added and combined, pour the mixture into a pan and whisk over a low heat until you get a nice, thick custard.
- When your custard is ready, pour it into a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to cool in the fridge.
Brioche dough:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan, and line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
- Add the yeast, flour, sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Using a spoon, make a well in the middle to add the eggs and milk.
- With the dough hook fitted on the stand mixer, mix on a low speed until it starts to form a dough.
- Gradually add the chopped butter until it is all incorporated and mix on a medium speed.
- Once the dough is nice and smooth, lightly sprinkle some flour on a work surface and chop it into 6 balls.
- To the lined baking tray, add dough balls to the and set aside to rise for a minimum of 25 minutes.
- To make the streusel topping, mix together the white sugar, plain flour, and melted butter in another bowl until you have a crumbly texture. Set this aside.
- Once the dough has risen, use a spoon to create a slight well in the centre of each ball.
- Add your custard to a piping bag and add to the centre of the dough.
- Sprinkle your blueberries and streusel on top then bake for 20 minutes
Hi, I'm Remi
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