Black Sesame Braided Buns

For the paste, grind black sesame seeds into a powder then add honey to sweeten and a dash of oil if needed to loosen.

In a mixing bowl, place the flour and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast and sugar then pour in the warm milk. Once the yeast has dissolved, stir in the remaining ingredients and just the egg white (reserve the yolk for later). Knead until you have a soft non-sticky dough.

Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled. Then divide it into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a circle and spread some black sesame paste on the top half. Fold it over and shape and braid it as shown in the video.

Let the shaped buns rise again until doubled in size. Brush with the reserved egg yolk and bake in a preheated 180°C conventional oven until golden brown. (For fan assisted use 160ºC)

While the buns cool, combine icing sugar with small amounts of water until you reach the desired consistency. Dip the buns and finish with a light sprinkle of black sesame seeds.