Recipe and images courtesy of Romy London (@romylondonuk on Instagram)

Inspired by Kopi Roti, these buns are made to a vegan recipe, using only simple ingredients. They are soft and fluffy on the inside with a crispy coffee-flavoured crust on the outside, topped with crunchy walnuts and filled with a melty, buttery core. A true delight that you simply have to try!

Prep time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients (makes 12 buns):

For the bun:

• 500g bread flour, sifted
• 7g instant yeast
• 50g coconut sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 250ml soy milk, warmed
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 60ml unsalted vegan butter, melted
• seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
• 2 tbsp cacao powder

For the buttery filling:

• 80g unsalted vegan butter, cubed & frozen

For the topping:

• 60g unsalted vegan butter, softened at room temperature
• 30g powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules (strong)
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 80g cake flour (take all-purpose flour, remove 1 tbsp + 1 tsp and replace with the same measurement of corn starch)
  
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Sift 500g bread flour into a bowl and remove 50g, placing it into a saucepan.
2. Dissolve 50g coconut sugar and 1 tsp salt in 250ml warmed soy milk in a jug. Add the seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to the jug and whisk everything to mix.
3. Pour the soy milk mixture into the saucepan and whisk until there are no lumps
4. Place the saucepan over low heat and stir continuously until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining flour, 7g instant yeast, and 2 tbsp cacao powder.
6. Add 60ml melted unsalted vegan butter to the dry ingredients
7. Add the sticky mixture from the saucepan to the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
8. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
9. Place the dough into a covered bowl and let it rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
10. Push back the dough and knead for 1 minute, then divide it into 12 equal pieces.
11. Flatten each piece and place a frozen butter cube into the middle, then pinch the dough to close around it and shape it into balls.
12. Place the balls on a lined baking tray and let them rise on the tray for another 30 minutes
13. Preheat the oven to 200°C and prepare the buttercream.
14. Cream 60g unsalted vegan butter and 30g powdered sugar with an electric hand mixer until creamy. Dissolve 1 tbsp instant coffee granules in 1 tbsp hot water and let it cool down for a few minutes before adding it to the butter mixture alongside 1 tsp cacao powder. Mix until well combined.
15. Gradually add 80g cake flour until a smooth, thick consistency is achieved.
16. Once the vegan buttercream is ready, use a piping bag fitted with a round tip to fill it with the mixture, then place it in the fridge to chill before piping.
17. Before baking, pipe the buttercream onto the buns in a circular motion. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, then bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden.