Start by making the tangzhong. Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan. Stir it together with a whisk until the flour has mixed together with milk. Then place it on the stove over medium-high heat. Keep constantly stirring until it becomes a thick paste, similarly to smooth mashed potatoes. Take it off the heat and add it to a flat surfaced bowl so it can cool down faster. Place it in the fridge to cool down so it becomes room temperature. Give it a stir here and there. It’ll take about 20-30 minutes.

Start by mixing the instant yeast together with the flour. Then heat up the milk and water until it’s lukewarm (37ºC) and add it to the flour mixture. (If you are use fresh yeast, heat up the milk and water until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into your mixing bowl and pour in the heated milk and water. With a spatula stir it together until the yeast has melted.)

Then add the granulated sugar, tangzhong, egg and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes.

Continue on medium speed and add salt and the butter in two parts. Add the second part of the butter, once the first part has mixed into the dough. This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the second part has incorporated, keep mixing the dough for 6-8 minutes. It should end up looking smooth and glossy.

Add the dough to a clean bowl, with a bit of vegetable oil, and cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel. Place it in a warm room temperature area in your house or use the trick with the oven. Let it rise for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, make the apple filling. Start by cutting the apples into small cubes. In a saucepan heat up the apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Once it starts bubbling, let it simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the apples are tender but still have a little bite to them. While it cooks, give the apples a stir once in a while.

When the 5 minutes have passed or they feel tender, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the water and cornstarch together until the cornstarch has dissolved. Turn down the heat to low and add the slurry. Stir it together and continue stirring for about 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Take it off the heat and add the vanilla bean paste. Pour it into a bowl and place it in the refrigerator to cool down.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the cream cheese filling until one paste and set it aside.

For the crumble, add all-purpose flour, brown sugar and cinnamon to another bowl and mix it together. Add the butter and with a fork mix it together until it forms a crumbled structure and there is no dry flour left. Set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan, add the granulated sugar and water and stir it together so all of the sugar is wet. Flatten it out into an even layer, so it melts evenly. Melt it over medium/high heat until golden brown. Once you can see it starts slightly brown, give it a stir once in a while so it all melts evenly.

Once the caramel is golden brown, reduce the heat to medium heat and stir in the butter until it has melted into the caramel. Then add the heavy cream, a little at a time, stirring in each addition until incorporated. It will bubble up strongly so be careful of your fingers. Stir constantly until it has gathered.

Turn off the heat and add the vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt and stir it in. Transfer it to a shallow bowl, so it can cool down faster, and let it cool down in the fridge. It takes about 30-60 minutes to become room temperature.

After the first rise, it should be doubled in size. Tip the dough out and divide the dough into 12. Roll the dough into balls and place them on two baking trays lined with parchment paper. Gently press the buns down to get more of a donut shape. Let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes under some cling film and a tea towel.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.

After the second rise, use a 1 cup measurement or a cup that is around 7 cm in diameter. Press down the middle so it leaves an indent. Whisk an egg together and brush the sides of the buns with the egg wash.

Add the cream cheese to a piping bag, or add it with a spoon, and pip the cream cheese in the middle.

Add the apple pie filling on top and add the crumble around the edges of the bun.

Bake them for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. After they have baked, place them on a cooling rack to let them cool down a bit. Drizzle them with caramel and enjoy them lukewarm or cooled down completely.