Philip Khoury’s Almond Vostock

For the Vrioche Dough:

• Prepare a tangzhong by adding the 2½ tablespoonfuls of bread flour and the water to a small saucepan and mixing to dissolve the flour. Warm over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until thick all the way through (149°F/65°C). Pour the tangzhong into a shallow dish or baking pan, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and leave to chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until cool to the touch.
• Pour the vegan milk into a bowl, add the yeast, and stir to dissolve. If using active dry yeast, you may need to let it stand for 10 minutes to dissolve the coating.
• Add the 3 cups of bread flour, sugar, golden syrup, salt, sweet potato, and olive oil to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add the vegan milk–yeast mixture and start mixing on low speed. A dough will start to form. Once all the flour is combined, increase the speed slightly and mix for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and developed. Keep kneading until a windowpane test shows a well-developed dough. (This is when you take a small ball of dough and stretch it until the center becomes thin enough to pass light through it but doesn’t tear.)
• Add the chilled tangzhong to the dough and mix until incorporated and smooth. The dough may look like it’s beginning to become wet and separated, but keep mixing until it starts to climb up the hook and come away from the sides of the bowl. This stage of mixing should take about 3–5 minutes. Tip the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface to shape it into a ball, then place it back into the bowl, cover in plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1½–2 hours, until doubled in size. Tip: This initial rise, or “bulk ferment,” allows the dough to rest and develop flavor.
• When the dough is ready to use, punch it down. Try to avoid mixing it at this stage, as you want to keep the dough flexible for rolling or shaping into your desired shape.

For the Almond Frangipane:

In a high-powered blender, pulse the nuts, sugar, and cornstarch to a fine powder. Add the vegan milk, oil, and almond extract, if using. Pulse again until a thick, creamy consistency is reached. Set aside.

For the Buns:

• Prepare the Vrioche Dough (see recipe). Lightly flour the work surface, then turn out the dough and use a scraper to cut it into 10 equal-size portions.
• Shape 10 buns, using 3¼-inch brioche molds or tart shells.
• Place the buns on baking trays lined with parchment paper, spacing them well apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave to proof in a warm or room-temperature location for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Bake the buns for 12–15 minutes, or until golden all over. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and leave to cool completely.

For the Vanilla and Rum Syrup:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl (with space for dipping a 3½-inch bun) and stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.

To finish:

• Cut each bun in half across the equator, then dip each cut side into the syrup.
• Spread the nuts out on a plate. Pipe a generous tablespoonful of filling onto the bottom half of each bun and sandwich together. Pipe a thin layer of filling, about 1¼-inch in diameter, on the top. Gently press into the nuts.
• Preheat the oven again to 350°F/180°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Return all 10 buns to the lined baking sheet and bake for 6–8 minutes, or until the frangipane puffs up slightly and the nuts are golden.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.