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Recipe

Vegan Papparoti (Coffee Buns)

5 from 2 votes
Author: Thomas Pagot
Papparoti (also known as Rotiboy) is a soft, fluffy brioche bun topped with a sweet, crispy coffee-flavored crust. That irresistible contrast between the crackly shell and the tender crumb is what makes it so addictive. This vegan Papparoti tastes as good as the original, minus the egg!
Prep Time : 45 minutes
Cook Time : 18 minutes
Rising : 2 hours
Total Time : 3 hours 3 minutes
Servings 10 buns

Ingredients

Buns

Craquelin Topping

  • 1 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) hot water
  • 1/4 cup (56 g) vegan butter (at room temperature)
  • 6 tbsp (75 g) granulated white sugar
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) unsweetened plant-based milk
  • 1/2 tsp (2 ml) vanilla extract
  • 9 tbsp (72 g) all-purpose flour

Instructions
 

Buns

  • Knead the dough. Add the milk, bread flour, sugar, yeast, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer. Knead at speed 3-4 until the dough is smooth.
  • Incorporate the butter. Then add the room-temperature butter and salt, and knead for another 12-15 minutes at speed 4-5, or until the dough is very smooth and passes the windowpane test.
  • Let the dough rise. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp cloth to prevent it from drying. Let it rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
  • Divide into balls. Once the dough has risen, punch it to deflate it. Divide it into 10 even balls.
  • Fill each dough ball with butter. Working with one at a time, flatten a dough ball into a thick disk using your hands. Next, place a cube of cold butter in the center and pinch the edges together to fully seal it inside.
  • Let them rise. Arrange the balls of dough on two baking sheets (five per baking sheet), leaving at least 3 inches (8 cm) between each. Cover with plastic wrap or a light, damp towel and allow the buns to rise for 45-60 minutes or until they have almost doubled in size. In the meantime, prepare the craquelin.
  • Preheat the oven. 15 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 355 °F(180°C).

Craquelin Topping

  • Dissolve the coffee. Add the instant coffee to a small bowl and pour in the hot water. Stir to dissolve and set aside.
  • Cream the butter. Add the room-temperature butter and sugar to a small mixing bowl. Using a spoon, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  • Add the remaining ingredients. Then, add the milk, coffee, vanilla extract, and flour. Mix everything until it forms a smooth paste and set aside.

Assemble & Bake

  • Pipe the craquelin. Transfer the craquelin paste to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) round tip. Next, starting in the center of each bun, pipe the paste in a spiral motion, working outwards to cover the top evenly.
  • Bake. Bake the buns for 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The Papparotis are done when they are evenly golden-brown.
  • Let them cool. Allow the Papparotis to cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying!
  • You can store these Papparotis for up to 5 days at room temperature. Wrap each bun in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying.

Notes

Use room-temperature ingredients.

Make sure the butter and milk are at room temperature, not cold. Cold ingredients can slow down the dough’s rise and make it harder to cream the craquelin paste.

Don’t overproof the dough.

I suggest preheating your oven 15 minutes before the end of the second rise. If you allow your buns to overproof, they may deflate during baking and end up dense instead of fluffy.

Space the buns apart.

The buns will grow in size during the second rise and again in the oven, that’s why it’s important to leave enough room between them. About 3 inches (8 cm) of space is usually enough to prevent them from touching.
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