rhubarb and custard buns

rhubarb and custard buns

3 Aug 2026

I wanted to make as many rhubarb flavoured bakes as I could before rhubarb season was over. As you know, I do love a good bun and whilst I've made rhubarb buns before I wanted to make some rhubarb and custard buns inspired by the rhubarb custard buns at Juno The Baker.

I used my go-to bun dough as my base, adapted from a Sarah Keiffer recipe and made some rhubarb compote inspired by a Trine Hahnemann recipe and a batch of cold start custard from a Natalie Paull recipe. I put them together and hey presto, I had some rhubarb and custard buns.

Here's the recipe for you which will make 7-8 buns. For all my recipes I use a 250ml cup and a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60g eggs. My oven is a conventional gas oven so if your oven is fan forced, you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 20°C.

Rhubarb and custard buns
Rhubarb jam
150g rhubarb
55g caster sugar

Cold start thick custard
25g caster sugar
10g cornflour
pinch fine sea salt
20g cream
1 egg yolk
100g milk
½ tsp vanilla paste

Dough
1¼ tsp yeast
150 mls lukewarm milk
30g caster sugar
1 room temperature egg 
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (300g) plain flour 
½ tsp salt
60g room temperature unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the filling
50g unsalted butter, softened
55g caster sugar
1 tbs almond meal
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch seasalt flakes

To finish
1 egg lightly beaten/melted butter or cream

Rhubarb jam
Cut the rhubarb into one-centimetre pieces, place in a saucepan with the sugar and bring to the boil. Cook for five minutes, then drain through a sieve placed over a heatproof bowl. Return the juice to the pan, bring to the boil once more and cook down until a syrup forms. Leave to cool.

Cold start thick custard
In a medium bowl, weigh the sugar, cornflour, salt and cream. Add the egg yolks last and hand whisk to make a creamy paste. Stream the milk in then the vanilla (paste or scraped pod and seeds) and whisk well. Scrape the mix into a small saucepan.

Place the saucepan on a medium-high heat and hand whisk at a slow pace to allow the heat to suffuse through the mix. Work the small balloon whisk into the corners of the saucepan (where the custard thickens first). After around 3 minutes of whisking, the custard will start to look like a creamy liquid. Speed up the whisking now the custard will thicken fast. It will look lumpy but just whisk quickly and it will all come together into an evenly thick paste in another 1 minute.
As soon as it looks smooth and thick, slow down the whisking and wait for a few burp-like bubbles to pop over the surface. It's a super thick custard and your whisk should leave obvious furrows as it moves through the mix.

Take the pan off the heat and scrape the custard into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard to prevent a rubbery skin forming. Chill for at least 1 hour. 

Dough
Grease a large plastic container and set to one side. Combine the yeast, milk and sugar in a large liquid measuring cup and rest for 5 minutes or until foamy then stir in the egg and the vanilla. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour and salt and stir on low to combine. Add the egg mixture and mix on low to combine. With the mixer on low, add the butter, one piece at a time. When all the butter has been incorporated (about 10 minutes) increase the speed to medium and beat the butter into the dough, until all the little butter pieces are incorporated, and the dough comes away from the side of the bowl. 

Transfer the dough to the prepared container. Cover the container with a lid or with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Place your fingers or a spatula underneath the dough and gently pull the dough up and fold it back over itself. Turn the container and repeat this folding again. Continue 6 to 8 more times, until all the dough has been folded over on itself. Re-cover the container and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat this series of folding 3 more times, for a rise time of 2 hours and a total of 4 foldings. Replace the lid or tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours.

The next day, flour a work surface and knead the dough 10 to 12 times to activate the gluten. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the top lightly with flour, and cover with a tea towel and let come to room temperature.  

Make the filling by mixing all the ingredients into a smooth paste.

Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Roll the dough out into a rectangle measuring about 40 x 15 centimetres. Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Fold the left third of the dough in towards the centre, and fold the right third of the dough over that towards the centre, like you're folding a business letter.  Gently run the rolling pin over the dough to press out any big bubbles.  

Roll the dough out a bit more so that it forms a 16 x 30 cm rectangle and then cut across into eight two-centimetre strips. Take each strip and twist it, then roll each twist into a spiral. Place the rhubarb buns on the prepared tray, pressing down on each so they spread slightly. Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes or until puffed and well risen.

While the buns are proofing, preheat the oven to 200°C, conventional.

Make an indent in the top of the bun and spoon in 1 tbs custard, followed by a spoonful of the rhubarb. Brush the tops of the buns with the beaten egg, melted butter or cream. Place the buns onto the centre rack of the oven then bake the buns for 25-30 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with the reserved rhubarb syrup. Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.

These are best served the day of baking and are so delicious, I wished I'd made a larger batch! If the whole rolling and folding is too much for you, just make scrolls like Juno did.

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian

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