KOREAN CREAM CHEESE GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• For the bread: Warm 1/4 cup of the milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to between 100 and 115 degrees F. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Add the sugar and yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the butter, salt, 1/2 cup milk and half of the flour to the bowl. Mix on medium-high speed just to incorporate. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated. Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk and remaining flour. Knead with the hook on medium-high speed until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides, about 5 minutes (the dough will still be sticky).
• Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray, scrape the dough into the bowl and turn to coat it with the spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a slightly warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly coat with cooking spray. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and arrange on the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between each. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let stand again until puffy and doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• For the egg wash: Lightly whisk the milk and egg in a small bowl. Brush the rounds with the egg wash. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, about 24 minutes. Transfer the breads to a rack to cool completely. Reserve the baking sheet with parchment, as it will be used again. Leave the oven on.
• Once cooled, use a sharp serrated knife to cut each bread into 6 equal wedges partly through, leaving at least 1/4 inch intact on the bottom of each.
• For the cream cheese filling: Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, scraping down the sides as necessary, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, gradually increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until the sugar is incorporated and the filling is creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the filling to a large piping bag. Pipe the filling in between the wedges of each bread, working from the outside to the center while holding and separating each wedge with your fingers. Be careful not to break the wedges. Save some filling for the end; set aside.
• For the garlic butter custard: Whisk together the butter, heavy cream, garlic, parsley, sugar, honey, garlic powder, salt and eggs in a large bowl to combine.
• Dip the breads one at a time in the garlic butter custard, cut-side down. Separate the wedges while holding each bread down in the custard to coat the inside and outside of each wedge. With two hands, carefully flip each bread upside down and submerge entirely in the custard. Arrange the breads back on the reserved parchment-lined baking sheet. After all of them have been dipped completely in the custard, repeat once more to double dip. Make sure there's plenty of minced garlic and parsley on the breads. (There will be custard leftover at the end.)
• Bake until deep golden brown, glossy and crispy on the outside, 13 to 15 minutes (the garlic will start smelling fragrant and the custard drippings will start crisping/browning around the edges). Let cool for 10 minutes, then pipe some of the remaining cream cheese filling in the center of each bread. (The breads will open up slightly as you pipe in the center.) Serve immediately.