Quince and Cream Buns

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together water and yeast. Add the all-purpose and bread flours, sugar, salt and eggs. Set the mixer with the hook attachment and beat the mixture on medium speed for a couple minutes until it comes together. Reduce speed to low and add the butter as it continues to mix, for 5 to 6 minutes more, until it is all incorporated. Raise to medium speed and continue beating until dough is malleable, soft, smooth, and it slaps the walls of the bowl as it mixes, another 7 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle your counter with a bit of flour. Gather the dough into a ball and stretch and fold the dough 4 times, rotating a quarter turn each time. Place in a bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and, in a warm area of your kitchen, let it rest and rise, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Pour in the egg yolks and whisk until well combined. Set aside.

Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan, set over medium heat and heat until it just starts to simmer around the edges. Remove from heat and slowly pour it in a thin stream over the sugar-egg mixture, whisking constantly as you do. Continue whisking to completely incorporate.

Return to the saucepan, set over medium heat and continue whisking until the mixture thickens to a creamy consistency, about 3 to 4 minutes. Once it starts simmering along the edges again, remove it from the heat.

Strain the mixture through a fine strainer or sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla extract until fully combined. Cover with plastic wrap directly on its surface so it doesn't create a crust. Place in the refrigerator and let it chill for a few hours until it is completely cold before using.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the cinnamon.

In a small saucepan, combine the diced quince paste with the water, lemon juice and zest, and set over medium-low heat. Mix often, evenly pressing on the paste as it begins to loosen. Once it does, start whisking to mix well with the water. Continue cooking and stirring constantly, until the paste completely dissolves and the mixture begins to thicken and darken in color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature before using.

Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds.

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide evenly into 12 balls. One by one, press each ball of dough into a flat circle of about 5 inches around, pushing towards the edges to create a rim. You can stretch with your hands as if making a gordita or a hand tortilla, but leaving a thick rim on the outside, like a sope. Place onto the prepared baking sheets.

Spoon a copious tablespoon of the pastry cream into the middle of each circle, spreading it evenly up to the rim. Coat each one with 1 copious tablespoon of nata or creme fraiche, spreading it gently over the pastry cream. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the rim of each bun. It's ok if you sprinkle a bit inside of the rim. Bake for 30 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the edges are golden.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes or so, before topping each bun with 1 overflowing tablespoon of the quince topping, spreading it ever so gently right in the middle.