Peel and seed the pumpkin, then cut it into small pieces. Steam the pieces for about 15 minutes until you can easily insert chopsticks into the pumpkin, indicating it's fully cooked.

Take 130g of the steamed pumpkin, place it in a bowl, and mash it into a smooth puree using a spoon or a potato masher. Set it aside for later use.

Add all ingredients (except butter) into the mixing bowl: 250g high-gluten flour, 130g pumpkin puree, 52g milk, 30g sugar, 2g salt, 2.5g high-sugar-tolerant yeast, 10g milk powder, and 1 egg.

Using a stand mixer or bread machine, mix at a low speed for about 7 minutes until the ingredients are roughly combined and form a coarse dough.

Add the 30g butter and continue mixing at low speed until the butter is absorbed. Once the butter is mostly incorporated, increase to medium speed and knead the dough for 10-13 minutes.

Knead until the dough can stretch thin without breaking, forming a thin, non-tearing membrane.

Remove the dough, place it on a clean work surface, and punch it a few times to smooth the surface, shaping it into a round ball.

Place the dough in a clean container, cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to maintain humidity and prevent the dough from drying out.

Let it ferment in a warm environment (around 30°C), such as an oven with a proofing function, or a warm corner of the kitchen. The proofing time is about 1 hour.

After 1 hour, check if the dough has doubled in size. You can test by dipping a finger in flour and poking the dough. If the hole doesn't shrink or collapse, the fermentation is complete.

Gently remove the dough and place it on the work surface. Lightly punch the dough to release any trapped gas, restoring some of its elasticity.

Use a knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal portions, each about 63g.

Roll each portion into a ball, then cover and let them relax for 10 minutes.

After the dough has relaxed, flatten each ball, then fold the edges inward to form a round shape.

Place the shaped dough balls onto a baking tray, leaving some space between each piece as they will expand during proofing.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 40 minutes in a warm environment (around 30°C).

After 40 minutes, check if the dough has expanded to 1.5-2 times its original size. If it has, the second proofing is complete.

Lightly dust the surface of the dough with flour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C for 10-15 minutes.

Place the baking tray in the middle of the oven and bake for 18 minutes.

In the last few minutes, observe the color of the buns. If they are turning golden brown, cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

After 18 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and let the buns cool on a wire rack.