Make the Tangzhong paste. Whisk together the flour and water in a pan until smooth. Put the pan over a medium heat and stir constantly until you get a thick, paste-like consistency. Place in a bowl and chill in the fridge.

Sieve out half of the flour into one bowl and the other half into another bowl. It is easier to make 2 doughs so follow this principle for the entire recipe: half of the ingredients in each dough.

Add the yeast on one side of the bowl, then the sugar and salt on the other side of the bowl. Do not let the yeast and salt touch yet otherwise they could cancel each other out.

Soften your butter and add your Tangzhong paste, making sure it is cool first before mixing with your butter, then split evenly between your two bowls.

Warm through the milk in a pan over a medium heat. Whisk in the miso paste briefly. Let the milk warm until you can see steam rising from it but it’s still warm enough to touch. Do not let it get hot enough to simmer or boil.

Make a well in each of your bowls and split the milk in half, pouring each half into each bowl.

Whisk an egg for each bowl and pour in: one egg per bowl.

Combine the ingredients together with a spoon in each bowl until you have two rough looking doughs.

One at a time, pour the dough onto a clean and lightly floured surface and knead by hand for around 10 minutes. If using a dough hook on a hand or standing mixer, knead for around 5 minutes. The dough will be smooth and shiny when done.

Repeat for the second dough, keeping the two separate.

Place in lightly oiled bowls and cover with cling film/beeswax paper/a damp tea towel.

Set aside in a warm room/airing cupboard to rise for around 1 hour or until each dough has doubled in size.

Prepare your filling.

Tear up your dried nori seaweed sheets into a bowl and re-hydrate them with the water. Mix together until the seaweed has regained moisture. If too wet, squeeze and drain.

Mix the chopped garlic in with the seaweed.

Melt the butter in a separate bowl.

Line a deep, rectangular tray (i.e. roasting tray) with baking parchment. Add another half-sheet over the top of half the lined tray so that you will be able to keep the rows of rolls separate.

When your dough is ready, start with one dough by knocking the air out briefly and rolling out into a rectangle about a half inch thick.

Brush half of the melted butter onto your rectangular dough.

Sprinkle over the seaweed and garlic mix. It is likely you will need to pull apart some of the seaweed as the water will have stuck it together a bit.

Roll the dough from length side to length side to create a long cylinder shape.

Cut into 10 – 12 pieces (depending on the size you want your T tower to be).

Place the pieces length-ways on one (length, not end) side of the tray: 5 or 6 rolls to make 2 rows on the top sheet of baking parchment, making sure that a side of the sheet is able to separate the two rows of rolls to prevent them from touching.

Repeat this process with the second dough, first cutting off a small piece of the dough for the 5 small character buns.

Place the second lot of seaweed buns in rows of two beside your first rows, keeping some baking parchment in the middle to keep them on 2 separate sides.

You should have 4 long rows of 5 to 6 rolls down (looking at the tray with one end facing you and the two longer sides on either side of you), 4 across in total (2 either side of the baking parchment). 2 rows will make the base of the T, the other 2 will be the top.

Split the ¼ into 5 and roll into balls, tucking them underneath to keep a round surface. Place these buns in a dish, cover and allow to rise.

Cover the seaweed buns and allow to rise for another hour.

Mix together the honey and soy sauce to taste and brush this glaze on the small buns.

If doing background colours for the character buns, mix the food colouring with a splash of vodka and brush on.

Place the character buns on the two rows of seaweed rolls in whatever pattern takes your fancy.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown.

Allow to cool.

Once cool enough, finish painting your designs on the character buns with the different food colourings and a splash of vodka with each, mixed together.

Carefully lift the rolls from your tray and arrange in a T shape: 2 rows as the base and 2 on the top.

Finish by sprinkling with sesame seeds if doing so.