Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). While the oven heats, mince the garlic finely and measure out all remaining ingredients into small bowls—this ensures smooth cooking without interruptions. I like to use a microplane for garlic to get the finest texture, which distributes better throughout the sauce.

In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, 4 tbsp sugar, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and creamy. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag—this makes it easy to fill the bun cuts precisely later. Set aside until needed.

Melt 20g (about 1.5 tbsp) of butter in a pan over medium-low heat, then add the minced garlic and cook gently for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant—don't let it brown. In a separate bowl, combine this cooked garlic with the remaining melted butter (50g or about 1.75 tbsp melted in the microwave for 30 seconds), milk, mayonnaise, 3 tbsp sugar, dried parsley, egg, and salt, whisking until fully combined and glossy. This creates the savory-sweet coating that makes the bread special.

Take each brioche bun and carefully cut it into six sections from the top, cutting about three-quarters of the way down but leaving the bottom intact so the bun stays connected—this creates pockets for the fillings. Work gently with the soft brioche to avoid tearing.

Using the piping bag, fill the cuts of each bun with the cream cheese filling from Step 2, distributing it evenly across the sections. Dip each filled bun into the garlic butter sauce from Step 3, coating all sides generously, then place on a baking tray. Once all buns are coated, pipe additional cream cheese into the center of each bun for extra richness—I find this two-stage piping creates the best texture and flavor distribution throughout.

Bake the coated buns in the preheated 180°C oven for 10 minutes, until the tops are golden and the cream cheese begins to set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving—this resting period allows the filling to firm up slightly while staying creamy inside.