Add the bread flour, sugar, salt, and instant dry yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the milk and water, then knead until the dough begins to come together.

Once the dough is well combined, add the softened butter.

Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and let rise until doubled in volume.

Gently punch down the dough to release the air.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.

Shape each portion into a ball, then cover the dough balls with plastic wrap.

Let rest for 15 minutes.

Round each portion again to form neat, even buns.

Place the dough balls on a baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.

Cover and let rise until doubled in volume.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

Bake the buns for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden.

Let them cool completely before filling.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, egg, melted butter, minced garlic, milk, mayonnaise, and dried parsley.

Whisk until smooth and well combined.

In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice.

Mix until the filling is smooth, soft, and easy to pipe.

Transfer the filling to a piping bag.

Cut each cooled bun into 6 wedges, without slicing all the way through the base; the bun should stay attached at the bottom.

Pipe the cream cheese filling into the lower part of each cut.

Dip each bun generously in the garlic butter sauce.

Make sure the sauce gets well between the wedges so it soaks into the inside of the bun.

Pipe a rosette of cream cheese in the center and over the top of each bun.

Preheat the oven to 170-180 °C.

Bake the filled buns for about 15 minutes, until deeply golden, lightly crisp on the outside, and soft and gooey inside.

Serve hot or warm.