This bread is a typical Hong Kong sweet bread. The crusty layer is made from cake flour. The original recipe called for condensed milk and edible amonia powder. I did not use amonia powder but replaced it with baking soda. The result I got is still similar to what I tasted from the Asian bakery and restaurant back home.
The version I posted here has char siew (pork) filling. The bread itself is the same as the previous post of baked bulgogi bread or char siew bread which uses the water roux method. My family love this bread and my husband and children have brought the bread for their lunch box. Yes, you read it correctly, lunch box. Here, we do not usually eat warm lunch since either it is not available at school or work, or it is relatively expensive and does not fit or taste bud enough.
The extra work of this bun, compared to the more simple version of the char siew bread is the crusty layer. My crusty layer version uses custard flour and omits the condensed milk. We need to make the crusty layer dough in advance and keep it first in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before we can use it, because the fresh dough will be very soft to work with.
In the following recipe, the dough for the crusty layer can be used for up to 1.5 recipe of buns that I used here. I stored the left over of the crusty layer dough in the freezer, covered with cling wrap foil. When I made the next batch, I just took it out and let it stand in the room temperature for around 1 hour before I assemble the bread.
Ingredients
Filling
600 gr pork (I do not use lean pork, we love it a bit fatty, but not too fatty) - if you do not eat pork, change it with other meat
Bulgogi marinade
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
a dash of sesame oil
1-2 tsp of corn starch
3 tbsp water
How to make the filling
1. Marinade the meat for a few hours and baked it for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven, 200Celcius.
2. Let it cool and cut the meat into small cubes.
3. Cook the meat again in a pan/wok, add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, 5-spice powder, pepper and sesame oil.s
4. Dilute the corn starch with the water and add into the pan.
5. Let it cool and keep it in the refrigerator while you prepare the dough.
Dough Ingredients
For the tangzhong (water roux) - Note: my grandmother called it "biang" in Indonesians
- 50 g bread flour
- 200 ml milk
- 125 ml milk
- 7 gram instant yeast
- 65 g sugar
- 450 g bread flour*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, medium size
- all of the tangzhong (water roux)
- 50 g melted butter, cooled
- 170 gr cake flour
- 2 tablespoon custard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 100 gram butter - room temperature, soft
- 100 gram fine granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolk
To brush
- 1 egg, beaten
Method
1. Prepare the crusty layer in advance: Combine flour, custard powder, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl and put it aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until it forms light texture.
3. Add the egg yolk and mix it well.
4. Add the combined flour and mix it until you have a nice smooth dough, similar to cookie dough.
5. Take out the dough and form it into long log, so you can wrap it with cling wrap foil. Keep it in the refrigerator while you are preparing the other ingredients.
6.Prepare the tangzhong (water-roux), in advanced. Mix the bread flour and milk in a pan, until it is well mixed.
7. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat. Stir it constantly with a whisk or spatula until it becomes thicker. When you see lines behind the whisk or spatula trail, remove it from the heat.
8. Place the tangzhong in a small bowl and cover it with cling film (plastic wrap). The plastic wrap should stick directly onto the roux to prevent it from drying. Let it cool for a few hours or put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the dough.
8. Place the tangzhong in a small bowl and cover it with cling film (plastic wrap). The plastic wrap should stick directly onto the roux to prevent it from drying. Let it cool for a few hours or put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the dough.
9. To make the dough, combine all dough ingredient (note: this can be done because the yeast used here is instant yeast) except the butter in the stand mixer bowl. Add the tangzhong/water-roux into the bowl. Using the hook attachment, knead the ingredients until you get a dough form and the gluten begins to develop.
The above picture is the bread before I packed it into my children lunch box.
I also made the variant with salted egg yolk custard filling. However, I did not manage yet to make the flowing version because the bread was leaking. When I could make it sucessfully, I will share it here. In the mean time, enjoy the savoury filling version first.
10. Knead in the butter until it the dough is smooth and does not stick to the wall of the bowl and to your hand. To double check if the gluten has developed enough, you can stretch the dough. If the dough can be stretched easily to form a thin membrane, and you can light through the membrane, then the dough is ready.
11. Shape the dought into a ball shape and lightly oil the dough (I usually forget to oil it and it still works good for me). Put it back into the bowl, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and place it in the refrigerator to proof until the next day or put it somewhere warm until it's doubled in size. As an alternative, proof it in a warm environment (the best is 28 degree Celcius) for 1 hour, or until it's doubled in size.
Take out the crusty layer dough from the refrigerator!!
12. After the dough rise double in size, punch down the dough and roll into a long shape. Cut into 16 equal size pieces (around 55-60 grams per piece).
13. Roll the dough into a thin layer and fill in the dough with filling.
14. Cover the filling with the dough and pinch the edges and press it to make sure that the filling will not leak out.
15. Carefully pinch up the edges and press together, ensuring the filling is well sealed.
16. Place the pressed side down onto the baking trays lined with baking paper.
15. Carefully pinch up the edges and press together, ensuring the filling is well sealed.
16. Place the pressed side down onto the baking trays lined with baking paper.
17. Cut a piece of crusty layer dough, you will need around 15-20 gram depends on the size of your bread.
18. Using plastic wrap, press the dough to form a thin layer. You can give square patterns to make it look like a pineapple skin, or you can just let it without pattern.
19. Place the crusty layer on top of each bread carefully.
20. Cover them with damp tea towel and let them rest for around 1 hour for last proving. (I sometimes use cling wrap to cover them and keep them in a warm cabinet. At least that method works for me).
12. Preheat oven to 180°C.
13. Brush the top of the bread with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. I usually bake two trays with upper and below heat sources and exchange the positions of the trays halfway the baking time.
13. Brush the top of the bread with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. I usually bake two trays with upper and below heat sources and exchange the positions of the trays halfway the baking time.
The above picture is the bread before I packed it into my children lunch box.
I also made the variant with salted egg yolk custard filling. However, I did not manage yet to make the flowing version because the bread was leaking. When I could make it sucessfully, I will share it here. In the mean time, enjoy the savoury filling version first.
Selamat makan.
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