I think I can bake buns well. What I do not know well enough is how to wrap them up such that there’s enough filling in the center to bite into once it’s baked. I always think it’s enough, but it always turns out to be pathetic. Like the one you see here above.
That aside, the bun is soft and fluffy so I still manage to knead them till they rose well. The filling was tasty and savoury, just how I like it. So individually, they were great, I just need to know how better to assemble them so that they can be a perfect match.
These are very traditional Chinese buns eaten regularly in Singapore by the Chinese communities. Definitely not to the liking of Western or European. I’ve had this recipe in my recipe book for a long time, since I was in my late teens. I recall going to the library and finding a book with many recipes that I liked, and I decided to borrow the book, and I brought it somewhere and photostatted a copy. Was it the library at NUS? I can’t recall, but highly likely to be it. All those days when we had to do things manually than digitally. Such memories 🙂
I didn’t have any baking ovens at home back then too. Just thought to keep it, and I think I believed I will try it out one day. I believed I will have an oven one day. And yes, I have one now, and I am baking a lot too. Personal goals in life – I’ve come a long way indeed 🙂
Ingredients (Bun Dough):
- Instant dry yeast: 2 tbsp (11g)
- Warm water: ¼ cup
- Sugar: 1 tbsp + ¼ cup (50g)
- Warm milk: ½ cup
- Butter: ¼ cup (58g), melted
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Egg: 2, large
- Plain flour: 3.5 cups
Method (Bun Dough):
- Combine yeast, warm water & 1 tbsp sugar in a bowl. Leave for 5min.
- Combine warm milk, butter & 50g sugar, salt & eggs.
- Add milk mixture into yeast mixture. Whisk 1min.
- Add in plain flour cup by cup. Using a dough hook, whisk dough for 10min till it comes together.
- Place dough in greased bowl. Leave to rise till doubled in size, about 45min.
- Punch dough down. Knead 2mins and rest 2mins.
- Cut into 16 portions. Set aside.
Ingredients (Pork Filling):
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Minced pork: 1 cup (200g)
- Chinese sausage: 2, diced
- White onion: ½, finely chopped
- Fish sauce: 2 tbsp
- Hoisin sauce: 1 tbsp
- Ketchup: 1 tbsp
- Rice wine: 1 tbsp
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
- Green onion: 1 stalk, finely chopped
- Cornstarch mixture: 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1/4 cup water
Method (Pork Filling):
- Heat oil in wok. Stir-fry pork till done.
- Add in sausages, onions, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil & green onions.
- Stir in cornstarch mixture. Set aside to cool.
Ingredients (Assembly):
- Butter mixture: 1 tbsp butter + ½ tbsp sugar
Method (Assembly):
- Roll out each portion of dough into a flat circle on a floured surface.
- Place 2 tbsp of filling onto center of dough. Wrap up and smoothen into a ball.
- Place onto a greased baking sheet in a tray. Repeat for the rest of the dough and filling.
- Preheat oven at 190 degrees Celsius. Bake buns for 15min till golden brown.
- Immediately glaze with butter mixture to make the buns glossy and soft.
Serving:
16 medium-sized buns
