Trolled the internet for recipes and for the custard, it all seems the same, except for the buns. There were 2 recipes that caught my eye end decided to make both just to see what the difference was.
So here is my experiment and the results.
Ingredients
80g salted egg yolk (6
yolks)110g caster sugar (I used icing sugar)
55g custard powder
55g full cream milk powder (I used 50 gm coconut paste)
60g coconut
milk
20g corn starch (1 tablespoon)
110g butter, room temperature
Note: While getting all my ingredient ready to make the custard, I realised that I had run out of milk powder. How, how? While out shopping, I saw a new product (to me, that is). It said coconut powder (satchets of 50gms each). So I bought a packet to try and was I lucky to have it on hand.
Note: While getting all my ingredient ready to make the custard, I realised that I had run out of milk powder. How, how? While out shopping, I saw a new product (to me, that is). It said coconut powder (satchets of 50gms each). So I bought a packet to try and was I lucky to have it on hand.
Method
1. Some recipes call for steaming the salted eggs, but I just cooked them like you do for hard boiled eggs. Left the eggs in hot water for 10 mins.
1. Some recipes call for steaming the salted eggs, but I just cooked them like you do for hard boiled eggs. Left the eggs in hot water for 10 mins.
2. Let the eggs cool and then separate the yolks from the whites and mash the yolks.
3. Next, In a mixing bowl, cream the butter slightly and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Refrigerate the mixture until firm. Portion into balls and freeze till solid.
3. Next, In a mixing bowl, cream the butter slightly and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Refrigerate the mixture until firm. Portion into balls and freeze till solid.
Steam on high heat for 10 mins.
Water Roux
Using water roux makes a difference to the texture of the bao.
Ingredients
25 gms flour
125 ml water
Method:
Whisk the water and flour together, sieve
and gently cook (stirring all the time) till thicken like pouring custard. Cover
and leave to cool.
Dough
0.75 tsp quick (instant) yeast
75 - 100ml water
1 portion of water roux as above
300g plain flour, all purpose or HK flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
15g cooking oil or melted lard
50 - 60g sugar
0.5 tsp salt
extra flour for dusting
Method:
0.75 tsp quick (instant) yeast
75 - 100ml water
1 portion of water roux as above
300g plain flour, all purpose or HK flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
15g cooking oil or melted lard
50 - 60g sugar
0.5 tsp salt
extra flour for dusting
Method:
- Mix the yeast with water and leave aside for about 10 - 15 minutes while the roux is cooling.
- Mix the water roux with yeast liquid, sugar, salt and oil.
- Sieve the flour and baking powder together.
- Either using a bread machine or mix by hand, mix the liquid with the dry
ingredients together till combined. Add the last few tbsp of the liquid bit by
bit, stop when a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Do not knead. Leave for 10
- 15 minutes. Then give it a quick knead till the dough is smooth, do not over
knead. If the dough is very sticky add a bit more extra flour.
- Cover and leave to rise for about 1.5 - 2 hours at room temperature till dough is about 1.5 in size.
Recipe 2
- adapted from http://foodmanna.blogspot.sg/2012/08/basic-chinese-steam-buns.html#more
Ingredients
Dough starter
300g hong kong flour
1 packet instant yeast
= 2¼ teaspoons
2½ tablespoon sugar
125 mL full cream milk
1 portion of water roux
Method:
Add flour, yeast, sugar and water roux
into a mixing bowl and pour the milk. Roughly incorporate water roux into the flour
and set aside covered with damp tea towel for 15 mins to let the flour absorb
the water.
Mix the flour mixture to a dough, add
more milk or flour if required. The dough will be a bit sticky at first, knead
until it's soft and smooth. It takes approximately 20-25 minutes depend on how
you knead it. Coat a mixing bowl with oil. Place dough in a mixing bowl, cover
the bowl with wet cloth or cling wrap and let the dough rest for 45 minutes or
until it double in size.
When dough is double in size about 45
minutes, punch air out and knead into a ball. To maximize the flavor. Proof a
second time round in the fridge left overnight.
Ingredients for
bao
Dough starter (recipe
above)
80g Hong Kong flour or plain flour
40g corn starch
3 tablespoon lard (I used butter)
½ teaspoon ammonium
bicarbonate (I omitted as I did not have)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Method
1. Add all the ingredients to the dough
starter. Knead well for 10 mins to form dough.
2. When the dough is ready, divide into 10 portions. Meanwhile, set water to boil in a steamer.
3. You can either flatten the dough pieces with your hands or roll out the dough and use a cutter to cut rounds , and place a frozen custard filling ball in the center. Pinch up the sides of the dough to completely enclose the filling.
4. Place each bao on each paper cup liner or a small piece of baking paper with its seam sides down. Rest the bao in warm mist for 10-15 mins.
5. Steam baos for about 8-15 mins until done. The steam timing varies if you have multiple layers of baos to steam. The layer that is closest to the direct steam will take 8 mins to cook.
Notes:
Beware! Please DO NOT over-steam!!! Otherwise, the custard filling will explode out of the bao.
Serve immediately but beware that the molten filling is steaming hot!
You can keep any unused filling in the freezer and use them anytime when you make any bao dough.
**Both recipes worked well for making the liu sha bao but recipe one was a bit soft. I had left over dough and made char siu baos and for that, recipe 1 did not work as it was soft and I could not get the pleats. Recipe 2 is a longer and more time consuming recipe but works well if you want to make char siu baos.
2. When the dough is ready, divide into 10 portions. Meanwhile, set water to boil in a steamer.
3. You can either flatten the dough pieces with your hands or roll out the dough and use a cutter to cut rounds , and place a frozen custard filling ball in the center. Pinch up the sides of the dough to completely enclose the filling.
4. Place each bao on each paper cup liner or a small piece of baking paper with its seam sides down. Rest the bao in warm mist for 10-15 mins.
5. Steam baos for about 8-15 mins until done. The steam timing varies if you have multiple layers of baos to steam. The layer that is closest to the direct steam will take 8 mins to cook.
Notes:
Beware! Please DO NOT over-steam!!! Otherwise, the custard filling will explode out of the bao.
Serve immediately but beware that the molten filling is steaming hot!
You can keep any unused filling in the freezer and use them anytime when you make any bao dough.
**Both recipes worked well for making the liu sha bao but recipe one was a bit soft. I had left over dough and made char siu baos and for that, recipe 1 did not work as it was soft and I could not get the pleats. Recipe 2 is a longer and more time consuming recipe but works well if you want to make char siu baos.
Liu sha baos before steaming
Liu Sha Baos cut with 2 doughs
Char Siu baos with 2 doughs. The dough at 1 o'clock is mishappen as it was too soft to pleat
Cross section of char siu bao. Nice and fluffy
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