pineapple buns

From Tiger Cake to Pineapple Tarts, you could say that the Chinese enjoy making edible art that imitates life. Bo lo bao are no exception, and even though there’s no pineapple, the name describes a streusel-like top that looks like a tasty approximation of the tropical fruit itself.

Sink your teeth into one and you will love the duo of mouthfeels: the soung(crumbly)layer of the pineapple topping and the meen(bouncy, cottony soft) body of the bun.

Makes 10 1 batch of sweet bread dough, up to first rise (end of step 3, here) 1 egg aten egg, beate for the topping 110g plain flour 80g granulated sugar 14 tsp bicarbonate of soda 14 tsp baking powder tbsp custard powder 2 egg yolks 60g unsalted butter, softened 1 Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper. Divide the sweet bread dough into 10 portions of about 70g each and shape into domes. Place onto the prepared baking sheet, cover with cling film then a tea towel and leave to rest in a warm place for 1-11/2 hours until doubled in size.

2 Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients for the topping in a bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, butter and 1 teaspoon water until evenly combined into a buttery dough. Shape into a fat sausage, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 20 minutes until firm.

3 Preheat the oven to 180C/350 F/Gas mark 4. Divide the dough for the topping into 10 equal-sized pieces, then roll each out to a 2mm-thick disc-this is easiest done between two sheets of cling film. Lay a disc on top of each bun-gently moulding it into a dome shape- and brush with egg wash. Use the tip of a bamboo skewer to score a cross-hatch pattern into the topping dough.

4 Bake for10-12 minutes until sunshine yellow. These are best eaten warm, or store in an airtight container for up to three days.

qingquang

See author's posts