Hey, wanna know how to make them tasty Chinese bakery buns? Oh, them buns are soft and a bit sweet, just like the ones in the Chinese bakeries. Folks love ‘em, and let me tell ya, they ain’t too hard to make neither. Now, you want some buns with a good soft dough, right? Just like the ones you buy from the shop. Well, let me show you how.
First thing ya need is the dough:
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter
So, what you do first is mix up the dry stuff—flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, just throw them all in a bowl. Then, warm up that milk, not too hot, mind ya, or you’ll kill the yeast. Pour the milk in the dry stuff, crack in that egg, and then mix ‘er up. After that, add your butter, nice and soft, and mix again until it forms a nice soft dough.
Knead it a bit, about 10 minutes should do. If it gets sticky, just sprinkle a little more flour, not too much though, we don’t want them buns tough. When it’s all smooth, cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest. Should take about an hour or so for it to rise up all puffy-like.
Now, for the filling, you can do all kinds. BBQ pork buns are a big hit. For those, you’ll need:
- 1 cup of diced BBQ pork (you can buy it or make it yourself)
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with water (to thicken)
Just throw the pork in a pan, add your sauces, and heat it up till it thickens a bit. Then set it aside to cool. That’s your filling.
Once your dough is ready, punch it down and split it into little balls. Roll ‘em flat, put a spoonful of filling in the middle, and pinch the edges closed. Place ‘em on a tray, seam side down.
Let ‘em rest again for about 30 minutes. Then preheat your oven to 350°F. Before baking, brush a bit of egg wash on top to make ‘em nice and golden.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. When they come out, you’ll have soft, fluffy buns with a sweet and savory filling. Best eaten fresh, but if you want to store ‘em, they last about two days in an airtight container.
Other fillings are great too—ham and cheese buns are super easy. Just slap a piece of ham and cheese in the middle of that dough, pinch it up, and bake just like the pork ones. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, can’t beat that.
So there ya go. That’s how you make them Chinese bakery buns, right at home. Ain’t no need to run to the shop when you can make ’em yourself. Easy, tasty, and folks’ll think you bought ’em fresh from the bakery.
Tags: [Chinese bakery buns, BBQ pork buns, ham and cheese buns recipe, soft bread dough, homemade Chinese buns]