Pineapple Milk Bun (Bo Lo Bao Shokupan)

Ingredients

• 36 g bread flour (For the tangzhong)
• 180 g water (For the tangzhong)
• 150 g prepared tangzhong (Use only 150 g of the cooked tangzhong above in the bread dough)
• 460 g bread flour (For the shokupan dough)
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 80 g sugar (For the shokupan dough)
• 1 tsp salt (For the shokupan dough)
• 1 whole egg (For the shokupan dough)
• 155 ml warm water (For the shokupan dough)
• 50 g unsalted butter (Softened; for the shokupan dough)
• 30 g milk powder (For the shokupan dough)
• 60 g unsalted butter (Room temperature; for the sugar-cookie topping)
• 70 g icing sugar or caster sugar (For the sugar-cookie topping)
• 2 egg yolks (Reserve the egg whites for the egg wash and for adhering the topping if needed)
• 4 g vanilla extract (For the sugar-cookie topping)
• 3 g salt (For the sugar-cookie topping)
• 3 g baking powder (For the sugar-cookie topping)
• 115 g all-purpose flour (For the sugar-cookie topping)
• 2 egg whites (Reserved from the eggs; use for adhering the topping if needed and for brushing before baking)
• milk (For brushing the buns after the egg-white wash; quantity not specified)
• salted butter (Cold, for serving; quantity not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Make the tangzhong. Combine 36 g bread flour and 180 g water in a pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir continuously while cooking until the mixture becomes thick, like playdough. Spread it thinly on a plate and let it cool. Measure 150 g for the bread dough.

2. 2

   Prepare the bread dough. Place only the 150 g tangzhong, whole egg, milk powder, sugar, and instant yeast in a mixer. Mix until they form a paste.

3. 3

   Add the bread flour to the mixer, then add the warm water. Knead until a tacky dough forms.

4. 4

   Add the softened butter in three portions, then add the salt. Knead on medium-high speed for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth.

5. 5

   Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover it with cling film, and proof for 45 minutes.

6. 6

   Make the sugar-cookie topping. Cream the room-temperature butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Keep the egg whites for the egg wash and, if needed, as glue for the topping.

7. 7

   Sift in the baking powder and all-purpose flour in three portions. Mix only until the mixture becomes crumbly.

8. 8

   Wrap the topping mixture and shape it into a log about the thickness of a cherry tomato. Chill for at least 1 hour; it may be prepared the night before.

9. 9

   Shape the buns. Divide the bread dough into 12 balls of 75 g each and space them on a tray.

10. 10

    Cut the chilled cookie dough log into 12 pieces and flatten each piece into a disc about ½ cm thick.

11. 11

    Place one cookie-dough disc on each bun. If needed, use some reserved egg white as glue to help it adhere. Score the top of each topping.

12. 12

    Proof the shaped buns for 45–60 minutes, or until doubled in size and jiggly.

13. 13

    Optionally chill the tray for 15 minutes to create an extra-crumbly topping.

14. 14

    Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

15. 15

    Brush the buns with reserved egg white, then brush them with milk.

16. 16

    Bake at 180°C for 15–20 minutes. Lower the oven to 170°C if the buns begin browning too quickly.

17. 17

    Cool the buns for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with cold salted butter.

Notes

The source does not specify the quantity of milk used for brushing. The name refers to the pineapple-like appearance of the scored cookie topping; no pineapple is included. The optional 15-minute tray chill is intended to make the topping extra crumbly.

Nutrition per serving

• bread
• buns
• Chinese bakery
• East Asian
• baked
• yeasted
• milk bread
• vegetarian