Flaky puff pastry is filled with rich and creamy kaya jam is baked to perfection. Kaya Kok is popular puff pastry in Southeast Asia. Step-by-step instructions and a video are included.
It’s hard not to like anything that is filled with a rich and creamy kaya jam. If you live in or familiar with Southeast Asian cuisine, then you will know that kaya jam is very well-loved by many. I love it even more now that I can use my 10-minute authentic kaya jam recipe or vegan kaya jam to make kaya that tastes good and I don’t need to stand by the stove stirring for hours anymore.
So, just imagine a flaky puff pastry is filled with this kaya jam!!! Just the thought of it makes me swallowed my saliva 🙂 How I wish I have some to satisfy this craving now. My kids love kaya jam or anything that is filled or spread with it.
Kaya Kok is a popular pastry in Malaysia. You will see this in the bakery shops. I had this a really..really.. long time ago when I was a kid and my dad brought us to Kuala Lumpur for a vacation and we had this. I saw the recipe by one of my favorite Youtuber, Katherine Kwa, and I immediately put it down as one of my to-make list.
HOMEMADE PUFF PASTRY AND KAYA JAM
Kaya puffs taste the best if you are able to make the puff pastry and kaya jam yourself. It may sound intimidating, but with my 10-minute kaya jam or vegan kaya jam, you will be surprised by how good and quick it is to make kaya. Now, making the puff pastry isn’t that tough either. Really! If I can pull it off, you can too. Some of you are even more experienced bakers than I am 🙂
CAN I USE PREMADE PUFF PASTRY AND KAYA JAM?
Of course, you can. That will speed things up considerably, don’t expect it to turn out to be as good as homemade, but it is still acceptable if you want to satisfy that craving without all the work. Here are what you need:
1. Store-bought frozen all-butter puff pastry (this will be your oil dough)
2. Store-bought frozen pie-crust/shortcrust pastry (this will be your water dough)
3. 1-2 jar store-bought kaya jam
HOW TO MAKE KAYA KOK FROM SCRATCH
1. Prepare water and oil dough
Mix all ingredients for water dough and knead into a smooth dough
Cover and let it rest while you work on the oil dough
Mix the ingredients for oil dough and knead until you can form a smooth dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes
2. Shaping
Divide the dough into 15 pieces each. Wrap the oil dough inside the water dough. Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time
Roll the dough out into an oval
Then roll it up like a Swiss roll
Turn the dough 90 degrees
Roll it out again into an oval
Then roll it up again like a Swiss roll. Repeat with the rest of the dough and keep them covered. Rest then for 15 minutes
Work with one dough at a time, bring both ends together and then flattened into an oval again, about 6 inches in length and 4 inches in width
Put about 2 Tbsp of the kaya filling on the bottom half or top of the dough
Fold the dough over and pinch to seal the edge
You can pleat the pattern on the edge if you want
Put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch apart
3. Baking
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then brush with some egg wash
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake for another 20 minutes.
Then I turned on the broiler on low (top heat) and let them broil until it is slightly darker golden brown, this only takes a minute or so. Do not walk away or you will burn the kaya puff
Let them cool down on a cooling rack. They can be kept at room temperature for 3 days or so in an airtight container
That isn’t too bad, is it? 🙂
WHICH FAT TO USE
Any of these combinations will work:
1. You can use just butter/margarine/ghee or coconut oil for both oil and water dough
2. Butter/Margarine/Ghee + Shortening
The original recipe uses a butter and shortening combination, which is great because butter is flavorful and shortening is easier to work with compared to using all butter/margarine or ghee because it gets soft at room temperature. So this provides a good combo
HOW TO STORE KAYA KOK
1. Let them cool down completely
2. Store them in an air-tight container for about 3 days. For longer storage, you can keep them in the freezer
3. Simply reheat them in a toaster oven, air fryer, or an oven at 350 F for 10 minutes or until heated through
DID YOU MAKE THIS FLAKY KAYA KOK RECIPE?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Baked Kaya Puff Pastry (Kaya Kok / 咖椰角)
Ingredients
Water dough:
- 200 gr all-purpose flour
- 40 gr butter softened, I used coconut oil
- 20 gr cooking oil
- ¼ tsp maltose you can use honey
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 100 ml water
Oil dough:
- 170 gr all-purpose flour
- 100 gr shortening I used coconut oil
If you use store-bought puff pastry and pie crust sheets:
- 400 gr pie crust sheets 1 box
- 480 gr puff pastry sheets 1 box
Filling (Choose one):
Egg wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
For garnish:
- white sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare water and oil doughs:
- Mix all ingredients for water dough and knead into a smooth dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes while you work on the oil dough
- Mix the ingredients for oil dough and knead until you can form a smooth dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes
- Give both doughs a few kneads. They should be smooth now after resting. Divide the dough into 15 pieces each. Wrap the oil dough inside the water dough. Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time
If you use store-bought puff pastry and pie crust sheets:
- Thaw both pastry sheets overnight in the fridge are the best. If you forget, put them on the countertop until they are soft enough and pliable for you to work with and to roll into a dough
- Divide each pastry into 10-15 pieces, depending on how big or small you make them. If the pastry started to get a bit wet (the butter is melty) you can put them in the fridge briefly and then continue to work with it. Wrap the oil dough (puff pastry) inside the water dough (pie crust). Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time. Proceed to the "Shaping" step below
Shaping:
- Roll the dough out into an oval and then roll it up like a Swiss roll. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it out again into an oval and then roll it up again like a Swiss roll. Repeat with the rest of the dough and keep them covered. Rest them for 30 minutes
- Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C). Work with one dough at a time, bring both ends together and then flattened into an oval again, about 6 inches in length and 4 inches in width. Put about 2 Tbsp of the kaya filling on the bottom half or top of the dough. Fold the dough over and pinch to seal the edge. You can pleat the pattern on the edge if you want. Put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch apart
Baking:
- Mix the egg with water to prepare the egg wash. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then brush with some egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake for another 20 minutes. Then I turned on the broiler on low (top heat) and let them broil until it is slightly darker golden brown, this only takes a minute or so. Do not walk away or you will burn the kaya puff
- Let them cool down on a cooling rack. They can be kept at room temperature for 3 days or so in an airtight container
Recommended products:
10-Minute Kaya Jam (Coconut Jam)
Definitely check out these two kaya jam that you can use to fill the kaya kok.
Eggless Kaya Jam (Eggless Vegan Coconut Jam)
