Soft tang zhong style buns are topped with cookie crust on top are dim sum favorites and now you can make this at home with this simple fool-proof recipe.
Po Lo Bao / Bo Lo Bao (Hong Kong Pineapple buns)
So here you go…pineapple buns with no pineapple! What ?!? I first had this at our favorite dim sum place and I thought it was the best thing on earth I could ever eat. I’m serious! I’m not even heartbroken that there’s no pineapple of any kind involved in this bun.
In Cantonese, these pineapple buns are called po lo bao. Po lo means pineapple. Why on earth do they call it pineapple bun? Is it because it looks like pineapple? Look at the photos, do they? I guess, this can be subjective. But that’s the reason why it is called pineapple buns. It looks like one! The soft buns against the cookie crust draped on top are simply amazing stuff. My daughter is very selective when it comes to bread or buns, but these….these….she could easily swallow down 2 or 3 without problems!!! And so, every time we go for a dim sum, we ALWAYS order these po lo bao. With that kind of love affair, it’s only fair to learn how to make them.
WHY YOU’LL LIKE THIS PO LO BAO RECIPE
1. THAT COOKIE CRUST!!!
I’ve tweaked the recipe several times throughout these years. While the cookie crust that I’ve tried were okay, they didn’t have nice even cracks like this latest version.
2. THE BUNS ARE SO SOFT AND AIRY
Tang Zhong method is the best for producing soft tearable bread and buns like this
HOW TO MAKE PO LO BAO FROM SCRATCH
1. I USE MY BASIC TANG ZHONG MILK BREAD/BUN RECIPE
I pretty much use this basic tang zhong bread/bun recipe for almost all of Asian-style baked buns here
2. PREPARE THE COOKIE CRUST
Cream softened butter until it turns slightly pale, using paddle attachment if you use a stand mixer. Add the egg yolk and cream again until mix.
Gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the dough.
The cookie dough will be slightly at a dry side but if you press on it, it will form a dough. Dry cookie dough will give nice cracks when you bake it later.
Flatten into a disc and wrap the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
3. SHAPE THE BUN DOUGH
The dough has doubled in size after 1st proofing
Punch the dough down
Divide into 8 large pieces (or 16 small pieces if you prefer)
Stretch the edge of each piece and tuck it back into the middle to form a smooth round ball. Placed on a parchment paper (seam side down) about 2-inch apart
Let them proof again for another 40 minutes or until they double in size again
4. BUN + COOKIE DOUGH
Preheat oven to 400 F. 5 minutes before the end of 2nd proofing for the bun, get the cookie dough out from the fridge. The dough will be hard. Use a dough cutter to cut into 8 large pieces or 16 small pieces
Use your hand to knead the dough briefly and you can feel that the dough will soften slightly
Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 4-inch circle. The edge will have some crack, don’t worry about that because our cookie dough is more at a dry side, which is great for forming those “cracks” when you back later
Drape the cookie circles gently on top of the proofed buns
Mix the egg yolk with water for egg wash. Gently brush it on top of the cookie and the buns. Repeat with the rest
5. BAKING TIME
Place in the oven 3rd rack from the top and bake them for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 10 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool down a little bit before serving
IMPORTANT TIPS TO TAKE NOTE
1. USE BREAD FLOUR
I do not recommend using all-purpose flour to make the buns. They are not the same compared to using bread flour. Bread flour has higher gluten and also can hold more moisture and produce better, softer, and lofty bread and buns
2. CHILL THE COOKIE DOUGH
Make sure the cookie dough is chilled in the fridge for at least 1 hour. If you can chill longer it’s even better
3. YOU DON’T NEED TO SCORE THE COOKIE CRUST
In the past, I’ve used a knife to score the crust diagonally for diamond shape, but you don’t want to do that with this recipe. The cookie should have even cracks all over it as it bakes
4. DON’T SKIP THE EGG WASH
The egg yolk wash contributes to the golden brown appearance
The buns are so soft and airy contrasting with the cookie crust on top! If you cut a warm bun in half and slide a slice of cold butter in there…oh my! You get the idea!
DID YOU MAKE THIS HONG KONG PO LO BAO 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!
For baking/ kueh making: I highly encourage to weigh ingredients with a digital kitchen scale instead of using measuring cups as they are not very accurate especially when it comes to recipe that requires precision.
GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION (UNSIFTED)INGREDIENTS
- 1 recipe tang zhong milk bread
Cookie crust:
- 55 gr butter - softened, about 2 oz
- 1 egg yolk
- 95 gr all-purpose flour - about 3.3 oz
- 20 gr cornstarch - 3 Tbsp + 2 tsp
- 100 gr fine sugar - about 3.5 oz
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp water
Filling: (optional)
- 1 recipe nai wong bao filling
INSTRUCTIONS
If you choose to fill the buns with nai wong bao custard:
- Prepare the nai wong bao filling. Divide into 8 or 16 small equal portion, depending on the size of the buns you want. Roll them into round balls, covered and keep refrigerated until ready to be used
Prepare the dough and 1st proofing:
- Prepare the dough as per recipe here
- Once you get a dough, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It will double in size. In wintertime, I use my oven bread proof function to do this.
Prepare the cookie crust (can be done the day before too):
- Mix both flours, sugar, salt, baking powder in a mixing bowl and set aside. In another mixing bowl, cream the softened butter until it turns slightly pale, using paddle attachment if you use a stand mixer. Add the egg yolk and cream again until mix. Gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the dough. The cookie dough will be slightly at a dry side but if you press on it, it will form a dough. Dry cookie dough will give nice cracks when you bake it later. Flatten into a disc and wrap the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
Shape the dough and 2nd proofing:
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down and then roll it into a long log and cut into 8 large pieces or 16 smaller pieces, your choice. Stretch the edge of each piece and tuck it back into the middle to form a smooth round ball. If you want to fill the buns with custard, flatten it into about 4-5 inch circle and place the filling in the middle and gather the sides to enclose the buns. Roll it into a smooth round ball. Placed on a parchment paper (seam side down) about 2-inch apart. Let them proof again for another 40 minutes or until they double in size again
Put the bun + cookie crust together:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. 5 minutes before the end of 2nd proofing for the bun, get the cookie dough out from the fridge. The dough will be hard. Use a dough cutter to cut into 8 large pieces or 16 small pieces. Work with one at a time. Use your hand to knead the dough briefly and you can feel that the dough will soften slightly. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 4-inch circle. The edge will have some crack, don't worry about that
- Drape the cookie circles gently on top of the proofed buns. Mix the egg yolk with water for egg wash. Gently brush it on top of the cookie and the buns. Repeat with the rest
- Place in the oven 3rd rack from the top and bake them for 10 minutes for large buns and about 6-8 minutes for smaller buns and then lower the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 10 minutes for large buns and about 5-6 more minutes for smaller buns or until the top is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool down a little bit before serving. They are best served warm and can be kept up to 5 days at room temperature
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS:
You may also like this roti boy recipe
Roti Boy (Papparoti / Mexican Coffee Bun)
19 comments
I tried to respond to your response, but could not manage it. I must have made some . However, the main point is that I made these according to your recipe, and they turned out beautifully. I will offer them tomorrow morning at breakfast, so I do not know just now how they will taste, but I am sure that they will be wonderful. I made a moderately firm pineapple filling that I firmed up with eggs and a bit of flour… sort of like a lemon curd, but stiffer. This is very exciting. There are so many possibilities. So exciting. There will be so many to whom I can now bring delight in these hard times.
Hi Sunshine, sorry for the trouble in replying. I’ll take a look into that. I’m so glad the po lo bao turned out beautifully for you and with nice pineapple filling too. You are right that there are so many possibilities with the filling 🙂 You will surely bring “sunshine” into their lives during this unusual time 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
What happens if you put a pineapple filling in the bun before baking? Do you think that would work? Would it “explode” (not violently) and make a mess in the oven?
Hi Sunshine, yes it should work. If your filling is firm and not so “watery” and you seal it well when you wrap, it shouldn’t leak out and make a mess. But it shouldn’t explode, the filling may just ooze out if you don’t seal properly.
Hello! The buns look amazing!
Just 1 question, can we substitute cornstarch with cornflour?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Wy, in Asia I know cornflour and cornstarch are the same thing (a pure starch extracted from the corn). Here in the U.S., cornflour means the whole corn is grind, so it has a coarser texture. We need the “starch” only though, not the flour. As long as you are using the starch kind (whether it’s called cornstarch or cornflour) it will work, just don’t use the “flour grind from the corn”. Hope it makes sense.
I started off the day thinking I’ll make your char siu bao recipe. Then thought since I have time to kill I’ll try your potato curry bun but with char siu filling. Then I remembered your crackly looking bo lo bao and decided to do that with char siu filling – just like the one at Tim Ho Wan. And my oh my… I couldn’t be more ecstatic with the results! I was worried about the cookie dough initially. It didn’t look like it was going to come together at all. And I couldn’t roll it out – they just disintegrated into crumbs! Ended up using heel of my palm to gently flatten dough into the size I wanted. So glad I persevered. They came out of the oven so crackly looking like yours! The combination of the soft bun and crispy top with sweet/savory char siu (also your recipe!) was really satisfying for an afternoon snack. Will definitely make again. And experiment with inti filling this time 😉.
Hi Sue, I’m so glad it turned out for you! yay! the cookie dough is not exactly the easiest to work with but it made nice crackles on top 🙂 ohhh…inti filling! I love coconut inti!!! I wish I could have a polo bao now lol!
Thankyou, made these today and they were so delicious! Only problem was I didn’t adjust the cooking time for smaller buns (I made 16) and they turned out quite brown.
If I wanted to make a bigger batch next time do you think I could double the recipe? Would the kitchen aid handle a bigger batch of dough?
Thanks again x
Hi Hester, thank you for your feedback. Now I know I should’ve warned people to watch the time if they make smaller buns. Thank you! I’m glad you still find them delicious though. I’ve made this with double recipe with my kitchen aid 4 1/2 quart mixing bowl. But that’s the max though, can’t go more than that ha.ha..!
Its looks tasty I made that too but I added cream to them because in my memory of pineapple buns at Ranch 99 they had coconut cocktail variety going way back and I was surprised…that was there and tasted really good. Its recommend if want to put bit variety if you have all down how make try fillers in pineapple bun to give variations see if your kids like which one better?
cocktail bun variety -> just look up there no issue recipe should be still there somewhere.
I was thinking if they had other variety there be huge line coming to Dim Sums.
Pineapple buns would be sold out rather quick.
Only issue I had making filler is how thin make the bun in first place. topping was okay but bun itself It was missing something, buttery taste I had assume it might tastier use Heavy cream because butter fat content.
It kind reminds of Hokkaido bun I was looking for that texture.
Hi Caroline,
I think adding that cream will certainly kick it up a notch. I plan to remake these buns again soon (my kids been nagging!) THe one we had at dim sum place had nice custard filling! I need to try that next time! I love hokkaido bun too!
Hello
Your bun ingredient mentioned about 4 tbsp unsalted butter but I didn’t saw it on the instruction.
Hi Ivan,
I’m so sorry for the typo. The butter is definitely called for in the recipe. I’ve amended the recipe to add in butter in the instruction in step 2. Thank you for letting me know!
The buns look fluffy and delicious! And so easy to make! I bet my kids would love them, I am keeping them in mind.
Hi Adina,
It’s my daughter’s favorite 🙂
These buns look adorable and extremely delicious!
Thank you Ashlyn
These buns look so delicious! They look super cute, too!