Milk Buns with Black Sesame Mochi Filling (with sourdough option)
Servings: 10 buns
Calories: 280kcal
This heavenly combination brings together the soft, pillowy texture of milk bread with the delightful chewiness of mochi, resulting in a delectable treat that satisfies both sweet tooth cravings and comfort food desires.
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Ingredients
For the dough:
- 320 g bread flour (12.7% protein content)
- 4 g instant yeast
- 5 g salt
- 30 g sugar
- 50 g egg from 1 medium egg
- 130 g whole milk
- 30 g unsalted butter softened
If using sourdough starter:
Prepare sweet stiff starter:
- 55 g active starter (100% hydration)
- 165 g bread flour (12.7% protein content)
- 65 g water
- 30 g sugar
Dough for sourdough version:
- 130 g bread flour (12.7% protein content)
- 5 g salt
- 30 g sugar
- 50 g egg
- 45 g whole milk
- 15 g milk powder
- 30 g unsalted butter softened
Filling:
- 100 g glutinous rice flour
- 30 g cornstarch
- 25 g black sesame powder
- 60 g sugar
- 200 g milk
- 20 g oil
For coating:
- 1 cup white sesame seeds or more as needed
Egg wash:
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
Prepare sweet stiff starter for sourdough version:
- This recipe will give you sourdough bread that doesn't taste sour. Why? Because we use a Sweet Stiff Levain, which is built from regular 100% hydration sourdough starter. I don't maintain stiff starter. I build it whenever I need it. I love baking enriched bread/buns and steamed buns using sweet stiff starter.
- I recommend using a starter that is at least two months old and consistently doubles or triples in 4-6 hours when you feed it at 1:1:1 ratio. Young starter will not give the best result
- Mix all ingredients for sweet stiff starter. Cover loosely with a plastic wrap or a lid. It takes about 7-10 hours to triple
Prepare the dough:
- Add all ingredients for the dough except for the butter. Tear the sweet stiff starter into pieces and add into the dough for sourdough version. Use the dough hook to stir the mixture a bit so the flour won't fly around when you start the mixer. Knead on the lowest speed for 2-3 minutes and then increase to speed 2 and knead for 3 minutes and then speed 4 for another 3 minutes or until it forms a dough that clears the side of the bowl, but not smooth yet
- Add the softened butter and knead on speed 2 for about 2-3 minutes and then increase speed to 4 and knead for 5-8 minutes or until the dough is elastic, smooth, and reaches a window pane stage, meaning when you gently and gradually stretch the dough thin, it won't break easily. You can stop kneading when it has reached this point
First proofing:
- Lightly oil the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until double in volume. if it's colder, it may take longer to proof the dough
- For sourdough version, proof for 2 hours at 82 F (28 C). The dough will not double and that's okay
Prepare the mochi filling:
- Combine all the ingredients for the filling and whisk until combines. Transfer to a non-stick pan and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture start to thicken and get sticky and gooey and clear the side of the pan. Transfer to an oiled plate or surface and let it cool down for 5 minutes and then knead or fold the dough with a spatula until it is smooth and flexible
- Divide into 10 equal portions. Cover and keep in the fridge while you are working on other things. This can also be prepared a few days before and kept in the fridge. Only store in the fridge after you portion it out because it hardens in the fridge
Shaping:
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knock out all the gas by giving it some kneading. Divide the dough 10 equal portions. Round them up into balls. Cover and let them rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten
- Work with one dough at a time. Take one piece of dough and flatten it with your palm into about 4-5 inch circle. Put one mochi filling in the middle. Pull the edge of the dough towards the center to enclose the filling. Pinch the seam shut to seal. Mist the surface with some water and press it down on sesame seeds to coat the surface
- Put it inside a muffin cup liner, sesame seed side up. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling. Place them on a baking pan
Final proofing:
- Cover and let it proof at a warm place until about 50% puffy. This may take about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If it is colder where you are, it may take longer
- For sourdough version, it may take 3-31/2 hours or longer for the dough to puff up to about 50%.
- When you gently push on the dough, it should bounce back very slowly and leave some indentation. The dough is done proofing
- 10 minutes before the end of proofing, preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C) for a conventional oven. For a convection oven, lower the temperature by 20 F or 15 C
Baking:
- Apply some egg wash on the surface of the dough. Place the pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the buns are nicely golden brown on top and a thermometer should register around 190 F (88 C) at the center of the bread
Cooling:
- Remove the buns from the pan onto a cooling rack. Let the bread cool down to room temperature before serving
Nutrition
Serving: 1bun | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
