Po Lo Bao / Bo Lo Bao (Hong Kong Pineapple Buns)
Servings: 8 large buns or 16 small buns
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.
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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
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ 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