Tangzhong Cheese Scallion Buns with Cheese Streusel

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: Asian American

Prep Time: 1 30

Cook Time: 23

Proof the dough twice:: 1 45

Servings: large buns

Calories: 356kcal

Author: Marvellina

Tangzhong milk rolls filled with ricotta, cheddar, scallions, and meat floss are a delightful blend of fluffy texture and savory filling. Whether you're serving them fresh or enjoying them days later, these rolls will remain wonderfully soft.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

Tangzhong:

30 g bread flour (12.7% protein content)
150 g whole milk

Dough:

300 g bread flour (12.7% protein content) plus more for dusting
5 g instant yeast
28 g milk powder
100 g whole milk or more as needed
50 g egg
7 g salt
40 g sugar
40 g unsalted butter softened

Filling:

200 g whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 stalks green onion finely chopped
1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
100 gr sharp cheddar cheese cut into tiny cubes
1 cup Meat floss or more as needed

Egg wash:

1 egg beaten
1 tsp water

Cheese streusel:

50 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
40 g unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes
50 g shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Prepare tangzhong:

Place milk and the bread flour in a small saucepan. Whisk until there is no more lumps. Cook this mixture over low-medium heat until it reaches 65 C (149 F) if you have a instant-read digital thermometer. Otherwise, it's about 1 1/2-2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and cover with a plastic wrap, touching the tangzhong so the skin won't form. I highly suggest using this the next day instead of using it on the same day. Store this in the fridge
If you decide to use it on the same day, let it cool down to lukewarm before mixing with the rest of the ingredients

Make the dough:

Add the rest of the ingredients for the dough, except for the butter, into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients and the tangzhong. Start the machine and knead the dough on speed 2 until the dough starts to come together into one sticky mass, about 3 minutes
Increase the speed to 4 and continue to knead until the dough is relatively smooth. You need to stop and scrape the dough off the hook and the bowl several times during this process
Gradually add the butter, one pat at a time. It is a REAL sticky mess again because of the butter, just keep kneading and stop halfway and scrape the dough off the hook and bowl again and continue to knead until the butter is absorbed by the dough. Don't add any flour. You will get a shiny smooth dough that is very elastic and sticky. It may take 10-15 minutes of kneading with a machine on speed 4.
The dough will clear the sides of the bowl but still stick to the bottom of the bowl and that's ok. If you gently stretch a small amount of the dough slowly, it shouldn't break easily. This shows that the dough has good gluten development already and you can stop kneading

First proofing:

Place this dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover it with a clean and damp tea cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise at a warm place for about 1 hour. The dough will puff up and double in volume.
When you poke your finger into the dough, the indentation stays and the dough won't deflate

Prepare the streusel and filling while waiting:

Combine all ingredients for the streusel. Rub the flour mixture with the butter. It should form some small and big clumps but you shouldn't see any more butter pieces on its own. Keep it covered and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days
Combine all the ingredients for the filling. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days

Shaping:

Lightly oil your pan, I used a 9 x 9 inch square pan and line with a parchment paper. Deflate the dough and knead a few times to push out all air. Cover and let it rest for about 5 minutes
Lightly dust your work surface and a rolling pin with a bit of flour just to prevent stickiness, but not too much. Roll the dough out into about 12 x 8 inches rectangle.
Spread the filling evenly on the surface of the dough, leaving about 1/2-inch border on the edges.
Scatter some meat floss on the surface
Start rolling the dough up, from the long side near you to form a long log.
Pinch the seam shuts by pinching the dough together
Use a serrated knife to cut the log into 9 equal pieces. The two ends usually won't be as neat, but that's okay. Put the cut side up on the prepared pan in a 3 x 3 arrangement

Final proofing:

Let the shaped dough proof again for another 45 minutes to 1 hour or until they fill up the pan. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with the cheese streusel. I like to press on the streusel so it forms some small clumps before I lightly press the streusel on top of the dough
Brush the top of the dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with the cheese streusel. I like to press on the streusel bits together so they form some small clumps before I lightly press the streusel clumps on top of the dough

Baking:

10 minutes before the end of the final proofing, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven
Place the baking pan in the positioned rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. If you have an instant digital thermometer, it should read at least 190 F (88 C)
Remove from the oven and let them cool down in the pan placed on a cooling rack for about 2 minutes and then lift the rolls out by grabbing on the parchment paper and let them cool on a cooling rack.

To serve:

The buns are best served warm or room temperature on the same day. The streusel softens the next day but will crisp back up when you reheat the rolls

Nutrition