2. Pineapple Buns
Above Pineapple bun
Makes 12
Every Chinese bakery must have a pineapple bun in their case. Despite the name, the bun has no pineapple—it’s a soft milk-bread bun with a sweet, buttery, crackly cookie-like top that, after it’s baked, resembles pineapple skin. The simple, iconic treat has a loyal following, even beyond Asian cultures: everyone loves a good pineapple bun. When I was younger, I’d slyly pick off the cookie topping and leave the plain bun behind for my brother. (When you’re the older sister, you can get away with things like that.)
Few things transcend enjoying a fresh pineapple bun still warm from the oven. You can eat it plain, or if you want to be like a true Hong Konger, slice the bun in half and stick a thick slice of cold butter inside.
For the Buns
Mother of All Milk Bread Dough (see below), made through step 4
All Purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
For the Topping
250g (2 cups) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
113g (1/2 cup; 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops yellow food colouring
For the Egg Wash
1 large egg, white and yolk separated into two small bowls
1. While the dough is proofing, line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make the buns: After the first proof, punch down to deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Pinch and pull the ends of the dough to form a smooth ball. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions with a bench scraper (for accuracy, weigh with a digital scale if you have one). Form each portion of dough into a smooth ball by pulling the ends of the dough underneath and then rolling between the palms of your hand, and arrange on the prepared sheets, spacing at least 3 inches apart. Cover with a damp, clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm spot until the buns are doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, make the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar with a flexible spatula until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, and food coloring, mixing until smooth. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture to form a sandy dough, then knead by hand until smooth. Pat into a disc and divide the dough into 12 equal portions with a bench scraper (for accuracy, weigh with a digital scale if you have one). Roll one piece into a smooth ball, then flatten into a 4-inch round with a dowel rolling pin. Score a crosshatch pattern into the dough with the edge of a bench scraper or knife, being careful not to cut all the way through. Use the edge of the bench scraper to lift the topping off the work surface. Repeat with remaining topping dough, setting each round aside until ready to top the buns. (Alternatively, you can skip making the crosshatch pattern. The topping will still crack beautifully as it bakes, just not as neatly.)
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg white to help the topping adhere. Place one topping dough round on each bun, gently pressing to cover the entire outer edge (you want the dough to fully encase the top of the bun, if possible). Whisk the egg yolk in a small bowl and lightly brush over the topping of each bun.
5. Bake the buns until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack. Let the buns cool for 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to the rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Buns can be kept in an airtight container (a resealable bag works great) at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat room temperature buns in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes, until soft and warmed through. Reheat frozen buns on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Milk Bread
For the Tangzhong
100g (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) milk
20g (2 tablespoons) bread flour
For the Milk Bread
125g (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) warm (110°F) milk
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, plus a pinch
335g (2 2/3 cups) bread flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1 large egg
55g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
1 teaspoon canola or other neutral flavoured oil, for bowl
1. Make the tangzhong: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the flour and milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to a paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the paste into a small bowl, scraping the sides of the saucepan with a flexible spatula; let cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes. Texture should resemble mashed potatoes.
2. Make the milk bread: In a clean or new small saucepan, scald the milk over medium heat, bringing the milk to a gentle simmer (watch carefully as milk tends to boil over). Pour milk into a small bowl and cool until warm to the touch (about 110°F). Stir in yeast and a pinch of sugar, and set aside until the surface of the mixture is foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the sugar, flour, salt, and egg. Add the tangzhong and milk and mix on low until shaggy. Add the softened butter one piece at a time, mixing until fully incorporated before adding the next. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to knead the dough until it is tacky and slightly sticky, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking, pinch and pull the ends of the dough to form a smooth ball.
4. Coat a large mixing bowl with 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the dough to the bowl, gently turning it to cover with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in size, about 2 hours (or place in the refrigerator to proof for at least 8 hours or overnight).
3. Turnip Cake
Above Turnip cake
Makes 1 8-inch cake
The name “turnip cake” is quite deceiving. This savoury cake, which is cut into squares and pan-fried, is made mostly of daikon—not turnip—along with bits of mushroom and salty meat bound together in a batter of rice flour. So, no . . . it’s not a new spin on carrot cake. When a turnip cake is really, really good, it has a fighting chance of being the star at the dim sum table. The ideal turnip cake is light and not too mushy on the interior, and nicely caramelised and crispy on the exterior. Finely minced mushrooms, Chinese sausage, and dried shrimp should be evenly suspended in the batter. Most important, it should be hot! This can be a problem at cafes, where plates of turnip cake often sit around too long and slowly miss their window of peak freshness. To avoid this sad dilemma, I love makng a turnip cake at home, keeping it in the fridge for a few days, and frying fresh squares each morning. Refrigerating the cake also allows it to set properly and gives you cleaner slices.
A word of caution if you haven’t cooked with daikon before: it is a very odorous root vegetable. Some don’t mind the smell, but be sure to let everyone in the house know when you’re getting ready to cook a fresh batch of lo bak gao.
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons dried shrimp
4 tablespoons canola or other neutral flavoured oil, divided
2 Chinese sausages, finely minced
2 green onions, whites and greens, finely chopped
450g (1 large) daikon radish, grated
2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
125g (3/4 cup) rice flour
35g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
Nonstick cooking spray (optional) Hoisin sauce, for serving
Chilli oil, for serving
1. Place the mushrooms and shrimp in two separate small bowls. Cover both with boiling water until submerged and soak until softened, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain the liquid from both, and finely chop.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shrimp, sausage, and green onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is crisp and the fat from the sausage has rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
3. In the same skillet heated over medium-high heat, add the daikon and enough water to just cover. Bring the water to a simmer and simmer until the daikon looks like rice porridge and most of the water has evaporated, at least 30 minutes. Transfer the daikon to the bowl with the mushrooms.
4. Add the oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper to the bowl, stirring to combine. Add the rice flour and cornstarch and stir until well combined. (The batter will be very thick.)
5. Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray or brush with oil. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a flexible spatula.
6. Prepare your steamer setup, using a steamer big enough to fit the cake pan, and bring water to a boil. Place the cake pan in the bamboo steamer basket, cover, and steam for 35 minutes. Place the steamer basket on a wire rack and remove the lid. Allow the cake to cool for 30 to 45 minutes. The cake will initially be a little soft but will firm up as it cools. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm and set, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
7. Cut the cake into squares; you’ll have a few scraps left over. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Working in batches, add the cut squares to the pan and fry until crisp and golden brown on each side, 3 to 4 minutes total. Serve immediately with hoisin or chilli oil.
Recipes taken from Mooncakes and Milk Bread by Kristina Cho, available from 12 October. Copyright 2021 by Kristina Cho. Photographs copyright Kristina Cho. Used by permission of Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus LLC.
Topics
recipes cookbook
