These coconut cream buns are great for breakfast, after school snacks and convenient “grab n go” energy booster for my family.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (about 225 g) bread flour
- 0.25 cups (4 tablespoons/ 35 g) cake flour/ all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (about 4 g) instant yeast
- 1 egg
- 0.5 cup (125 ml) warm whole milk, 120°F
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold butter (about 30g), cut into small pieces
- Coconut egg spread
- Sliced walnuts
- Egg wash (1 small egg plus 1 tablespoon of milk)
- Six greased 3.15” square molds (optional)
Instructions
- Spoon a tablespoon of coconut egg spread into ice cube tray and freeze it until used in wrapping. Coconut egg spread is very runny and without freezing, it makes bun wrapping very difficult.
- Mix the bread flour, milk powder, sugar, and yeast together with a spatula. Add in the egg and warm milk. Use a spatula to stir the mixtures.
- Seal tightly and let it rest for 20 minutes. This gives the flour enough time to absorb the moisture and make it easier to knead.
- Add in salt. Put on hook attachment in stand mixer and start to mix the mixture for a few minutes.
- Add the butter gradually, in 2-3 batches, a few pieces at a time. When all the butter melts, the dough will be a bit “wet”. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth, shiny and springy (elastic), about 25-30 minutes by machine.
Take a stretch test. If the dough can stretch without tearing, that means the gluten is well developed and the dough is ready for rising. If the dough tears, knead the dough for a 1-2 minutes and test it again until it is ready. - Spray oil/ grease inside a bowl. Transfer the dough into the bowl, turning it a few times to make sure it is coated with oil. Seal and place it in warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes or until double in size.
- Degassing the dough. Punch down the dough to remove the air bubbles and divide it into 6 equal shapes. It is recommended to weigh and measure so all portions are equal size.
- Shape each portion into a round shape (dough shaping). Flatten the dough and insert the frozen kaya fillings inside. Seal and pinch the dough tightly. Make sure there is no “hole” or the kaya filling will leak out easily during baking.
- Line the dough in a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Put a greased square mold around it and let it rise for another 60-90 minutes, depending on your weather. If the weather is cold, it takes longer to rise. Cover with a towel to prevent from drying.
- Preheat the oven at 350°F (175°C). Brush the top of the buns with egg wash. Top with some sliced almonds. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Let it cool down for 15 minutes before unmolding.
- Serve and enjoy!
