Monday, May 24, 2010

Japanese-Style Sweet Bun Dough

I’ve tried quite a few Water Roux/Tang Zhong methods for making cotton soft sweet bread but by far I think this is the best one. It produces super soft bread and I stay that way for a few days. This time I tried out the recipe from Corner Café website. This is the recipe for basic sweet dough and from the dough you can fill it with all kinds of sweet and savory fillings. This is my simplified method of making the dough but do refer to Corner Café website for his details version.

 

Ingredients:Makes 16 buns

375g bread flour
100g plain flour
35g milk powder
75g caster sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 sachet (7g or 2 1/2 tsp) instant dry yeast
1 egg, lightly beaten
150ml (approx.) lukewarm water – adjust according (I need only 130 ml)
40g butter, cubed

1 egg + a bit of water (for egg wash the buns)


Super soft buns
Water-Roux Paste/Tang Zhong:
25g (just under 2 tbsp) bread flour
125ml (1/2 cup) water

Preparation for the Water-Roux

1. Mix the flour and water in a small saucepan. . Cook over low to medium heat, stirring continuously until it reaches 65ºC. It should have thickened to a paste at this stage, which is when you stir you can see the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat; place a cling film over the paste and leave until lukewarm, or room temperature, before using. (Alternatively if you don’t have a thermometer, cook as before until it starts to thicken, then continue to cook for about 1 more minute before removing from heat.)

Note: This water roux can be kept in an airtight container after cooling in the refrigerator for 1 day if not used immediately. However DO NOT USE if it turns grey in color, that means it has gone bad.

Preparation for the dough:

1. Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment. Sift bread flour, plain flour, milk powder, caster sugar and salt the mixing bowl. Add in the yeast and mix well. Add in the water roux and beaten egg. Turn on the mixer and slowly add in the lukewarm water until the dough form into a nice ball of dough. (You might not need all the water. I used only 130 ml of it)
2. Continue to knead for 10 minutes and add in the butter. Continue to knead until all the butter is incorporated into the dough and the dough is smooth and elastic. Take the dough out from the mixing bowl and give it a final few kneading by hand. Form it into a round ball and let it to rise until double in size in a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a wet towel or cling wrap (It took me an hour to proof the dough but it all depend on the weather and environment on the day you make the bread)
3. Punch down the dough gives it a few knead and divide the dough into 16 equal portions. The easiest way to divide is to cut the dough into 4 parts and from there divide each into another 4 portions. Form each into a ball and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
4. Shape and fill the buns with fillings. Place the buns in baking sheets that line with parchment paper. Cover the buns and let it rise until double in size (it takes another 30-40 min) Brush the buns with some egg wash.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.


I am submitting this to Yeastspotting

60 comments:

E. said...

Wow! :) They look so good and fluffy, just like Hometown Buffet's. I've always wanted to try making buns like theirs. Thank you. Yours is definitely more healthy though.

Btw, where do you buy milk powder? Is it like the powder for babys? I'm a bit clueless.

Jeannie said...

Looks soft and fluffy alright...not to mention very uniformed in size. Great job!

indahhouse said...

Hi sis Gert,
how are you? sure soft ban ni, sis..
teringat saya ada filling red bean. tapi, kan. bab2 roti saya slalu fail...huhu. bestnya nampak bun sis Gert.. :)

My Asian Kitchen said...

wow!! I love this kind of bun!! as I called Chinese bread!! it's look really soft and moist!! I heard making bread from tong zhong have better texture but never try yet!..hmmm I think it's about time I try using tong zhong..thanks for sharing:)

Pete said...

Wow, so nice and soft. Thks for sharing the techniques!

Bakericious said...

the bun looks so soft & fluffy, wish I will be able to churn out such standard bun as well.

Zurin said...

I love these buns. they are truly soft and fluffy just the way asians love their bread. you made them beautiully.

Kitchen Corner said...

I think this recipe is really a good one! Your buns look very soft indeed! Thanks for sharing!

MaryMoh said...

Wow...these buns look perfect...so soft and fine in texture. Thanks for sharing.

WendyinKK said...

Wow... I've been wanting to try out the roux thingy, and now that I've got my thermometer.. I can't wait to do this, but not too soon as I have too many things on my list, but I'm definately trying this recipe out the next time I want to bake bread.

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

from the pictures, can see the bun is super soft, well done!

Honey Bee Sweets said...

I am so tempted to make these buns! Have to do it soon....thanks Gert!

tigerfish said...

The way you stack them up - seems that it is on sale! :D

ReeseKitchen said...

I want to make this too...:) Probably by next week, will let you know if I've done it successfully..(most of the time my breads and buns are lousy..;p)
Thanks for the recipe Gert!

busygran said...

Wow! looks like it's fresh from a bakery. I'm definitely going to try it out. Thanks for sharing.

Ummi said...

Hello Gert,
Wooowww..your buns look really soft and yummy!! I must give it a try...thanks for sharing dearie ^__^

ICook4Fun said...

Ester, thank you. If you like the one from Hometown buffet just bake it without the fillings and once it is bake brush some butter. No this is the the milk powder for babbies. You can get regular milk powder at the condensed and evaporated milk sections. It comes in a box.

Jeannie, thank you.

Indahhouse, cuba bread ni. Mesti you suka and tak susah nak buat. Roti ni memang lembut dan gebu :)

Lesley, this bread is pretty much the same like the Chinese bread.

Pete, you are welcome.

Jess, this bread is pretty easy to make. Hope you will try it out.

Zurin, yes we Asian like our bread soft and fluffy but my husband still prefer the hard crusty bread :)

Kitchen Corner & Mary, you are welcome.

ICook4Fun said...

Wendy, I actually didn't even use a thermometer for this. I just go by the look and feel of the roux :)

Sonia, yes it is very soft.

Bee Bee, looking forward to see it at your blog :)

Tigerfish, ha ha..

Reese, please try this bread out. It is really good. I am sure you are going to like it.

Busygran, you are welcome.

Ummi, please do try this recipe out. The bread memang lah lembut dan gebu. Pasti Ummi suka :)

Unknown said...

I have made buns using the roux and they are really very soft. Your buns are really well made.

ann low said...

Really nice buns, I think best to eat when it's warm ;D

Anonymous said...

Gert,
These buns are so good.C and I enjoyed having them for breakfast this morning. Thanks for the recipe. I will try making them. Thanks so much for showing us how to make it. You are a great friend.
SC

Cheah said...

Your buns look super soft and so uniform in size. Good job!

mycookinghut said...

I have been telling myself that i need to try baking these little soft buns... hopefully soon!! Looks good !!

Pei-Lin said...

Soft and fluffy buns indeed. Very Asian, which suits us! Hahaha! Yes, gotta agree SeaDragon's recipes are good and always reliable. I've been using HIS recipes since I was in the States. Btw, it's a he. Hahaha!

Elin Chia said...

Gert...well done :) this method is best for soft and fluffy bun. Yours look very gebu. Thanks for sharing the recipe :)

Swee San said...

Wow looks very soft indeed, maybe even softer than those sold outside in the shops. Great work :)

Love2cook Malaysia said...

What a fluffy bun! Gosh, they look superb ya! If only I could taste that some...uwaaaa! ;)

Jo said...

Looks absolutely delicious .. soft and fluffy! I wonder whether they make for good slider buns.

ICook4Fun said...

Lily, thank you.

Anncoo, yes super soft when they are warm.

SC, Glad you and C enjoyed the buns. Hope you make some when you are in Japan.

Cheah, thank you. For the size I just agak agak. Didn't even weigh it :)

Leemei, you hope to try this method of making bread. You are going to like it.

Pei-Lin thanks for pointing it out. I will do the changes. Yes I like his website.

Elin, thank you.

Swee San, thank you.

Love2Cook, thank you.

Jo, this buns might be a bit too soft for slider. Is difficult to cut into it but you can always try :)

Lidia said...

I like this softly little bread, it looks delicious!!
Nice your blog!!

Anonymous said...

Has anyone tried this recipe using a bread maker?

Anonymous said...

Dear Kitchen snippets,

Do I have to use all of the water roux to make the buns.

Kindly advise.

Thank You,
Amelia

ICook4Fun said...

Zia, thank you.

Anon, yes you can use bread maker for this bread.

Amelia, yes you have to put all the water roux into the dough. Remember to pour in the water slowly as your might not need all of it.

Anonymous said...

Have always been making hearty /filling bread.

This recipe is excellent. The bread comes out tender and soft. Good recipe for hotdog buns.

Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.

MamaFaMi said...

Thanks Gert for sharing the recipe with us. I've tried but had to improvise here and there according to whatever's available in my larder. And I made it into something else... Thanks dearie...

Unknown said...

Hi gert, tq for sharing the recipe...the bread looks so nice and soft...i like!..:)

Anonymous said...

Dear Kitchen snippets,

Is there a substitute for eggs? We dont eat eggs and I am wondering whether thats one of the ingredients which keeps the buns soft.

Thanks

ICook4Fun said...

Anon, you can just omit the egg but you might to add a bit more water to the dough.

Anonymous said...

That looks soooo yummy!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! When I made it, the crust came out to be a little hard.... How do you maintain such a soft outer edge?

ICook4Fun said...

Anon, thanks.

Anon, you are welcome. Did you bake it too long? The other thing you can do is dilute the egg wash with a bit of water before brushing it or bake it at a lower shelf.

Unknown said...

Can you tell me how much fresh yeast to use in place of dried yeast please, in grammes

ICook4Fun said...

Sue Warner, ples refer to this link
http://makebread.com.au/fresh-yeast-conversion/

Unknown said...

Thanks for the yeast convesion guide. I made this bread yesterday, it is so light and the flavour is lovely. I am goung to try the hot cross buns with the tong zhong mix next. Thank you so much.

Ramen Raff said...

OMG it looks so fluffy! So glad I came across your post! I'm gonna use this dough recipe to make burger buns. Have never used water roux before for baking bread but I heard It makes bread soft & fluffy.

Samantha Aoki said...

I Tried your recipe the other day without the milk powder and I got good results!! check them out! I put a chicken filling in mine I will defo use this recipe again!
http://aokiitriedntested.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/jerk-chicken-buns.html

Anonymous said...

Hi, how to use the roux recipe with a bread maker? What are sequence of ingredients to put in?

ICook4Fun said...

Anon, just put everything in the bread machine and turn it on.

Unknown said...

hi, a question for u.i forgot to cover the tang zhong.will this affect the texture of bun?thank you

ICook4Fun said...

Bek Eeling, I don't think it will affect the texture of the bread, but by not covering the tang zhong it will form a crust on top and dry out the tang zhong.

Gloria Fernandes said...

wow...this is so good so soft and yumm..so happy to follow you ..you have a beautiful blog.

Anonymous said...

Hi tq for ur recipe... Im in the process of making tis... waiting for the dough to rise nw. Hahaha looks beautiful at this point. Hope it turns out nice!

Manju said...

Wow! Just made them . The. Recipe deserves 3 cheers!,, turned out so well. The texture and the taste, yummy delicious. Thanks A TON for the recipe. Am happy for the new technique too.

shobana s. said...

I'd like to try a vegan version of this - do you think it'll work if I replace the milk powder with coconut milk powder, and replace the butter with margarine? Have you tried something similar before?

ICook4Fun said...

Shobana, yes it should works.

Unknown said...

hello gert..i am so lucky that i found your blog,this turns out perfectly..thanks for sharing this recipe

Rodney said...

Hi there-I was wondering what kinds of fillings to use with this bread ?

mo hang said...

Hello,

I have the question about Plain Flour, I am living in Texas, USA where I can buy this kind flour ? I searched on Google, most plain flour is
in England .

Thanks for your sharing the recipe.

Dan Nguyen

ICook4Fun said...

Rodney you can use any kind of filling, be it sweet or savory.

Dan Nguyen, plain flour means all purpose flour (unbleached)

Anonymous said...

Hi! I want to add butterscotch chips to the dough when should i add them?