Hong Kong Style Chinese pineapple bun also known as Bolo Bao provides a really strong contrasted taste between the sugar butter crust and soft Asian style bread. I was not a bread lover until I moved to the city of Shenzhen, which is quite near to Hong Kong. Hong Kong fusion bakery is quite appealing and additive to me.
My daughter loves all kinds of bread, so I have developed several bread recipes; from the very basic milk bread, to baked char siu bao. With the assistance of a stand mixer, making bread at home is quite easy and funny.
Pineapple buns should be served warm when the topping is still crispy. You can re-heat the bun at 150 degree C for 5-8 minutes. A popular serving method is to cut a line in the middle and add a slab of high quality of butter.
Steps
To prepare the dough for the bread: In a stand mixer, add all the ingredients for the dough expect butter. Knead for 8-10 minutes at low speed. Then place softened butter in , use lowest speed to knead for 1-2 minutes until the butter is well combined with the dough. Speed up the stand mixer and knead another 10 minutes until the dough becomes quite elastic.
Place the dough in a warm place, covered and wait until at least 2 times in size.
To prepare the crust topping: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter until smooth. Add sugar and continue to beat until fluffy. Add egg liquid and shift cake flour. Mix everything well. Place in refrigerator for around 30 minutes until slightly hardened. So you can handle the crust dough easily soon.
Assemble the bun
On a clean surface, knead the dough again for minutes until the air is completely pinched out. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Covered and rest for 30 minutes until 1.5 times bigger.
Divide the crust dough into 8 portions too. Roll each one to a round wrapper. The wrapper can be a slightly sticky and you can roll it with the help of plastic wrappers. Place one wrapper on the board, then flat the crust portion, cover with another plastic wrapper.
Cover the crust over the bun (from the top side).
Add some cuts for a lovely appearance.
Pre-heat over 200 degree C firstly and bake for 8 minutes. Then turn the oven to 180 degree C and bake for another 10 minutes. Lovely?
Pineapple Bun—Bolo Bao Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 300 g 2 cups +1/4 cup bread flour , without sifting
- 45 g 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 4 g 1 +1/2 tsp. instant yeast
- 30 g 2 tbsp. egg liquid
- 170 g around 170ml milk
- 18 g 1+1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter
For the crust topping
- 105 g cake flour
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 48 g powdered sugar
- 18 g egg liquid
Egg wash
- 1 tbsp. egg liquid + 1 tbsp. water
Instructions
dough for the bread
- In a stand mixer, add all the ingredients for the dough expect butter. Knead for 8-10 minutes at low speed. Then place softened butter in , use lowest speed to knead for 1-2 minutes until the butter is well combined with the dough. Speed up the stand mixer and knead another 10 minutes until the dough becomes quite elastic.
- Place the dough in a warm place, covered and wait until at least 2 times in size.
Crust topping
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter until smooth. Add sugar and continue to beat until fluffy. Mix egg liquid and shift cake flour. Mix everything well. Place in refrigerator for around 30 minutes until slightly hardened. So you can handle the crust dough easily soon.
Assemble the bun
- On a clean surface, knead the dough again for minutes until the air is completely pinched out. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Covered and rest for 30 minutes until 1.5 times bigger.
- Divide the crust dough into 8 portions too. Roll each one to a round wrapper. The wrapper can be a slightly sticky and you can roll it with the help of plastic wrappers. Place one wrapper on the board, then flat the crust portion, cover with another plastic wrapper.
- Cover the crust over the bun (from the top side).
- Add some cuts for a lovely appearance.
baking
- Pre-heat to 200 degree C (395 degree F) firstly. Brush egg wash on top.
- Brushing Bake for 8 minutes firstly and then turn the temperature of oven to 180 degree C (355 degree F) and bake for another 10 minutes.
Sorry – what is “egg liquid”? Is it just an egg beaten with water or just an egg? Thanks
Never mind – I saw the answer in other comments. Thanks
Hey….this recipe looks perfect and I would like to make it but I’m trying to figure out where the milk powder goes…because it mentioned I needed milk powder but when I actually clicked on the recipe it was no longer there just the regular milk …so what do I do with it?
Nella,
In the new recipe version, no milk powder is used. Where did you find milk powder?
Just came across this recipe and have a question – what’s does “Without shirting Bread flour” mean?
Karen,
Thanks for the correcting, it is no sifting.
I had to make something traditional for a bake sale I was organising and it did not let me down, this is one of the best things I have ever tasted!
Thanks Yang for your lovely feedback!! So happy to hear it.
Hi. Hoping you can help me in my recipe search. Everytime I go to Chinatown in Los Angeles, I always get bolo bao buns, but the have something called “dry milk powder filling” it’s not pastry cream, it has a slight texture of graininess to it.
I can’t find any bolo bao bun recipes that include the dry milk powder filling.
Any thoughts?
Thanks for your time.
Perry,
Dry milk powder is powdered milk that can strong the milk flavor. Just to improve the flavor. It is a very popular ingredients in Chinese bakery.
Hi, the recipe looks great but where does the pineapple come in?
Thanks in advance.
Jon
Because its surface shape is very similar to that of a pineapple, we named it pineapple bun. Amazing, right? 😊