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Super Soft and Moist Chinese Bakery Buns

Super Soft and Moist Chinese Bakery Buns
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  • chinesebun3.jpg
  • chinesebun1.jpg
I recently stumbled upon the bread contest and thought, “Whoa! I can actually submit a half-decent entry for this!” Then it occurred to be that being stuck on campus, it means I am currently without my bread making ingredients/tools. As a result, there will be no photos with the exception of the final product. Instead, you'll get to see the results of my attempts to draw! I'll try to get some photos up when I am reunited with my bread gear.

After much trial and error, this recipe seems to produce a product that is the closest to the soft, moist, and chewy texture of the buns sold at Chinese bakeries. It uses a water roux to achieve the desired texture.

Total time from start to finished product will be approximately 3.5 hours. This recipe will yield about 15 dinner roll-sized buns.

 
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Step 1Gather Tools

Gather Tools
Before you rush out to buy ingredients, make sure you have all the essential tools. Many can be improvised, but the scale is a MUST because all measurements will be given by weight for accuracy.

Essentials:
Large mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Proofing container (mixing bowl or other large container)
Bowl scraper (stiff spatula works too)
Dough cutter (upside down scraper or large non-serrated knife)
Baking tray/bread pan
Scale
Tea towel or plastic wrap

Optional:
Dough kneader (bread machine, stand mixer, cheap labour…)
Probe thermometer
Parchment paper
Pastry brush

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48 comments
1-40 of 48next »
Apr 2, 2012. 4:08 AMrizanmsm says:
I tried last weekend it came up perfectly. but I changed the shapes.
Everyone loved it. The instructions are very clear and easy to understand.
Thank you.
(check out some pictures)
Mar 17, 2012. 9:36 PMchowke says:
Can I use this dough for steamed buns with meat and vegetable fillings?
Dec 24, 2011. 3:24 PMTooraj says:
It has taken me almost a year to try this. I tried it last night on Christmas Eve and what a success! Perfect recipe, perfect buns! Truly, outstanding. Absolutely bakery quality bread.

Love the weight measurements and the illustrations.

Thank you very much.

BTW, I did voted when you first published this. You should have won, but runner up winner is great too.

Merry Christmas.
Apr 25, 2011. 8:54 PMtarget022 says:
These look great!
Could I use this recipe for pork buns, with a meat filling?
Jan 30, 2011. 6:37 PMcjccjc says:
Also love the illustrations - Never had Chinese buns, and going to try this. One question, could these be used for hamburger / hot dog buns?
Apr 14, 2011. 2:49 PMktana says:
There's a great snack found in many Chinese bakeries that is basically this type of bun wrapped around a hot dog and baked. Very tasty, nice contrast of salty and sweet.
Feb 18, 2011. 7:35 AMastra28 says:
Hi! I was wondering if you had a recipe for the chinese coconut bread or egg custard bread? :) those are my favorite! thanks a lot for this recipe!
Feb 26, 2011. 5:54 PMastra28 says:
okay! thanks!
Feb 19, 2011. 7:08 AMElvenChild says:
this tasted really good with rice and chow mein
Jan 31, 2011. 9:21 AMSenior Waffleman says:
This looks amazing, i most likely cant make, does it have a particular taste?
Feb 6, 2011. 9:57 AMSenior Waffleman says:
Ok, thanks =)
Jan 31, 2011. 8:51 AMmybodyby says:
This super. Hi from Minsk. I want to translate it and to place with myself on a site - http://mybody.by/
Feb 2, 2011. 9:21 PMkojak says:
I followed your instructions. It looked a little hinky with the first addition of liquids, however after the eggs, milk and cream were involved, the 12 minutes showed real progress. I continued for 3 minutes more. I made 20 rolls at 50 g/roll. These turned out beautifully. However, being a FOG (fat, old guy) I am not really allowed to have any thing good. I gave my neighbors 16 of the rolls and I enjoyed the last 4. Each roll was about 155 calories. Calorie counts came from WolframAlpha.com
This is great. I will be serving these dinner rolls at my next party. Thanks for the tut!
Jan 31, 2011. 2:18 PMBeSomebody says:
I voted! These look soo good :)
Jan 31, 2011. 2:07 AMt.rohner says:

Hello, very nice buns.

I've been baking for a long time now and i never stumbled upon "roux" in baking. Since my better half has a cooking school, i heard about roux before, and it always was a combination of flour and some fatty component.(mostly butter)
Then i took a closer look on what you do with it and after seeing how you process your "roux", it's a gelatinization of the wheat starch.(I know about gelatinization of starch from my brewing experience)
It helps to retain more water, than in non gelatinized starch mixes.(in this case, your dough...)

When i look at your ingredients, a "Brioche" recipe comes to my mind. (loaded with butter, cream, milk and eggs)

I posted a recipe of a regional sepcialty, which is a little lower in fat.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-Braid-%22Butterzopf%22-or-Challah/

You can also make a sweet variety of it with hazelnut, raisins, apple filling. This is called a "Russian thread" here.
Or with "prosciutto di parma" and parmigiano, i love this.

Before christmas, the dough is sweetened with vanilla sugar and little figures are formed with the dough. (especially for the kids)

By the way, you have very nice illustrations.


Jan 31, 2011. 1:38 AMNovembersky says:
that's why it said "scale required"
Jan 30, 2011. 7:41 PMVirginiaCee says:
Don't know grams could you break it down in cups and teaspoons and things we use here in America? Thanks
Jan 31, 2011. 1:28 AMDrew-Oz says:
You could look online for conversions...
I just found this site:
http://www.convert-me.com/en/
click on the "cooking conversion" link... et voila!
Jan 30, 2011. 4:28 PMloricollins says:
I don't think you should put in pictures. I loved the illustrations.
Jan 30, 2011. 3:16 PMjennyvier says:
(Also, I love the illustrations. ^_^)
Jan 30, 2011. 3:26 PMtrike road poet says:
Outstanding!
Now anyone know a easy steamer for the stove top for doing the rolls that way as well?
Jan 30, 2011. 3:15 PMjennyvier says:
What a great instructable! Thanks so much. :)

This really is a great primer, and you cover all aspects of bread making well - I look forward to trying these out!
Jan 30, 2011. 1:38 PMkojak says:
This is a great tutorial. Love everything about it, the photos, the illustrations & the text. Even the weight of everything.

I am going to try to make a batch tonight.
Jan 30, 2011. 3:11 AMhjhapje7 says:
don't they steam them in china?
Jan 30, 2011. 10:51 AMLawnBoy1991 says:
there are two ways, some baked, some steamed. If you haven't tried baked Chinese buns, oh man you've missed out.
Jan 30, 2011. 10:40 AMgabrielelmex says:
gigidy
Jan 29, 2011. 1:18 PMJoeWirth says:
Do you have the ingredients in cups, tsp.... That be awesome!!
Jan 30, 2011. 9:49 AMjesebsp says:
here is a converter.

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/cooking-conversions/cooking-conversions-calculator.aspx?t=t&foodg=0&foods=&fno=0#food

Jan 31, 2011. 4:21 AMrhkramer says:
I'd like someone to explain how a scale is more accurate. In the past, without thinking about it, I was given (and accepted) the explanation that flour (in particular, but also other nominally dry ingredients) could have varying amounts of moisture depending in the humidity, with an impication that weighing (instead of measuring by volume) could somehow compensate for that variation in moisture.

Now that I've thought about it, that explanation doesn't stand up. If there is more moisture in the flour, the (nominally dry) flour will weigh more, and measuring by weight will give you less flour. Measuring volumetrically is very accurate if you consistently use the same measuring devices (spoons and cups), and level the ingredient with a straight edge.

On the other hand, I can imagine that "heaping" measures can vary, But, how does a scale provide more accuracy than "leveled" volumetric measures.

(Just a side note: And I know that with varying moisture content in the flour you might need to vary the amount of water, but that would be done based on the "feel" of the dough. I've never had to do it. (And, I can imagine that in a large scale commercial bakery they actually measure the moisture in the flour or something similar.)
Jan 31, 2011. 11:18 AMbware says:
Whilst moisture will throw off both measures, sifting flour if successful will change the measured volume, but not the measured weight.

However I expect the bigger influence is physiological. If you are developing a recipe in cups, how likely are you to round 1 cup and 1 teaspoon to just 1 cup, where as 110g or 115g are both as easy to measure.

Also no-one has explained either system to the chickens, so don't worry too much, anything needing better then a 10% tolerance is just trial and error.
1-40 of 48next »

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