Coconut Buns (Chinese Cocktail Buns)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
3 hrs
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
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Servings
12 buns
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Calories
389 kcal
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Course
Baked Goods
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Cuisine
Chinese
Coconut Buns (Chinese Cocktail Buns)
Description
Coconut Buns (Chinese Cocktail Buns) begin with a yeast bread dough made richer by heavy cream, milk, and eggs, providing a tender and soft texture. The filling combines butter, sugar, cake flour, milk powder, and desiccated coconut to create a sweet and fragrant center that complements the bread. A topping made from flour, butter, and sugar, along with an egg wash and sesame seeds, adds a lightly crisp and sweet outer layer.
The preparation involves mixing the dough ingredients and kneading until smooth before proofing, then preparing the coconut filling separately. After proofing, the dough is portioned and formed around the coconut filling. The buns get topped with the topping mixture, egg-washed, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and baked until golden.
They make a classic Chinese bakery-style treat, typically enjoyed as a snack or for breakfast. The combination of tender bread, sweet coconut filling, and the slight crunch from the topping offers textural contrast and distinctive flavor.
If cake flour or bread flour is unavailable, all-purpose flour can be used as a substitute for both to similar effect.
Ingredients
The bread dough:
- 2/3 cup heavy cream (160 ml, at room temperature)
- 1 cup milk (plus 1 tablespoon, total 250 ml, at room temperature)
- 1 egg at room temperature, large
- 1/3 cup sugar (75g)
- 1/2 cup cake flour (70 g)
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour (500g)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (11g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (7g)
The filling:
- 6 tablespoons butter (85g, softened)
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar (38g, or superfine sugar)
- 3 tablespoons cake flour (19g)
- ¼ cup milk powder 30g, dry
- ½ cup desiccated coconut (40g)
The toppings:
- 1/3 cup cake flour (38g)
- 3 tablespoons butter (43g, softened)
- 4 ½ teaspoons caster sugar (20g, or superfine sugar)
- egg 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, wash
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 9g, toasted
- 1 tablespoon sugar (12g, dissolved in 1 tablespoon/15 ml hot water)
Instructions
- Start by making the bread dough, and be sure your ingredients are at room temperature. In the bowl of a mixer, add the heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt (in that order). Using the dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer at its lowest setting.
- Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together. (Note: if you’re in a humid climate, and the dough is too sticky, add more flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough comes together). After 15 minutes, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. The dough will grow to about 1.5X its original size.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling by thoroughly combining all the filling ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- After the bread dough has proofed for an hour, put the dough back in the mixer and knead slowly for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Flatten each piece of dough with your hands into a rough oval shape, about 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. Spread about a tablespoon of filling onto the middle of the dough, and roll it into a cigar, tucking the ends under the bun to completely seal the filling in. We like this method because it evenly distributes the filling throughout the bun.
- Transfer the buns to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for another 45 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. For the topping, mix together 1/3 cup cake flour, 3 tablespoons softened butter, and 4 ½ teaspoons caster sugar, and transfer to a piping bag or small zip top bag with a small corner cut off. Set aside.
- Once the buns have risen, brush with egg wash. Pipe two stripes of your topping mixture onto each bun, and sprinkle each with sesame seeds. Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and brush with the sugar syrup.
Notes
- All-purpose flour may be substituted for cake flour and bread flour if those are not available.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12buns
Amount Per Serving
Calories 389 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 389kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 49g | 16% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 57mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 401mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 160mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 570IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 83mg | 8% |
| Iron | 0.7mg | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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