Pineapple Buns (菠蘿包）
User Reviews
5
15 reviews
Excellent
Pineapple Buns (菠蘿包）
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Pineapple Buns (菠蘿包) are sweet, soft bread rolls topped with a crumbly, cookie-like crust that cracks during baking, resembling a pineapple's texture. This recipe uses a rich dough made with milk, heavy cream, and eggs to create a tender crumb, alongside a topping dough combining flour, sugar, and butter with vanilla for a slightly crisp, sweet crust. These buns are popular in Chinese bakeries for their contrast between the soft inside and crisp top.
Description
The Pineapple Buns recipe starts with a milk- and cream-based dough enriched with egg and enhanced with dough enhancer and vital wheat gluten for improved texture. The bread flour and cake flour combination balances structure and softness. After mixing and allowing the dough to rise at a warm temperature, the dough is shaped into buns.
The topping dough features all-purpose flour, sugar refined to a fine powder, baking soda and powder, butter, and vanilla, which is gently mixed to form a crumbly, sweet crust. This topping dough is rolled over the proofed buns before baking. During baking, the topping spreads and cracks, giving the bun its signature appearance and texture.
These buns offer a sweet, buttery crust that contrasts with the soft, fluffy bread inside. They can be enjoyed fresh or toasted, often served as a snack or breakfast item.
Using room temperature dairy ingredients helps activate the yeast well, and finely chopping sugar and milk powder improves topping smoothness. A Bosch mixer or similar tool can assist with thorough dough mixing.
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Ingredients
BREAD DOUGH:
- ½ cup milk (I used 2 % at room temperature)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (At room temperature)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 large egg (At room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon dough enhancer
- ½ tablespoon vital wheat gluten
- 1 & ¾ cups bread flour Add 1 & ½ cup first, then let the dough mix it together if the dough still sticky add ¼ cup slowly
- ½ cup cake flour
TOPPING DOUGH:
- 1 & ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 lagre egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup sugar (Use a chopper let it run around a few seconds)
- ¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder (Use a chopper let it run around a few seconds)
- ¼ cup butter (Melted)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons milk
BRUSH THE BUNS:
- 1 large egg yolk
Instructions
- Pour ½ cup of warm milk, ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, and ¼ cup of sugar into the Bosch mixer. (Warm up the milk in the microwave for 15 seconds or leave it out at room temperature for 30 minutes before using it. Also, I used 2 % milk. You can use fat free or whole milk.)
- After that, add 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast and 1 large egg into the Bosch mixer. ( I prefer to use a Bosch mixer.)
- Turn on the lowest setting #1 and let it mix it a little bit and turn off the mixer. Then, wait for 5 minutes. (Don't run the mixer too long, just want to mix the ingredients.)
- In another container, put 1&½ cups of bread flour, ½ cup of cake, ½ tablespoon dough enhancer, ½ tablespoon of vital wheat gluten and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix it well.
- After, turn on the mixer at the lowest setting #1 and pour the flour mixture slowly into the yeast mixture. (Note: if the dough is sticky, add the rest of ¼ cup bread flour at a time until the dough comes together). Then, change the mixer from lowest setting to medium or high setting #3 and let it run for 10-15 minutes.
- After 10-15 minutes, the dough is ready. Then, take the dough out in a bowl and cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (My trick to speed up the rising time. Normally, I preheat the oven to 200F. Then, turn off the oven and put the dough in for 30 minutes.)
- In the meanwhile, prepare the topping dough. Put ¼ cup of nonfat dry milk powder into the chopper.
- Then, add ¾ cup of sugar into the chopper. Let it run for a few seconds until it's smooth and fine.
- In a container, put 1 & ¼ cups of all purpose flour, the chopped sugar and dry milk powder from step 7 and 8. Also, 1 large egg yolk, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of baking powder, ¼ cup of melted butter, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and 4 tablespoons of milk.
- Mix the ingredients well and keep kneading until the dough comes together. Set it aside and cover with a cloth.
- When the dough rises, roughly divide the dough into 12 or 10 pieces depending how big the bun or bread you want. (I did it for 12 pieces.)
- Next, roll the dough into balls and put on the parchment paper with oil spray on the tray. Cover it with a wet cloth and let it wait for 15 minutes.
- At the same time, roughly divide the topping dough from step 10 and roll it into a ball.
- Take a topping dough and cover with plastic wrapper.
- Press with your palm to flatten the topping dough.
- The following step, put the topping dough on top of the bread dough from step 12.
- Beat a large egg yolk or egg and brush the egg on top of the topping dough.
- Preheat the oven at 350F, bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes until it's golden brown.
Notes
- Use room temperature milk and heavy cream to help the yeast activate properly and speed up rising.
- Add bread flour gradually, as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky to achieve the right dough consistency.
- Preheat your oven to 200°F, then turn it off and place the dough inside for 30 minutes to encourage a warm environment for rising.
- Chopping sugar and dry milk powder finely before mixing into the topping improves its smoothness and texture.
- Dough enhancer and vital wheat gluten help create a softer, better-textured bread crumb.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
12g
Calories
298kcal
(15%)
Carbohydrates
47g
(16%)
Protein
7g
(14%)
Fat
9g
(14%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
58mg
(19%)
Sodium
306mg
(13%)
Potassium
134mg
(3%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
19g
(38%)
Vitamin A
391IU
(8%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
73mg
(7%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 298 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 12g | |
| Calories | 298kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 47g | 16% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 58mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 306mg | 13% |
| Potassium | 134mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 19g | 38% |
| Vitamin A | 391IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 73mg | 7% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
15 reviews
Excellent
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