Pineapple Buns
User Reviews
4.8
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Prep Time
2 hrs 30 mins
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Cook Time
12 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs 42 mins
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Servings
12
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Calories
374 kcal
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Cuisine
Chinese
Pineapple Buns
Description
Pineapple Buns start with a well-kneaded bread dough made from a mix of cake and bread flours, with enrichment from heavy cream, milk, egg, and sugar. After kneading and proofing for about an hour, the dough is divided and shaped into buns, then proofed again to increase volume.
The topping dough is mixed separately using all-purpose flour, milk powder, baking soda and powder, superfine sugar, vegetable shortening, milk, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to achieve a sweet, slightly crisp crust that bakes to a golden finish resembling a pineapple’s patterned top. The topping is applied to the buns before baking.
The contrasting textures—the soft, fluffy bread and the crunchy, sugary topping—define Pineapple Buns. These buns are often enjoyed as a sweet snack or accompaniment to tea or coffee.
This recipe yields one dozen buns. Substituting all-purpose flour for the cake and bread flours is possible with minimal effect on texture.
Ingredients
For the bread dough:
- 2/3 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
- 1 cup milk (at room temperature)
- 1 egg at room temperature, large
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
For the topping dough:
- ¼ cup milk powder dry
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup superfine sugar (it’s very important that it’s superfine)
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening (can subsitute lard or butter)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
To finish the buns:
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Start by making the bread dough. 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 to “stir.” Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough 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 1.5X its original size.
- After the bread dough has proofed for an hour, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a circular bun, and place on a baking sheet. Cover the buns with a clean, dry kitchen towel and let rise for another hour.
- While that's happening, make the topping. Add the dry milk powder to a mixing bowl. If your dry milk powder has some larger clumps, crush them up with your fingers so it’s uniformly powdery.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and superfine sugar. Stir to combine. Add the shortening, milk, egg yolk, and vanilla. Use your hands to mix everything together into a dough. If it’s too dry, add a little more milk a teaspoon at a time until it comes together. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
- When the buns are done rising for a second time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Separate the topping dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them into balls. On a clean surface, roll out each ball into a flat circle and place one onto each bun.
- Brush with egg yolk and bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes.
Notes
- This recipe makes twelve pineapple buns per batch.
- All-purpose flour can replace both cake flour and bread flour without significant changes to the final texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 374 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 374kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 59g | 20% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 65mg | 22% |
| Sodium | 365mg | 15% |
| Potassium | 133mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 18g | 36% |
| Vitamin A | 315IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 62mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1.1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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